Jermaine Dupri Shares Unreleased Leah LaBelle Song 'Scumbag'
As friends and fans mourn the tragic death of Leah LaBelle, her mentor Jermaine Dupri remembers the late songstress, who was signed to So So Def and Pharrell’s I Am Other, by sharing a previously-unreleased track called “Scumbag.”
Produced by J.D., the soulful Teena Marie-inspired jam finds Leah singing about her boyfriend, who turned out to be a “Scumbag.” “Thought you were the one for me / Thought that we were meant to be,” she sings. “And for once I ain’t had to worry / But I found out quick, fast, a hurry.”
“One of my favorite songs, out of the many records i cut on her,” said J.D. “One of the coolest girls you could ever meet, may your soul rest in peace.”
LaBelle, 31, and her husband Rasual Butler, 38, died in a car crash in Studio City, Calif. on Wednesday morning (Jan. 31). Their friends including JoJo, Ciara, Keri Hilson, Fantasia, and Leah’s “Idol” alums Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson took to social media to mourn the loss.
“You were truly a sweet soul. This is truly sad and unreal,” said Ciara, while JoJo remembered her close friend, writing, “I feel so fortunate that you were in my life. Sing with the angels in heaven. You were an angel on earth.”
Back in 2013, Leah performed a three-song acoustic set for Rap-Up Sessions, including “Lolita,” “Mr. Scissors,” and a cover of Daft Punk and Pharrell’s “Get Lucky.” Watch her stripped-down set below.