Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Who was presented to collab with Usher and he turned
it down and he's like, Damn, I shouldn't have did that.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You're gonna hate me for this one Oh jay Z
for real.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Diddy, Damn and Me was supposed to be a group.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
All my life, grinding all my life, sacrifics, hustle pact
the price. Want a slice, got the Bronu dis swap
all my life, Poppy grinding all my life, all my
life and grinding all my life, sacrifics, hustle pactic Price
one slice got the Bronic diys to swap all my
life Poppy grinding all my life.
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Speaker 1 (01:58):
Hello, Welcome to a vari's edition of Club Shay Shay.
I am your hole Shannon Sharp. I'm also the propriud
of Club Sha Shak and for this one, we got
a whopper for you. He's an eight time Grammy Award
winning pop icon, a multi gold, platinum, and diamond selling artist.
He received the last certified Diamond by a black artist.
He a generation defining megastar, singer, songwriter, producer, actor, dancer,
(02:21):
all around entertainer. One of the most influential voices and
accomplished singers in the world. One of the most successful
pop and RB artists of the twentieth century and early
twenty first century. He's been active in the game for
three decades. An NBA championship owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And please, whatever you do, do not leave your girl
or your wife around this man. He's an international sex symbol,
(02:45):
a successor to Michael Jackson, the.
Speaker 6 (02:47):
King, the King of R and B, mister usher Shaw.
I'll do it.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Well, let's go ahead. You got your own, you got
your ranby, I got my shape.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Listen, by the way, only in the best, you know
what I'm saying, we bring out the best. You know China,
you know what I'm saying now. But you got it
in the brock of rock glass here in Las Vegas.
Enjoy it, man, I'll figured I come having a drink
with you.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Well, I should appreciate that. I appreciate that. Yeah, man,
And you get to say, who was sitting down having
a drinking conversation? But you see who it is now, bro,
How you doing.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I've been good, bro.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
You know, we've been out here man and Vegas. Man,
just really enjoying the time. You know. It's spent an
amazing almost one hundred shows and I don't know if
there's anybody that's been able to track this fast to
one hundred.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Shows, you know, but it's been great.
Speaker 6 (03:34):
Man. The super Bowl?
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, was that always in the back of your mind?
Or where were you when you got the call that's like, bro,
we want you to do the super Bowl?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Was it always in the back of my It's in
the back of every artist's mind really?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
I mean as many times as we've seen performers kind
of have an entire career, right, a legacy career, you know,
to have that moment. I mean, you can win awards,
you can travel around the world, have fits everywhere, play arenas, stadiums,
you know what I'm saying. Yeah, I know. So it's
like that is it's a lot of pressure over me, okay,
(04:09):
but but but it is it's a dream, I guess
for everyone, and I'd always wanted to go there, had
the opportunity to go there, you know, with the Black
Eyed p Yeah, sog so after being bitten by that moment,
I was like, I gotta go back again.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I mean it's well overdue, but you know what I'm saying, definitely.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
But you didn't want to go back. You wanted to
go back as a headliner. You want to do your
own thing. Now, how do you talk what you did?
Because remember you jumped over wheel I am you hit
the split and so now people are like, okay, thusher
by himself, what's he going to do the top back?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I don't know if I'm gonna have somebody to jump over.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
You know, man, I think that this is a legacy, right, this, uh,
this entire career and everything that you had to say
about me, I really do appreciate it.
Speaker 6 (04:54):
Did I leave anything out? Though?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I mean I became a I got a doctorate this year. Okay,
so the city got a key to the city of
Las Vegas. Became a doctor at Berkeley. But you know,
it's it really kind of comes down to your ten
thousand hours, you know what I'm saying. And if you
worked hard, then you should be given that opportunity. Jay Z.
(05:15):
He reached out to me personally, right and so.
Speaker 6 (05:20):
What was that called? So what was that called? Like?
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Okay, phone ring? You looked down. It's whole, Jay. I
mean you probably got it and your phone is over.
Speaker 6 (05:26):
Jay.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
You pick up the phone. You're like, man, I wonder
what are you calling me for? Okay, here's the conversation,
not what.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I had an idea that he might be calling. He
happened to be coming to town in Atlanta.
Speaker 7 (05:39):
B was in Atlanta with the tour.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
The tour so every time we're in Atlanta, we play spades.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Okay, just so you know, me him one and I
have to pick my partner, you know, and the last
time they kind of gave it to me. So I'm
thinking he's getting ready to call me to say, yo,
pull up to you know, the arena or a stadium
and come get this work. And nah, he was like, no, Nah,
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Calling about spades.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I'm like, so, what what's up? He was like his time? Yeah,
I mean yeah, it is five o'clock in the morning.
What you mean this to now? But it was early,
you know, And he said, you know, this is this
is the magic moment. This is the Michael moment. Actually
how you put it? And you know, are you ready?
(06:26):
I was like, well, you want to do it. I'm like,
first of all, I was a bit in denial. So
my girl walks in the room and I'm like, she's
like no way, He's like, yes way. It was like
he was in the room with us. Yeah, man, it was.
It was.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It was an incredible moment, man.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
And you know some of the greatest have done. Prince
done the halftime and remember in Miami he was playing
purple Rain and it starts to rain. Yeah, Michael Jackson, Beyonce.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So everybody realized that God was a Prince fan and
man and man, it was playing and it started random purple.
Speaker 6 (07:04):
It started ready for real.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
So so how long is it gonna take you, because
we're probably about four three and a half four months away. Yeah,
how long is it gonna take you to put a
set together? Because it's not like your residency here and
we will get into that a little later. You probably
got fifteen twenty minutes to put something together that will
lead the people, that the people will remember for the
rest of their lives.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Well, exactly that right for your entire life, I guess
for the entire time that you've been building. That's how
long it took wow to prepare for that moment. It
didn't just start these few months that I have that lead.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Up to it.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
It started, you know, thirty years ago, man, when I
decided that this is what I wanted to do, and
you know how to support my mama and a host
of an incredible a lot of people. Man. I mean,
this journey is not just mine. To celebrate this everybody
that has something to do with it, from the beginning
in Chatta Nigger, Tennessee, making my way to Atlanta, sign
up with a record company at fourteen years old, then
(08:03):
having this incredible journey finding music, finding producers, finding sources
of inspiration, you know, and then moving on to other areas,
you know, finding artists and working and collaborating with other people.
So I celebrate all of that leading up to that moment.
So if anything, if you want to take note, the
preparation starts to date, working on it right now, then
(08:26):
hopefully you'll get there someday. But man, don't take those
you know, those those ten thousand hours lightly.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Man.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
We live in a time where you know, you can
have success overnight. I mean, you know, we have social
interaction that gives us access to everything, but you know
that work that you have to put in in order
to you know, own that moment and and deserve that
moment can't be taken lightly.
Speaker 6 (08:53):
Any early super Bowl prediction.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Probably too early for me. Man.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
I don't know, Bro, I come here to ask you
to be honest. I'm like, Yo, what you think you know?
You know, but somebody said, somebody says something by Miami,
somebody says something you know about.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Kansas, Kansas City, forty nine ers, somebody said something about
forty nine ers.
Speaker 6 (09:15):
Yeah, you're a Cowboy fan.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I mean, you know, I was born in Dallas, Texas
and have always been, you know, a fan, you know,
of the Cowboys throughout the years.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
You know, so you know, who knows it could be
could be a good year. They seem to be getting
it together.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
The new album Coming Home releases going to release on
the same day as the super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (09:38):
That's not an accident, is it?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
No? No?
Speaker 3 (09:40):
No, that was that was strategic. You know.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Part of it is, you know, paying tribute to the past,
you know, being present here in Las Vegas. What what
a surprise right to have an incredible residency run here,
one hundred shows I would have played by the end
of November, and then to have the treat of being
able to play the Super the Bowl, you know. So yeah, man,
(10:04):
it's like, you know, here you have this this grand
opportunity that is almost like a crescendo of what started
off really in a pandemic. Right, People don't really know
that part. Right When I came to Las Vegas, it
was quiet, nobody was here, nothing was happening. People thought
I was crazy for putting tickets on sales, But to
(10:25):
be honest, it was belief. Belief that we would get
back to the norm you know what I'm saying, and
a time when the world just felt like upside down,
like what is normal anymore? We ain't been outside or
been into a concert hall or celebrated with each other.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
In a year, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
And here you have this grand opportunity to start this
journey that now leads up to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
For me, so that moment was also for you because
you wanted to get outside. Also, you wanted to see
people because you were shut there and you wanted to
They was like, oh, man, I get you, but you
like usher.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
Get a chance to see you.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (10:59):
Man.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
The first thing that we did, we did a show
in Los Angeles for iHeartRadio, which was like the actual
first time I'd sing. And also to have been in
a room or anybody had been in a room in
La So that was the first thing. And then to
come to Las Vegas and then launch my residency successfully
as I said, you know the time that we spend
here now to be able to come here and celebrate.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Man, this this incredible moment.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
This is your ninth solo album. Yeah, this is your
first and eight years. What can we expect?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Well, first, after the super Bowl, as you said, the
album comes out coming Home. We released one record so
far good good feature in Summer Walker, and also two
twenty one Savage number one record there. So really happy
about that. Radio has played a major part in that
social interactions a ton of other things. But you know,
I really, you know, feel like I put a lot
of heart and time into making certain that this was
(11:53):
curated right, something that felt like, you know, this next
chapter of my life, as I talked to you about
the past, the present, happening here in Las Vegas, the future,
and once we get there in February, is the next frontier?
Is that next chapter of my life and my legacy. This,
by the way, marks the first album that I put
(12:14):
out as an independent artist, very important part, right, because
what you should know is that, yeah, legacy obviously is
a part of what gave me the hit records to
be able to have a foundation to stand on. But
at that juncture of my life, I didn't just rely
on that. I decided to move away and also to
be independent. Mega myself, Larry Jackson, La Reed and I
(12:37):
came together and formed Gamma, and Mega is the support
of it. Since then, it's just been a labor of
like being reminded of why we did it. I can
go back to my thirteen year old days and remember
beginning between me and La now at forty five years old,
(12:57):
and him having a world of it experience, know all,
you know, just one of the greatest executives of our time,
Black executives of our time, you know, breaking so many
artists in so many different genres. Now we get to
bring all that equity together and do something that is
all about passion.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
The greatest record executive regardless of color.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
You look at all the acts that he's discovered and
what and put on. He's been unbelievable this residency, and
you spoke about a little earlier that was that something
that had the pandemic not happen. Would the residency with Usher,
would that have happened?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
It was going to happen.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yeah, it was. It was going to happen. We had
plans for it to happen. And right as we were
in the process of launching, you know, I think I
was in France at the time, and it was just
this crazy outbreak came back to America and then before
you know, we were quarantined, you know, and I've been
working on music, so I've been kind of ramping up
to something. Rather it was new music, a new tour,
(14:00):
and we all felt like Las Vegas would be an
incredible reintroduction of new music also to celebrating legacy.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
But it turned into something far, far more than that.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Man, you know, right, we're here at the No Man
in Las Vegas, right down the hallway from where you're
performing your residency to night at Adobe Live Park.
Speaker 6 (14:18):
MGM.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
My daughter, who's flight with the Lady, wanted to be here,
but I'm bringing her tonight for a birthday.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
So when you caught a lot of flak got you,
the women come and you.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Know, you come with your daddy or come with your
sugar daddy.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
No no, no talking about your husband actual daughter.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I'm very protective my de but all I ain't got
but two girls, and I'm very protective more of us,
and so don't be don't be battling around. So the criticism,
I mean, you're just having a good time. You say
you got your things on. I mean, are you surprised
that you've got the criticism and the blowback that you've received.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
I don't know, man, I just know that this juncture
of my life is just about having You don't even care. Now,
it's not that I don't cares that I want you
to notice I'm having and that is a part of
me having fun, being out in the audience amongst the
fans and also to the.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
People, and then feeling that energy.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
I don't remember the last time that I've been to
a show like that. You know, I know that we
all feel good when we go to Frankie Beverly and
we you know, we all dressing our white. We go
out there and we enjoy each other and you know,
in the aisles and have a great time. But like
what an artist comes out and just is amongst the people.
You know, this arena gave me an opportunity to be
(15:28):
able to be closer to my fans because i'd been
I didn't put out an album in almost six years, right,
so now being able to reconnect in that way, you know,
obviously it spun into something that became.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
It gave me a new title.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, I think Charlemagne a god named me like the
domestic Terrorist. I'm like, bro, I'm just this is this
is actually an usher's show.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
Right what you said you can feel the energy.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
You can't feel the energy for them husbands and the
bar friend and giving you to eat a lot like
you need to back up.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Nah, they're actually cool. The guy I said, are there?
You know what I'm saying. The girls, they get a
little out of you. I'm just saying, but you know
it's don't leave your girl around me. I to come
with your girl. You know what I'm saying, Come with
your daughter. You know what I'm saying, bring your white
but yo. By the way, again, it's all in good fun.
And then the whole purpose and point is to bring
(16:19):
that energy to Las Vegas. When I look at it
and I see my people, I see you know, I
see us doing something that.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I don't even felt I don't feel like it's been.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Done here, like the Black Dollar is strong and Vegas
man more than it's ever been, and the cast in
the in the crew and the feeling of what this
has built. It's been a celebration. So you know, nah,
I didn't. I don't know if I was able to
even look at it as a negative. And then anything
that has happened in terms of the girls who came
(16:49):
up there, rather it was to recipe hensign or you
know what I'm saying, Keiki you know Palmer or you.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
Know that woman had just had a baby and she would.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I mean, she wanted to get out and have you
know what I'm saying. Should you not feel like you?
You know what I mean? Like you? You should get
out with your girls and enjoy yourself. You should, right, yes,
And now you have me to sit your usher.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Oh you you aren't bringing them into a good time?
Speaker 6 (17:14):
You taking that lift up. You caught your fout with them.
You know the ushers help you.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
To the chail five and I'm ushing you to a
good time. You know what I'm saying, Come have a
good time with me. No, but working out, yeah, man.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
I talked to Steve stout yesterday and he said that
when you getting ready for a show, that you would
train chasing the U Haul and they're playing Confessions because
you are an entertainer. You're not just sitting on the
stool singing. You're moving and you're every word and you dancing.
You're doing all these dance moves. Who how are you
able to do this.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
Night in and night out? But you still got them
twenty year old knees.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Yeah, I know, man, It's like the conditioning. There's no
different you know, football, you know what I mean. You
gotta really have the you know, you gotta have a core, right,
you gotta make certain that you can sing and dance.
It's so part of my moving and singing and running
and doing some of these things that are probably not
a part of the you know, the build of artists.
You know, that type of artist development is something that
(18:11):
I learned. I learned it from a guy by the
name of aj Alexander, the guy who actually discovered me,
who was Bobby Brown's bodyguard. Right, so as a kid,
he had his kids in Atlanta, right, And this was
our training, like it was like boot camp. Singing wasn't
just like oh, we're gonna get out here and just
jam and sing the girls. Now, you gotta like he
was like putting us through straight boot camp.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
So you had to learn why you had learned to
sing while you're tired because you're running, and like you said,
if boot camp.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
But you know, I just think that that generation of entertainment,
it was different, you know what I'm saying. And I
had been in a group before, and we as a group,
you know, we worked in the same way, you know
what I'm saying. We played basketball, you know what I'm saying,
and we got our wind up. Or when we were working,
we would sing and dance and move around. He would
help us running and singing all of that kind of stuff.
(18:58):
That wasn't uncommon. That's not an uncommon thing. If you
consider yourself an artist, right as part of artist development,
if you want to be able to get out there, sing,
dance and I miss a beat, be on key, that's
the type of work that you got to do, right.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
You You mentioned you're born in Cha, You're Chattanooga. You
moved to Atlanta at a very very young age. And
he said, your mom I read where you said your
mom like kind of quit what she was doing. To
devote all of her attention to you, and you said
your mom was like kind of hard on you and
making sure that's what you wanted. Where do you where
does your stance Because we see Richard beanis in Serena.
(19:35):
Richard Williams was very hard on them. Here we see
Tiger story, his dad was hard on him. And then
I see Dwight Howard trying to push your son and
he gets blowback. So where's Usher? If your kids? How
are you going to be with your son? You say,
you got a son that's playing basketball? Now, how's Usher
the parent? Given where he came from, knowing what he knows,
how's he going to be?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Man? I deal with the same you know, issues that
any parent deals with kids who are influ by you know,
the things that they see, the things that they get into.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
But the one thing that I do is care for
my kids.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Right.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
I view disciplinary, you know, you know kind of measures
as something that is preparing your kids, especially black kids
for you know, the reality of the world that they're
living in. You know, I hold you to a higher standard.
You know, I personally hold you to a higher standard
because I know what work it takes to be great
and for parents who do that. You know, look at
(20:28):
the evidence, look at the incredible you know, artists, the
incredible athletes that were creating in that moment. This generation
may not necessarily have the same respect. But God bless
the coaches that we have. God bless the mentors and
stuff that we have that motivate our kids, because it
almost puts this pressure on parents to not be parents. Now,
(20:50):
that's it's a hard dynamic, especially if you come from
an industry where you know what it takes to not
naturally kick into that mode and say, oh, if you
want to do something, you want to play basketball, you got.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
To run at a certain rate. I'm gonna push you.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
If you really want to do this, you gotta show
me you're gonna show up on time.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
You ain't on time. Give me push ups right now?
Speaker 2 (21:08):
What, Yeah, gimme push ups, Run these laps, run these
suicides right now? You serious?
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Dad?
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (21:13):
For real? And I'm not playing.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
And if I catch you, if I get if I
get there before you do, you're gonna give me one
hundred extra push ups.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
That's just that's just the nature of the you know,
the animal that is inside of who we are as
as I don't know man, as as entertainers.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
As athletes.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
So I don't.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I don't. I don't look at any of that kind
of disciplinary kind of measure as bad. I do think
it's equally important to talk to your kids. Okay, if
you're gonna push them that way, then you gotta love
on them just as much.
Speaker 6 (21:42):
You gotta explain to them why you push it.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
There, you go, that's right. They got to know that. Yo,
my dad's gonna push me to be great. My dad's
gonna talk to me as well and help me understand
why he's pushing me the way that he is.
Speaker 6 (21:53):
But how is that?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Because you have to understand you're in a totally different
situation than what they are.
Speaker 6 (21:58):
Your mom didn't have it like your key is. Dad
has it right.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
So they're looking because you, like, man, I got to
get my I got to get my mom out of
this situation I want to have when your kids come home.
They got a six car garage, they got twenty five
thousand square feet, they got many, they got made, they
got shelf, they got they got all.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Man.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Yeah, that is that is a harsh reality, which is
more of the reason why you got to be harder
on them, but mindful that their normal is different than
our normal, right, and the access that they have is
greater and grander, and the expectation is actually higher. That's
the one thing that I have empathy for my children,
(22:38):
especially the ones you know that you know, I name
my son Usher, So every time he's out, obviously there's
that pressure. You know, I've even battled at times, you know,
my kids sometimes they don't want me to come. They
don't want me to be at the you know, their
basketball game or they recital, or they want to be
very very low key because they don't want that energy.
They don't want our dad walks in the room and
(23:00):
took you know.
Speaker 6 (23:01):
All their focus off of me.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeah, and it's hard because I tried my heartest to
have that empathy. But I want to be there. You
know what I'm saying countless times being able to just
sit at the back of the room quiet. You know
what I'm saying is keep myself as small as possible
and be as quiet as I possibly can.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
I want to be a parent, yeah, man, Yeah, but
it is if.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
You're right, like that access and that reality that they're
looking at, it gives them some expectation, and unfortunately I
can't take it back.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Like I walked so that we could ride, you know
what I'm saying, And now that you're riding, you know,
I want you to understand the importance of walking.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Did you always at the age of ten, eleven and
twelve you're on star search, did you always know you
wanted to be this?
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Well?
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Which part of this do you mean?
Speaker 6 (23:51):
Right?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Because the guy that's sitting across from me, that's internationally
known that goals and sells out every concert, the guy
that's almost at one hundred shows at a residency God,
that's doing the halftime show, one of the king of R.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
And B this, Thank you very much. But let me
give you a little clarity, right, Okay, No, I don't know.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
If I I don't know if I was prepared for
any of it, but I know that I was dedicated
enough to stick to it until something happened, and then
something that I didn't expect happen.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
To become a businessman, to then understand entrepreneurship, to understand philanthropy,
to understand empathy, to begin to understand the other.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Side of it, I wouldn't prepare for that.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
I knew that if I set my mind to anything,
the affirmation of me once saying it and actually making
it happen it willing it to happen was something that
I was committed to as a kid. Yo, I walked
around and my mother used to tell me all the time,
you need to stop telling people that you're going.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
To be a big artist.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I'm like, why, that's what I believe, is what I
think about myself. If I don't believe it, nobody else would.
But you don't have to say it. It ain't happen yet.
I'm like, but I wanted to, so let me just
I must keep saying it until it actually, you know,
becomes the reality. And I'm gonna not only just say
it and expect somebody to give it to me. I'm
gonna take the long way around. I want to work
(25:19):
for it. I want to be able to say I
earned it, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
I remember the first time that I saw you, and
I didn't quite know who you were. I saw you
in Nike Town and Phillips Plaza. Man, I just see
you in Guccia all the time, and you always sing
I was like, man, why do this dude sing it?
Speaker 6 (25:34):
Man? I like he's like, he's like and you was
just singing and singing and singing. And I was told
my sister, I said, man, I saw this, this.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
This a I mean, you couldn't been no more than
like sixteen or seventeen.
Speaker 6 (25:46):
I said, I saw this. I saw this kid in
niked Town and he was singing. I think I think
he might be something.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know if I was auditioning
or what I said. I was preparing for my moment,
you know what I'm saying. And I think that that's
that's the plight, you know what I'm saying. To anything
that you want to be great at, you have to
make it a you have to make it a process.
Like it's a part of your every thought. Like if
you want to play basketball, you always bounce on the ball.
(26:14):
You want to play football, you always readjusting, you always managing,
you always ready and alert.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
You know, if you want to play sports, it's like
you have to stay activated and stay active. As an artist,
it's the same. And you know, I'm also too.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Haunted by the idea that I had this talent, so
it's naturally just coming out.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
It's like, you can't help but just be who you are.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
You had this talent obviously in high school. Normally when
you have a talent, everybody's not as talent as as
everyone else.
Speaker 6 (26:41):
So were they're hating going on it with you in
high school.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
The people hate that you were so gifted because you're
in a talent show.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
You win it. You know that you're not losing a
talent show.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
No, So they're like it's like, okay, okay, you won
the last five talent shows.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
You're not in this one.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
No.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
But that's what makes you great, right, the fact that
you know that there's opposition. You know, if you're playing
on the football team, right, you're gonna go out there,
you see that, you.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Go up against some dogs. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
You gotta go out there with a different attitude. You
gotta like believe it, you gotta like be it.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
You know.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
And by the way, I had a hard high trip, bro.
My name was Usher, Like yeah, like I don't I
don't have like Marcus or like Eddie or something like that.
Like I was already like an outlier, you know what
I'm saying, Like, wait a minute, you're walking around with
this name, and they weren't nice to me.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
You know what I'm saying, Rshell, what's Arsha? You know
you want arshboard? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Hershey Bard.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
I was like, man, come on, man, all right, that's cool.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
So so what was dating like for Usher? In high school?
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Dating?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
It was a bit difficult, you know what I'm saying,
because I.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
Just you can say, you can swound them.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah, I know, but you know, I was just trying
my hardest to stay focused on my actual go and
I don't know, man, I was you know, I was
just trying to figure out how to get to the
real goal, you know, to have a girlfriend. That was cool,
you know what I'm saying, Like I would definitely impress
the girls and.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
See I do I do, go get it out you
I do? I get it out of chorus.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
You know what I'm saying. But you know, I just
you know, it was it wasn't about that, man.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
I was focused.
Speaker 6 (28:21):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I was like, I need to I need to stay
focused and I have a goal, you know what I'm saying.
When I figured out this is really what I want
to do, I think I was willing to make the
sacrifices that would needed. And while I wanted to enjoy,
you know, having relationships. It was like, if I find
a girl that I think is really cool and I
can learn something from her, she can learn something from me,
then we can help each other.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
But for the most part, I ain't. Yeah, man, I ain't.
Yeah we can help each other out, Yeah, yeah, I don't.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
I don't think it was a phase while I was
girl crazy, you know what I'm saying. But yeah, man,
I just I was trying to figure out how to
get as many numbers as I possibly could because I
wanted to be a player, you know what I'm saying.
From the Himalaya, You know what I'm saying. But you
know I was, I was. I wasn't really focused on
(29:11):
you know that too much?
Speaker 1 (29:13):
How did you deal with your voice at ten is
not the same as the voice at fourteen, and the
voice at fourteen is not the same as the voice
your mature voice is gonna be. So how did you
handle the voice change going through pubid.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
It's crazy, you know.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I just had to figure out how to focus on
something else until it changed back and just keep working.
I changed my eating habits, you know what, I'm saying,
in addition to losing my voice, I had pizza face.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Y'all know my teenagers, you yeah, you go through a
phase where it's just like NESTLEI craped, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
And I was like, man, I gotta figure this out,
you know.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
But I didn't let it hit it that determin me
from like oh yo' I still got to stay focused
on what I want to do.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
Yeah, I lost my voice completely. It was hard. So
I didn't lose my.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Voice and didn't have anything right. I lost my voice
and I actually had a record that was on the radio.
I had a record that I put out just call
Me a Mac, and I couldn't sing it here I
am at you know.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
I think it was Jack the Rapper in Atlanta. Can
I be down here?
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Remember? Which was one of those two. And I sang
my song and I got through it. That was the
first and the last time that I actually sang and
I impressed an audience of people, some of whom still
come up to this day, Like ya, I remember you
in this yellow something. You was like a little kid
man and you really just had this this real big
energy and then after that I lost it and trying
(30:37):
my hardest to not lose my mind in that and
become like depressed, like fall into a deep depression.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
It took a great deal of support.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
It took my mama, It took my grandmother to my nanny,
It took my family members who you know, just continue
to you know, encourage me, and I managed to make
it through it. The people who managed to stick around,
you know, the people that I was working with at
the time, Lady by the name of Shirley Riley, you know,
an amazing coach as well, you know, but you know,
(31:08):
working with Kawan Prayer, who was the person who I
worked with at the time, Shanty Doss. You know, these
people who you know, were kind of appointed for me
to work with. They didn't give up on me. They
continued to see something bright in me, La Reid. They
continued to invest in me working with you know, vocal
coaches and continue to help me find my way. Sent
(31:29):
me to New York City to work with Puffy. It
was just like, Okay, we're not giving up. We still
believe in it.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
How difficult is it as a child to find topics
to sing about because you like thirteen fourteen. You can't
be singing about this mature stuff. Man, You're not a
gangster rapper. You ain't shooting up the club and talking
about this, this being this guarden tool and all that.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
So was it difficult this garden tool?
Speaker 6 (31:57):
Was it difficult for you to fuy material? Come? Was
it difficult for you to file material to sing sing about? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (32:05):
It was like uh, pips and guard tools.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Man, I didn't.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Have to worry about that as much.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
I think they.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Spent time with me. That was funny.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Eddie Bishop and uh Tim Thomas, the first two producers
that I work where he just posted something and uh,
I look back and it's like, man, I just so
great that you on the road to riches you stop
and take pictures because it actually just takes you back
to that moment I almost forgot about, you know, just
the hope in my eyes and the fact that I
was just a little kid, right But here they are
(32:39):
trying to make songs for me about being a mac.
I don't even know what a mac is. You know
what I'm saying, mac truck, a big mac like nah.
But you know again, you know, I just I think
I left it to them to help, you know, help
me figure out how to talk, because I could have
easily right became you know, one of the sensations that
(33:01):
would have been locked into being a kid. Only had
made kid music specifically for kids. But I think that
they were trying to make music that adults would listen
to as well. That was a real smart thing for
them to do, and really it was. It was great
to think ahead because it made it easier for me
to transition when I worked with you know, Organized Noise,
(33:21):
when I work with Puff, when I worked.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
With you know, those those guys.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
They were trying to tell the coolest young guy's story,
the guy who you know was kind of having emotions
but still trying to be a young fly player.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
You know, like, yo, I got a little movement here,
you know what I'm saying. I talked to women a
certain way. They were giving me like yo, you gotta
talk to a girl like this, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (33:43):
And you know we.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Would do intros like you talk overt R and B
records just how you got to talk to him bruh,
you know. But great that I was able to have
more mature conversation because I didn't get caught in the
kid thing. I wasn't like a kid teen type sensation.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
I was out there trying to figure out to take
my shirt off and show my.
Speaker 6 (34:03):
Six pack package.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
You mentioned La Reid sent you to New York and
you live with he did it.
Speaker 6 (34:09):
They called it flavor Camp.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Flavor Camp, So what was that experience like and how
did that help Ush's career?
Speaker 3 (34:15):
I think?
Speaker 2 (34:15):
But I think I don't think I would be the
artist that I am today without.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
The experiences that I had in New York City.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
One, just being in a new place where I would
have to adjust, right, I didn't have the comfort of home.
I'm in New York City and they was you know,
done and sonning me to death, bro. And I was like,
shout it, I don't know what you talking about. You
know what I'm saying, We Finnah, go over hell, you
know what I'm saying. And they was like laughing at
me because I was Southern and they were like New York.
(34:45):
But they like took me and they like they took
me under their wing, you know what I'm saying, And
looked at me like the little bro, you know, I
think back to, you know, the earlier times of being
there when Bad Boy was formed. You know, I learned
something about business, I learned something about artist development in
a different well, I learned something about culture. So having
the ability to be around all these different cultures of people,
(35:07):
it just helped me understand the world that I lived in.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
I didn't.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
I wasn't isolated and felt like I needed to be protected.
I wasn't. I was like, Yo, We're gonna show you
the real ropes to show you what the world really
looks like and give you a front seat. I'm looking
at Biggie, you know what I'm saying. I'm looking at
Craig Mac. I'm looking at Onyx. Were running in the streets,
we like literally out here seeing how we in barbershop?
They shooting nice? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
You know, bet, I don't full four fol You know
what I'm saying. Four five? You know what I'm like, Yo,
what is this? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
But so great to have had those experiences, because one
I didn't have a big brother and.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
My dad wasn't there in my life as a kid.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
So all these experiences just readied me for life so
greater than just being an artist.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
That man helped me understand life.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
He helped me understand what it was to be an artist,
helped me understand what it was to be passionate about something.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
He helped me understand.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
He helped me understand business at a different level because
I'm seeing him go from his independence to then becoming
puff Daddy, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
And I got a front row seat looking at that.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Thank God that I.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Had that experience, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Then you and by the way, at New York's Hottest moment.
You know what I'm saying, This is Terror Squad and
Fat Joe. I'm like, how do I know all this stuff?
You know what I'm saying, Like, I'm literally I can
remember being on stage. I can't curse on this, but
I was like, one of the craziest experiences ever. I
happen to be on stage performing with Biggie And this
(36:37):
is back when he had a song called Partying Bull Dung.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Cal Dong. You know what I'm saying. I was like, Yo,
this is crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
But I was able to take all of that and
then begin to understand, Oh okay, I get it. I
see where the world is, but now I want to do.
Speaker 6 (36:57):
This my way.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, Atlanta, Jermaine Dupree, you link up with JDL And.
Speaker 6 (37:06):
What makes JD so good at a job?
Speaker 2 (37:10):
You know?
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Creative?
Speaker 2 (37:12):
He's extremely creative and he's mindful of the artist that
he's working. When he spends the time that is necessary
to understand how to tell the artist story, he spends
the time making certain that he understands the cadus as
he writes. He's one of the world's greatest writers. I mean,
you don't get no better, bruh, like somebody who has
(37:34):
like multiple skills as a writer, as an artist, as
a creative. Rather it's fashion, rather, it's lifestyle, cool, incredibly
emotional when it comes to knowing how to pin it
because he listens. He listens to every word. He manages
to get out of the way too. That's another thing.
It's it's about him because it's about his interpretation and
(37:58):
the interpreter always wins. But his ability to not make
it about just him, he makes it about his artists.
He's able to then say, all right, I'm gonna breathe
life into this artist who's trying to find that way. Now,
what you do with it rather you dance, you rap,
or you go into movies and you do other things.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
That's how you keep going.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
But he really does understand the art of artistry, the
art of being able to see the greatest things and
pull the best things out.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Confessions, Yeah, everybody thought Confessionals was about you, like you
was just confassion. You went to a confessional, but it
was about yeah, well no, it's about you.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Nah, it was about a It was a collect by
the way, we made an album and we as men
sat around like this. We were having real conversations, real talk.
As a matter of fact, Mark.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Pitts, you know, you know myself, JD. There's a couple
of casts.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
In the room that was going through this situation. I
ain't trying to put nobody on blast, but I'm just
saying we all were having a conversation about this thing
that was happening, and it ain't the first time that
it happened. But here's an opportunity for me to be
able to tell that story in a way where everybody
could relate to it. It wasn't just me I'm at JD.
It was it was everybody.
Speaker 6 (39:09):
Everybody at that table was going through something.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Yo, bid I'll tell you no lies. Everybody was going
through some portion of what we were talking about in that studio.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
It's Confession is the album that Usher is a bona
fide superstar. He's here to state he ain't no flash
in the pan. You're not here today going tomorrow. Usher
Raymond is here and you will forever remember this man's name.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
You gotta tell me, bro, Yeah you think so. I
think that's your greatest that's the greatest.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Uh body of work?
Speaker 3 (39:44):
Eighty seven O one?
Speaker 1 (39:46):
I don't know, okay, se see where you put it
like that? Eighty seven O one.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
That's what I'm saying. So it's like, it's great that
I could even he.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
If you could sing one album, if you only had
to sing one album and you could couldn't say you
got you got a lot of but you got to
saying one for the next year and only one what
you're rocking with, Man, that's a horror. Bro.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Yeah, I'm a rock with Confessions. I'm right, it's well rounded.
But I mean just saying this, like between those two albums, yes,
I think that it would. It would definitely have to
be based off of success.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
It would have to be confessions.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
Yeah, I mean when you look at it, I mean diamond, crazy, sexy, cool,
Whitney here, Whitney Houston, thriller, bro.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
You get the diamond. Ain't a whole lot of diamonds
out there.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
There has been no other diamond since in this yard.
Speaker 6 (40:40):
That makes you feel good.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
It's a good thing to have, you know what I'm saying.
But also too, it's a.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
It's a bit of a thing, right because you're then
aiming at that. And I never wanted to get caught
up in what I've done in the past so much
that I can't focus on where I am because the
success has changed. Right If we, you know, could count
success by how many albums you actually sold, they don't
sell albums in that way as a physical copy. When
(41:10):
we get on a line, we stand outside of Tower Records.
You know you did it right. I did it too,
you know what I'm saying. And we got that album.
We weren't like quick ordering that joint or either just
clicking out a button and it's just there. So yeah,
it's like the measure of success has to change in life.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
And by the way, this is important.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Because if you don't do that, you managed to get
caught in your mind and the psychological like damage that
could happen if you don't reach the same goal makes
you feel as though you're not a success.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
That's not true. There's just always a different ship. Yo.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
I remember when you know what I'm saying, Vince Carter
was jumping out the gym, bro Like Yo, he shifted
his whole game and three Crazy still can jump if
he wanted to.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
But the Mankels, you know what I'm saying, They going,
That's what I'm saying. It's about. Yeah, those are the
people that I look up to.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Bro.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
You said something very interesting because a lot and I've
heard people say this about Michael is that he kept
trying to replicate the success that they had with Thriller and.
Speaker 6 (42:12):
Dirty Diana was a great album.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
It's sold eight million copies and subsequent albums that came
out after that, but it wasn't Thriller, and it drove
him to a point that if it didn't do thirty million,
forty million, sixty million copies, he didn't feel like it
was successful. You said, I got in my mind early
on that if I don't do the physical number that
Confessions did, I'm okay with that.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
How were you.
Speaker 6 (42:35):
Able to do that? Usher?
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Because we're measured by success, because we're only people judge
you by what you did as a younger you. They
don't compare you to anybody else that's in your genre currently.
They compare you to a younger you.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
Well, they shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Talk about how do I get it out of y'all?
See what he said, y'all be the leader a battle
all y'all keep talking about yall a keiga.
Speaker 6 (43:01):
This is a key of that. I was sitting with
the kid right here.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
You know, I'll just tell you two things on King
talk right, but the confessions right again.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
If you are.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
Living by the applause, you will die by the bulls TI.
I told me that, and it's spot on. If you
live for the applause, you're gonna die by the bulls.
You gotta do what you gotta do, and you gotta
make your offering as clear as it could potentially be
because it's gonna serve at least one person, because that's
(43:37):
why we really do it right. We do it because
we want to offer something that's gonna be the right
dialogue or the right help or the right moment or
the right service to whatever needed to happen in that moment,
the celebration of love making, the baby making, the ability
to be emotional and finally be able to say what
you really mean to this person, you know, be true
to that. If you start to chase the success in
(44:01):
that same way, it'll it could.
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Drive you crazy.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
The only way that I was able to do that
is to focus on other things, to focus on building
lontitude lonchitude latitude, Right, I gotta build more space. Let's
take this thing that I got, my perspective, and I
want to introduce some other artists.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
I want to try and go.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
Let me go fail at some other things and get
great at that. Right, because you peak in some way
in some ways and then you figure out something else
to work on, and then you peak at that and
you figure out something else you peak at that.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
But how you able to have such success in willing
to go try something that you might fail at. I mean,
once you become successful, you like, I kind of like this,
I ain't really trying to.
Speaker 6 (44:41):
Fail, so I kind of want to stay.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
I want to come and stay where I'm at, But
you're willing to go outside, and it's like, okay, let
me try to be a producer, let me try to
discover talent.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
Yeah, well, I mean part of it, as to honestly,
became a bit of a reckless sting for me because
I think some of the actions that i'd taken, some
of the decisions that I made, began to sabotage me.
And it may have been personal sabotage because I just
wanted some idea of normalcy. I wanted to be able
(45:11):
to get back to normal. I wanted to be able
to have like a little bit. I didn't look at
it the same way like, yo, I gotta go like
we just were now, you know, we're getting ready to
take off. Now, I want to go to the moon.
Get to the moon. I want to go to the sun.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Nah, I think that in some way I started to
figure like I need to move things around and maybe
move things, and some steps didn't help me.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Some things that I did were not right, some decisions I.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Made, you know, hey, but I lived with them all too,
by the way, and I'm okay with that.
Speaker 3 (45:45):
That's the only way that I was able to get
through it.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
I actually enjoy being in a position where I'm a
bit of an underdog and I gotta fight my way
back up to the top. I love for you to say,
oh it's over. I love you to say, oh, now
he ain't gonna do it again.
Speaker 3 (45:59):
Oh no, I can't happened. You know that? Right there
is motivation.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
Because that means I got someplace to go, I got
some pace to grow.
Speaker 1 (46:05):
I mean, you were the first artist in the twenty
ten to collect three number one singles in three consecutive decades.
The nineties, Nice and slow you make me want to yep,
you make me want to lead a one my way,
And then in two thousands you remind me you got
it bad. You don't have to call it yeah, burn
Confessional part too. And then twenty ten, omg, there goes
my baby climax.
Speaker 6 (46:25):
D hits.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
I mean you got hits, Yes, got some hits.
Speaker 6 (46:30):
Brou I mean you were landing more puces than Mayweather.
Speaker 3 (46:33):
Yeah yeah, yeah?
Speaker 1 (46:37):
Have you When will you sit? When will you go
back and sit back? I mean, or do you take
the time.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Like this is it? That's what's happening right now.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
I'm actually sitting back and enjoying all of the labor
of that.
Speaker 3 (46:49):
That's the moment I'm in right now.
Speaker 6 (46:50):
I'm in.
Speaker 2 (46:51):
I'm in that moment of really enjoying the hard work.
Speaker 3 (46:55):
Now I don't get a lot of sleep, but.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
I think that that's just the reality of who I
am as a person, because I love the work and
I love I love to create.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
But I'm enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Finally, I'm able to, you know, because I've always been
of service to people. Rather I'm offering something and raether
they like it or not as really up to them,
not up to me.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
But I like that that actually makes me feel good.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
But now I get a chance to actually enjoy what
I am creating, enjoy what I have created.
Speaker 6 (47:24):
What's your favorite decade meanties?
Speaker 2 (47:28):
I think somewhere in the seventies, like being motivated by
that and bringing that forward because so many incredible artists
were born in that time or created in that moment.
Living in the nineties, I say it was a grand
moment for all of us because it was a mixture
between R and B and hip hop and a way
(47:48):
that felt, you know, it felt sensational by the way,
even in the South, because the South it didn't have
as much of a definition. But through the nineties and
then onto the two thousands, you then begin to understand,
you know, organized noise, Jermaine Duprie, Little John, incredible producers,
out of the out of the out of the South,
you know, begin to really really have a moment. But
(48:11):
I really do think that it's something in the seventies.
Bro like the artist that came out of the seventies.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
If you could, if you could have left, I'm gonna
give you three. If you can perform with three, collab
with three artists from the seventies, who would it.
Speaker 2 (48:26):
Be if I could have collabed with them in the seventies,
it would have been Quincy Jones.
Speaker 3 (48:35):
You know, it would have been out of Philly. Huh,
gambling huff.
Speaker 2 (48:47):
Let me see who else seventies? I think I said
the two that that that actually is so.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
I thought you, I thought you was talking about artists
that you would have liked to perform with, Oh, perform with?
Speaker 6 (49:00):
Yeah, an artist you wanted collab with?
Speaker 2 (49:02):
Our artists, to collab with, man, it would have been
great to do something with like Diana Ross would have
been great to do something, would you know, Donny Hathaway
would have been great to do something with.
Speaker 3 (49:19):
Michael Jackson.
Speaker 1 (49:20):
Yeah, give me a mount rushmore of r and B singers,
Mount Rushmore. You only get four ushers. So I mean
I've had people on here that Stevie Wonder.
Speaker 3 (49:31):
Let me see Donny Hathaway, Whitney Houston.
Speaker 8 (49:37):
Oh, I said Stevie Wonder, right, you put him on twice,
Michael Jackson, Marvin Gabe that not just.
Speaker 6 (49:51):
Yere, you had four.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
I'm sorry, I'm saying, I'm okay, so I can't take
Michael off from Marvin. All.
Speaker 6 (49:56):
Come on, now you look at Michael's R and B
do I you you know? I mean I thought he
was the king of pop, but.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
Man, he created a format that like R and B
was like, I mean, you know this is He's interesting, right? Kings?
Speaker 3 (50:11):
Right? Yes, I think all of those guys are kings.
Speaker 6 (50:14):
Right.
Speaker 2 (50:16):
I think that we get so caught up on being
the number one king person right to have that title,
to be the king.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
Because normally only got one king. You got a king
or the queen. You got a lot of princes. You
can be a lot of princes, but you can only.
Speaker 6 (50:27):
Have one king. Usher.
Speaker 2 (50:28):
You can only have one king one queen, which you
can only have one usher. Baby, and Usher, you know
what I'm saying. He gets the ceremony. Right, he come
out white glove service. Baby. You know what I'm saying,
We're gonna delip knob now. But greater than being a
king or either saying I want to have that one spot.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
What I see is needed is a king, dumb okay.
Speaker 2 (50:47):
Right, So when I look at all of the genres
of music, I see EDM and I look at festivals,
and I look at the lifestyle, the equipment I look at.
You know what I'm saying, Country music, I think boots,
I think cowboys. You know what I'm saying, I think chaps,
I think cowboy hats and rodeos and all kinds of.
Speaker 3 (51:04):
Stuff like that. I think pickups.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
You know what I'm saying. There's a culture there, right,
there's a kingdom to this idea. There's a monetization of
that thing. R and B are either the genre that
I came from. I don't think it possesses the same
weight in terms of the other ancillary businesses that are there.
And that's what I'm focused on. We gonna be all kings.
(51:26):
Matter of fact, you know what I'm saying, it's tons
of people who put in the work. I ain't the
only person that's been put in them thousand hours, and
I don't know or profess to be the only king.
Speaker 3 (51:34):
Am I the king of what I feel?
Speaker 6 (51:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (51:36):
I am. Every day I wake up feeling like a king,
you know what I'm saying. And I work hard to
be that king. But I want a kingdom. I want
us to be able to have the same pope to see.
Speaker 3 (51:44):
In hip hop.
Speaker 2 (51:45):
Right, when I think of hip hop, I think of
what you're drinking. I think about the glasses you wear.
I think about the shoes you got on. I think
about you know, the records, I think about that culture.
I think about the clothes you're wearing. Right, I want
the same thing. I want that kingdom for R and B.
Speaker 3 (51:59):
In that same.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Way, who was presented a collab with Usher and he
turned it down and he's like, damn, my should have
did that collaboration?
Speaker 3 (52:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (52:09):
Is there collab that someone asked you to be a
part of and you didn't And when it came out, you're.
Speaker 2 (52:14):
Like, damn, Yeah, you're gonna hate me for this one.
Oh jay Z for real, Diddy, Damn Usher and me
was supposed to be a group.
Speaker 3 (52:31):
Yeah that's crazy. Yeah, you're gonna hate me for that.
I know Yeah.
Speaker 6 (52:35):
Why Why did you say no?
Speaker 3 (52:37):
I didn't say no, you didn't say yeah. I didn't
say yeah.
Speaker 6 (52:41):
You said yeah on the record.
Speaker 2 (52:42):
But that's the one I think that we just got
caught up. I think we all got caught up in
a moment. We was talking about it, having secret meetings
about it. We were talking about music and how we're
gonna flip it in the business of it, and somehow, man,
we just got distracted, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (53:00):
And it never happened.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
You know, that's the one that I actually wish would
have happened. Is there a movie or something that I
was supposed to be a part of a collaboration. Yeah,
David Geffen reached out to me to be uh in
dream Girls, and.
Speaker 3 (53:20):
Yeah, man, it just didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (53:23):
And I had, I think everybody hit me about this
joint too.
Speaker 3 (53:25):
I had Eddie Murphy hit me, Man Brandy hit me.
Speaker 1 (53:28):
It's just there's never just there's always a reason. You
don't get in your car just sit there. You go
to the grocery school, when you drive to the you
drive to a concert.
Speaker 6 (53:37):
I know you turned that down.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
Yeah I didn't do it.
Speaker 6 (53:42):
Didn't you know about this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (53:47):
Drink of that.
Speaker 1 (53:49):
I read that you were beyond saves nanny? Will you
beyond nanny?
Speaker 3 (53:53):
First of all, how can I be a nanny?
Speaker 6 (53:54):
I'll be a manny, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (53:56):
No, Noah, I wouldn't. I wouldn't be on sa nanny.
Speaker 6 (53:58):
Nah.
Speaker 2 (54:00):
Darryl Simmons, he had a group by the name of
the Dolls, Okay, and they came to Atlanta for the
first time. This is when this before Destney's child became
Destney's child. And I think I looked over them while
they were doing something in the house. I had to
watch them because I was like the the authority, because
I guess I was the teenager at the time. But nah,
I wasn't a nanny, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (54:20):
No, But you were just overseeing them, making sure they
at break them.
Speaker 2 (54:23):
Make it certain that they didn't You know that they
didn't get in no trouble in the house at the time.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
Did you see Did you know that little girl was
going to grow up to be that big international superstar?
Can you look at because you did discover Justin Bieber,
So you did see something so clearly you got an
eye for talent.
Speaker 6 (54:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (54:40):
Well, and not just by myself. There was a host
of people.
Speaker 2 (54:43):
You know, they say success has a million fathers and
an orphan you know, you know, I got it. So
I think when I saw them, I knew there was
something very special about all of them because as Destiny's child,
they all thrive. Even still to this day, when you
see them and you see them together, they all thrive.
Speaker 3 (55:05):
They all are an incredible unit.
Speaker 2 (55:08):
Beyonce had a talent and also too, a brilliance and
a brightness that was much different. And it was actually
Frank Gatston Gatson who helped me. See he worked with
me at the time, he was my choreographer, and then
he started working with them, and he'd always told me, man,
like she's really special. You need to keep your eye
on her. I was like, man, she is. She is
(55:29):
really special and really great for my sister. Man to
see that she's done so amazing and continue to thrive
and just get bigger and better and just you know,
just I mean, rather it's musically or in our life
or creativity, all of it.
Speaker 1 (55:44):
Man, how is it working being on the stage with
Michael Jackson Because he's I mean, if you're in this business.
Speaker 3 (55:51):
It's nerve breaking.
Speaker 2 (55:54):
Bruh, I'm gonna tell you you know.
Speaker 3 (55:57):
So I'm in my seat.
Speaker 2 (55:58):
And his manager comes over to me and he says, yo,
you're gonna dance with Michael tonight. I'm like, I'm watching
the show. What the heck do you mean I'm getting
ready to dance with Michael. So he's like, no, come backstage.
I'm like, first of all, i ain't got my air
Force ones and I'm in boots. I can't dance in boots.
So I'm like, oh my god, So now I'm going crazy.
I'm backstage running around your lasting. I was asking like
(56:19):
the people on the street yoah. I literally left bru
and I ran outside down the street asking somebody for
some shoes, give me some air Force ones. They it
was like wallabies and like some new balances. I was like, Nah,
that ain't gonna get it.
Speaker 3 (56:31):
I need air Force one.
Speaker 2 (56:34):
So I come back in. I ain't got my air
Force ones. I ask some like some boots. So anyway,
I went out there, so y'all see me like, I'm
I look, I'm stuck a little bit that that's really
what happened. But no, I it was nerve racking to
actually dance for and with Michael. I can remember rehearsals,
and I mean I don't normally go all a lot of rehearsals. Dude,
(56:57):
I was going off out singing at the top of
my lungs, dancing harder than I've ever danced, sweating, flying
all over the room. He was like, man, you really
have a talent. That was one of the greatest compliments
that I could ever get. Wow, he says to me,
you not only sing, but you dance to I know
how hard that is.
Speaker 3 (57:19):
You sing and you dance. That combination is vicious.
Speaker 6 (57:24):
That the greatest compliment you received.
Speaker 3 (57:25):
He didn't say vicious, but he said you dance and sing.
I'm putting two into ten, right.
Speaker 2 (57:29):
He said that that that's a really special talent and
it really felt good to get that compliment from him.
Speaker 1 (57:37):
Well, you know, at we running the music game, absolutely
were on top of the world. How did that because
you're a part of that. Yes, I mean you can't.
You can't tell the story of Atlanta music without mentioned
usher raiment.
Speaker 6 (57:53):
No, man, how did that make you feel? Man?
Speaker 3 (57:57):
We did something? Man that a man.
Speaker 2 (57:59):
Listen, I've got something to say, is what Dre said,
and we've been saying it for a long time, you know,
and the potency of that, you know.
Speaker 3 (58:08):
I think it's great. I think more than anything.
Speaker 2 (58:10):
Again, there's this transition and this focus just for me,
and I think it should be a focus for more artists,
you know what I'm saying, to really focus on the
other things that these genres or Southern music and entertainment breeds.
Speaker 3 (58:25):
There's an entire.
Speaker 2 (58:26):
Movement and feeling when you come to Atlanta, right, the
world needs to know that.
Speaker 3 (58:33):
That's why I brought Atlanta to Las Vegas.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
You need to understand it no different Like you look
at Circasole and all of those shows, right, they celebrate
their culture.
Speaker 3 (58:43):
Whether it's in Spain or wherever it is. Our culture
is the same.
Speaker 2 (58:47):
It might not be marketed the same, it might not
feel because it's culture, but all cultural things eventually become
something that's commercial.
Speaker 3 (58:55):
And I wanted the world to be able to see
and celebrate.
Speaker 2 (58:57):
Who we are, how we get out, what our music
feels like, what our energy is, what our experience is.
Speaker 1 (59:04):
You know two part question, yep, it's R and B
dead and will R and B ever be what it
once was? At the height I'm talking about at the
height nineties, early two thousand it was.
Speaker 6 (59:18):
Will it ever be bad again?
Speaker 3 (59:20):
So long as we.
Speaker 2 (59:24):
Quantify the success of it as a number one spot
that has to be garnered in order to consider R
and B the biggest thing. I don't know that's in
question for the world musically. I think that R and
B is in everything. See, I ain't no fool. I
understand where it all comes from. I understand the source.
(59:46):
Maybe y'all don't understand the source. Maybe you don't understand
that it's gospel blues, R and B and everything flowed
upward from there. So no, it's gonna forever be a source.
Will it be and have potency for the entire world
to celebrate? I believe so, and I'm gonna continue to
fight for it. I'm gonna continue to be that conduct
(01:00:07):
for it. As I said, Man, it's a kingdom. I'm
kingdom that I'm after. I want the world to understand
the value of what this music is, not just the
service of it. Yeah, you put it on to make love.
Yeah you put it on to celebrate good times. Yeah
you put it onto the mode and have emotions, But
it also to serve so many other things that we
got to celebrate as well.
Speaker 1 (01:00:26):
You know, how do you balance being a father and
being this have the have the residency here in Vegas.
I don't know if you're going to go back to
tour again, because you got it pretty good right here.
Speaker 6 (01:00:37):
You don't have to leave. You don't have to leave
at one stop shot.
Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
Yeah, yeah, get once you get done, you go up
to your root where you gotta place now here in Henderson. Yeah,
And so now you don't have to worry about getting
on plane, getting on planes, trains, automobiles and going one
state to the next state, to the next city.
Speaker 6 (01:00:56):
How how do you how do you balance that?
Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
Because you said because your father will than around when
you were younger, that's very important to you that you
around for your kids now. But you also understand that
the way that it make a living is by doing this.
Speaker 6 (01:01:10):
So how do you balance that?
Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
Well, the balance is, you know, up until seven o'clock, fuddy,
you know, I'm focused on my kids, right, and then
at seven o'clock on the dot, you know, I'm working.
It's funny how that works, but you know, man, it's
a balance. Man, It's a balance in any field that
(01:01:34):
we are, right, especially if you got.
Speaker 3 (01:01:36):
To travel with a team. I like to travel.
Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
Actually, so I don't think that I'm done touring, right.
I do see it in the future, but maybe in
a different way. I just played Paris, you know what
I'm saying, and I had an eight day residency or
eight night residency in Paris. That was a major success
to be able to you know, find space to sit
down and really enjoy, you know, because that's the most
(01:02:00):
important part. Yes, like the greatest, the greatest thing that
we have is time. It's not money, it's the time
that you spend, right, and being able to spend that
time with my children and spend that time and really
enjoy the places that I go.
Speaker 3 (01:02:14):
I don't want to lose that.
Speaker 1 (01:02:16):
You part owner the Cavaliers and Lebron comes back and
wins a title. Yeah, what was that moment because you
were there? What was that moment like in Cleveland? And
what was that moment like for you?
Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
Well, it all started right because I don't know if
I had as much to do with Cleveland as much
as it was a business opportunity for a minority minority
ownership and this team and Dan Gilbert gave me that opportunity,
you know, just as Lebron was making its way in
to the league.
Speaker 3 (01:02:45):
So we all, you know, had heard and known about
him and his talent.
Speaker 2 (01:02:50):
So I felt like the luckiest man in the world
to be a part of this incredible organization.
Speaker 3 (01:02:54):
And what a story to be told, in a legacy
to be built.
Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
I was just happy, obviously to have that be one
of the first major entrepreneurial you know kind of things
that that I had gone after and it had the
potential to be successful. Man, when he left, I think
it was hard for everybody in the world, specifically in Cleveland.
Speaker 6 (01:03:15):
Right because he's a native son.
Speaker 2 (01:03:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, But sometimes, man, sometimes you got to leave.
Sometimes you have to go away from home in order
to be truly valued and appreciated and maybe find yourself.
I mean sometimes in the wilderness you'll find something valuable
and you come back and you can really enjoy it.
And what I've seen after that moment after he left
and came back, and then one in Cleveland, obviously, it's
(01:03:39):
just been a joyous moment for him.
Speaker 1 (01:03:41):
So you look at that the opportunity, because you said
this was in two thousand and five. You become a
minority owner and you've done really good. You've you've invested
you've broaden your portfolio. Is there are there other opportunities?
Are you looking like an NFL team, an MLB team
or you just kind of like stick to kind of
what you know?
Speaker 3 (01:03:59):
No, I mean always open, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (01:04:01):
I'm open to continue to expand I want to make
certain that it's authentic right and also to it makes sense.
I want to grow. I want to work in different areas.
I want to, you know, engineer and pioneer new things.
There's no reason for music to be the only thing
that you recognize me. For business is something that is
(01:04:22):
very important to me here in Las Vegas specifically, I've put.
Speaker 3 (01:04:25):
My flag in the ground here. You know.
Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
It started with a Vegas residency, has now grown to
a very successful festival by the name of Lovers and Friends,
and just received the key to the city. Now I'm
trying to see how many doors I can unlock it, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (01:04:41):
Are you gonna get in the restaurant business?
Speaker 3 (01:04:42):
Hey man?
Speaker 2 (01:04:43):
I mean that's tons of opportunity out here. If there's partners,
I'll let you boy.
Speaker 1 (01:04:49):
I'm gonna get you out of here them this one.
I am bringing my daughter to tonight. So if you
would like, you know a song that's appropriate for someone
her age in the thirties. I'm not here, won't really
tell you exactly how old he is.
Speaker 2 (01:05:01):
But she's not married, she's not mad. Okay, cool, I'm customering.
You know, I'm customizing this moment.
Speaker 3 (01:05:12):
Go ahead, yeah, Ussher.
Speaker 1 (01:05:15):
I appreciate your time, man, congratulations and everything you've done.
Continue success, bro, and uh, I know you're gonna knock
it out the park with her.
Speaker 3 (01:05:22):
Hey, Bro, I appreciate you too, though. Ah, thank you man.
Speaker 2 (01:05:25):
Keep it real.
Speaker 3 (01:05:26):
Usher, Yes, sir, God bless you though.
Speaker 1 (01:05:28):
All Right, guys, you can see your boy address to impress.
I'm in Las Vegas and I'm getting ready to take
my daughter for a birthday to the Usher concert. She's
super excited because the very first concert he ever attended
was Usher. So for her birthday, she was like, Daddy,
I want to go see Usher. So here we are,
let's go. Thing we do for our kids. Bro, wonder
(01:05:51):
what my my son gonna want for his birthday. Knowing him,
he gonna take the money. My other daughter, yea, knowing her,
she gonna take the money. Leave the one I'm with,
Dn't you got it.
Speaker 6 (01:06:06):
You got it. I got bad baby, my nurse you know,
got nervous, your whatever, cal see sharp. You wanted to
kick it off. Yeah, you tell me that all the time,
aren't you. Actually? With your very first concert that you
ever saw, I was.
Speaker 2 (01:06:27):
Twelve and this was during the Confession's era and Kanye
West opened up for tearing up.
Speaker 6 (01:06:34):
It's a sad baby. So we're making the weekend of it.
Speaker 1 (01:06:37):
So we got ushered tonight, we got a day tomorrow,
and then Thursday we got Lakers game.
Speaker 6 (01:06:42):
They opened up against the Suns.
Speaker 1 (01:06:44):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, talking to day, they're telling them money.
Speaker 6 (01:06:51):
Yeah, thank you. I'm excited. I'm excited you yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
M hmm.
Speaker 4 (01:07:00):
All my life and grinning all my life, sacrifice, hustle,
play the price, Wanta Slice got to brow the dice.
Thats why all my life, I've been grinding all my life,
all my life and grinning all my life, sacrifice, ustle,
play the price, Wanta Slice got to brow the dice
way all my life, I've been grinding all my life.
Speaker 5 (01:07:25):
M hm