Janet Jackson Covers Prestige Magazine

In the interview with the magazine, she talks about Mariah Carey and Usher taking up studio time with JD and how she doesn't think marriage is all that necessary. Below is an excerpt.

You’ve moved to Island Records and you’re working on your new album with your boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri. Since you and Jermaine live together and work together, is it difficult?
No, from my perspective it’s not. But you’d have to ask him for his perspective, if I’m difficult [laughs] – I don’t think I am! I think there’s such a thing as being a team player with whatever it is you’re doing, and granted it’s your career, so you should have a final say, but still it’s about a team effort and you could never do it alone. But if there is something that we both feel differently about, it just should really be talked about and that’s the way we’ve always done it. Except this time around I see Usher and Mariah [Carey] coming out of the studio and I say, “Okay, wait, aren’t you supposed to be working on my stuff? We’re supposed to be doing our stuff together.” And he goes, “Well yeah,” and I’m like, “Why are they here, don’t I come before them when it’s time for the album to be released?” Not because I’m his girlfriend [laughs], but for the release of the album. Mine has to be released first, so doesn’t it make sense to get me out of the way first? But it’s all good.

At least this way you get to spend more time with one another.
But that’s something I don’t think we will ever get enough of because we’re always working. Like he was up here in New York for maybe a week and we really didn’t see each other. When you’re working in the studio you work really late at night, so by the time he’d get back from the studio I’d be getting up because I’d have something to go do, so we kept missing each other like that. It got really bad, so we’d send messages all day long saying how much we missed each other. It definitely helps to know that you’re missed. It does keep a little fire to it.

There are conflicting reports of Jermaine being your boyfriend, your fiancé or your husband.
We’re not married. I call him my boyfriend. Jermaine calls me his wife, I’ve heard him say that as well . . . But not yet. I don’t know if that will ever happen. Maybe, I really don’t know. It’s because, at least for myself, this space that we’re in I think is so nice. I feel like maybe marriage is a jinx for me. I’ve done it twice; I’m not trying to be Elizabeth Taylor and do it eight times. Where we are is good and we’re happy and there’s no drama. And plus, I think there’s something about having a spiritual connection where you don’t have to have a certificate to validate the love. So it’s all good – if you make those vows to one another and you know that you have a connection, that’s all you need. I really do think [marriage] is just a way for the government to keep tabs on everybody, I truly do. Now people think you’ve got to grow up and get married and have a family, you don’t have to do that if you don’t want that. Just because everyone else does that doesn’t mean you have to.

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