Club Shay Shay - Usher

Episode Date: January 31, 2024

The legendary Usher joins Shannon Sharpe at Club Shay Shay for a drink and chat that goes far beyond the music charts. Usher gives the inside scoop on his upcoming performance during the Super Bowl Halftime Show and drops a bombshell – he was once slated to be part of a mega group featuring Jay-Z, Pharrell, and Diddy. Usher and Shannon delve into the what-ifs of this powerhouse collaboration. Past the hypotheticals, Usher discusses his the definitive moments of his career, including his Vegas residency that recently wrapped up. Then, Usher provides an inside scoop to the sides of showbiz many people never get to experience, like what really went down at Diddy's Flavor Camp. As if being an 8x Grammy Winning pop icon wasn't enough of a job for Usher, he also reveals that he was once the babysitter of none other than Beyoncé. As the secrets and stories unfold it becomes clear that this episode is more than a conversation, it's a backstage pass to the stories behind the stage, all served with a side of Usher's signature charisma. Additionally, Usher talks about his upcoming album, COMING HOME, dropping just 2 days before the big game. https://ushermusic.lnk.to/COMINGHOME #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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gambling resources, eligibility and deposit restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com slash basketball terms. Hello, welcome to a very special edition of Club Che Che. I'm your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Che Che. 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, a generation-defining megastar, singer, songwriter, producer, actor, dancer, all-around entertainer, one of the most influential voices and accomplished singers in the world, one of the most successful pop and R&B artists of the 20th century and early 21st 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, a successor to Michael Jackson, the king, the king of R&B, Mr. Usher. Shannon, how about you, sir? I'm doing great. Well, let's go ahead. You got your own, you got your Remy, I got my Shea. Listen, by are you, sir? I'm doing good. Well, let's go ahead. You got your own.

You got your remit. I got my shake. 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 got it in a rock and rock glass here in Las Vegas. Enjoying it, man. I figured I'd come have a drink with you. Well, I sure appreciate that. I appreciate that.

Yeah, man. I didn't even get to say who was sitting down having a drinking conversation, but you see who it is now. Hershey, baby. Bro, how you doing? I've been good, bro. You know, we've been out here, man, in Vegas, man, just really enjoying the time, you know? It's been an amazing almost 100 shows. Right, 100 shows.

And I don't know if there's anybody that's been able to track this fast to 100 shows, you know? But it's been great, man. The Super Bowl. Yeah. Anybody that's been able to track this fast through 100 shows, you know. But it's been great, man. The Super Bowl. Yeah. Was that always in the back of your mind? Or where were you when you got the call that was like, bro, we want you to do the Super Bowl? Was it always in the back of my, it's in the back of every artist's mind.

Really? Yeah, of course. I mean, as many times as we've seen performers kind of have an entire career, a legacy career, you know, to have that moment. I mean, you can win awards. You can travel around the world, have fans everywhere, play arenas, stadiums. You know what I'm saying? Under the 30 million you got eyes on. Yeah, I know. So it's like that is it's a lot of pressure.

Don't get me wrong. But it's a dream, I guess, for everyone. And I'd always wanted to go there. Had the opportunity to go there with the Black Eyed Peas. Super Bowl XLV. Yeah. You did OMG. So after being bitten by that moment, I was like, I got to go back again.

I mean, it's a little overdue. But you know what I'm saying? Definitely. But you didn't want to go back. You wanted to go back as a headliner. You wanted to do your own thing. Now, how do you talk what you did? Because remember, you jumped over where I am you hit the split and so now people like okay?

But you're by himself. What's he gonna do to talk back? I don't know if I'm gonna have somebody to jump over You know man, I think that this is a legacy right this this this entire career and everything that you had to say about me I really do appreciate it. Did I leave anything out though i mean i became a uh i got a doctorate this year okay so so got a key to the city got a key to the city of las vegas became a doctor at berkeley okay uh but uh you know it's it really kind of comes down to your 10 000 hours you know what i'm saying and if you worked hard then you should be given that opportunity Jay Z he reached out to me personally right and it was that comfortable that called like okay phone rang you look down it's old jail me you probably got it and your phone is over Jay you pick up the phone you like I

wonder what he called me for okay here's the conversation. Now what? I had an idea that he might be calling. He happened to be coming to town in Atlanta. B was in Atlanta with the tour. So every time we're in Atlanta, we play spades. Okay. Just so you know, me, him, Juan, and I had to pick my partner. 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 the arena or stadium and come get this work. And nah. He was like, nah, nah, I'm not calling about spades. You know what I'm saying? I'm

like, so what's up? He was like, it's time. Yeah? I mean, yeah, it is 5 o'clock in the morning. What you mean is denial, but it was early. Right. And he said, you know, this is the magic moment. This is the Michael moment, actually, how he put it. And, you know, are you ready? 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. He was in the room with us. Yeah, man, it was it was it was an incredible moment, man. And, you know, some of the greatest have done Prince done the halftime. Remember in Miami, he was playing Purple Rain and it starts to rain. Yeah. Michael Jackson, Beyonce. Hold on, bro. So everybody realized that God was a Prince fan. That man was playing and it started raining purple.

It started raining for real. What? So how long is it going to take you? Because we're probably about three and a half, four months away. Yeah. How long is it going to take you? Because we're probably about three and a half, four months away. Yeah. How long is it going to 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 15, 20 minutes to put something together that will leave the people, that the people will remember for the rest of their lives.

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 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 up to it. It started 30 years ago, man, when I decided that this is what I wanted to do. And had the support of my mama and a host of an incredible, a lot of people, man.

I mean, this journey is not just mine to celebrate. It's everybody that has something to do with it. From the beginning in Chattanooga, Tennessee, making my way to Atlanta, signing with a record company at 14 years old, then 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. And then moving on to other areas, 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 today. If you're working on it right now, then hopefully you'll get there someday. But man, don't take those 10,000 hours lightly, man.

We live in a time where you can have success overnight. Right. We have social interaction that gives us access to everything. But that work that you have to put in in order to own that moment and deserve that moment can't be taken lightly. Any early Super Bowl predictions? Probably too early for me, man. I don't know, bro. I actually come in here

to ask you. To be honest, I'm like, yo, what you think? You know? You know? But somebody said something about Miami.

Somebody said something, you know, about Kansas. Kansas City. 49ers. Somebody said something about 49ers. Yeah. Are you a Cowboy fan? I was born in Dallas, Texas

and have always been a fan of the Cowboys throughout the years. Who knows? It could be a good year. They seem to be getting it together. The new album, Coming Home, is going to release on the same day as the Super Bowl.

That's not an accident, is it? No, no, no. It was strategic. Part of it is paying tribute to the past. Being present here in Las Vegas, what a surprise to have an incredible residency run here. A hundred shows I will have played by the end of November. And then to have the treat

of being able to play the Super Bowl. You know, so, yeah, man, it's like, you know, here you have 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 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 in a year. You know what I'm saying?

And here you have this grand opportunity to start this journey that now leads up to the Super Bowl 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 in. You wanted, they was like, oh man, I get a chance to see Usher. But you're like, Usher get a chance to see y'all. Yeah, man. 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 L.A. So that was the first thing. And then to come to Las Vegas and then launch my residency successfully, as I said, the time that we spent here and now to be able to come here and celebrate, man, this incredible moment. This is your ninth solo album. Yeah. This is your first in eight years. What can we expect? Well, first, after the Super Bowl, as you said, the album comes out.

Coming home, we've released one record so far, Good Good, featuring Summer Walker and also 221 Savage. Number one record there, so really happy about that. Radio has played a major part in that. Social interaction, a ton of other things, but I really feel like I put a lot of heart and time into making certain that this was curated right, something that felt like 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 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 in my life, I didn't just rely on that. I decided to move away and also to be independent. Mega, myself, Larry Jackson, L.A. Reid, and I 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 13-year-old days and remember the beginning between me and L.A. Now, at 45 years old and him having a world of experience, you know, all you know, just one of the greatest executives of our time, black executives of our time, you know, breaking so many artists and so many different genres. Now we get to bring all that equity together and do something that is all about passion. He's one of the greatest record executive, regardless of color. That's right. You look at all the acts that he's discovered and put on.

He's been unbelievable. Yeah. This residency, and you spoke about it a little earlier, that was that something that had the pandemic not happened, would the residency with Usher, would that have happened? It was going to happen. It was about that. Yeah happened it was gonna happen it was yeah it was it was gonna happen we had plans for it to happen okay 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, 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 and we all felt like Las Vegas will be an incredible Reintroduction of new music also to celebrate and legacy, but it turned into something far far more than that man, you know, right? We're here at the Nomad Las Vegas right down the hallway from where you're performing your residency tonight at the Dolby Live Park MGM my daughter whose flight was delayed wanted to be here but I'm bringing her tonight for her birthday so when you caught a lot of flack you know the women come and you know you come with your daddy or come with your sugar daddy no no no this is my. This is my actual daughter. I'm very protective about this one.

I ain't got but two girls, and I'm very protective about this one. So don't be messing around. So the criticism. I mean, you're just having a good time. You're saying you got your things on. I mean, are you surprised that you've gotten the criticism and the blowback that you've received? I don't know, man. I just know that this juncture of my life is just about

having fun. You don't even care. No, it's not that I don't care. It's that I want you to know that I'm having fun. And that is a part of me having fun. Being out in the audience amongst the fans and also to the people and feeling that energy. 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 dress in when we go to Frankie Beverly. We all dress in our white. We go out there and we enjoy each other on the aisles and have a great time. But when an artist comes out and just is amongst the people, this arena gave me an opportunity to be able to be closer to my fans because I hadn'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, it gave me a new title. Yeah. I think Charlamagne Tha God named me like the domestic terrorist.

I'm like, bruh, I'm just, this is actually an usher show, right? Well, you said you could feel the energy. You can't feel the energy from them hugs and them boyfriends giving you the evil eye? Like, you need to back up. Nah, they actually cool. The guys that are there, you know what I'm saying? The girls, they get a little rowdy. I'm just saying.

But, you know, don't leave your girl around me. Come with your girl. You know what I'm saying? Come with your daughter. You know what I'm saying? Bring your wife. But, yo, by the way, again, it's all in good fun, man. And the whole purpose and point is to bring that energy to Las Vegas.

When I look out and I see my people, I see us doing something that I don't feel like it's been done here. Like, the black dollar is strong in Vegas, man, more than it's ever been. And the cast and the crew and the feeling of what this has built has been a celebration. So, you know, nah, 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 up there,

rather it was Taraji P. Henson or, you know what I'm saying, Kiki Palmer. You know that woman had just had a baby and she was... I mean, she wanted to get out and have a good time. You know what I'm saying? Should you not feel like you should get out with your girls and enjoy yourself? You should, right? Yes.

And there you have me to assist your usher. Oh, you ushering them into a good time. You taking that little help, you going too far with this. You know, the ushers help you to the chair or find a seat. I'm ushering you to a good time, baby. You know what I'm saying? Come have a good time with me. No, but.

Working out. Yeah, man. 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 a stool singing. You're moving and every word and you're dancing, you're doing all these dance moves.

Bro, how are you able to do this night in and night out and you still got them 20-year-old knees? Yeah, I know, man. It's like the conditioning is no different than football. You know what I mean? You got to really have the, you know, you got to have a core. Right. Got to make certain that you can sing and dance. 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 I learned.

I learned it from a guy by the name of A.J. Alexanderander the guy who actually discovered me uh 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 gonna get out here and just jam and sing the girls no you gotta like he was like putting us through straight boot camp so you had to learn why would you learn to sing while you're tired because you're running and like you said his boot camp But I do I just think that that generation of entertainment It was different, you know 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 I'm saying we play 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 have us running and singing all of that kind of stuff That wasn't uncommon. That's not an uncommon thing if you consider yourself an artist right is 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 write you Right. You mentioned you were born in Chattanooga. You moved to Atlanta at a very, very young age. And you said your mom, I read where you said your mom kind of quit what she was doing to devote all of her attention to you. And you said your mom was kind of hard on you in making sure that's what you wanted. Where does yours stand?

Because we see Richard, uh, Venus and Serena, Richard Williams was very hard on them. We hear Todd, we see Tiger story. His dad was hard on him. And then I see Dwight Howard trying to push his 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 is playing basketball. Now how's usher the parent given where he came from knowing what he knows, how's he going to be? Man, I deal with the same, you know, issues that any parent deals with. Kids who are influenced by, you know, the things that they see, the things that they get into. But the one thing that I do is care for my kids. I view disciplinary, you know, kind of measures as something that is preparing your kids, especially black kids, for the reality

of the world that they're living in. I hold you to a higher standard. I personally hold you to a higher standard because I know what work it takes to be great. And for parents who do that, look at the evidence, look at the incredible artists, the incredible athletes that were created 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. No, 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, yo, if you want to do something, you want to play basketball, you got to run at a certain rate. I'm going to push you.

If you really want to do this, you got to show me. You're going to show up on time. You ain't on time? Give me push-ups right now. What? Yeah, give me push-ups. Run these laps. Run these suicides right now.

You serious, Dad? Yeah, for real. And I'm not playing. And if I catch you, if I get there before you do, you're going to give me 100 extra push-ups, run these laps, run these suicides. Right now, you serious, Dad? Yeah, for real, and I'm not playing. And if I catch you, if I get there before you do, you're gonna give me 100 extra push-ups. Wow. You know what I'm saying?

That's just the nature of the animal that is inside of who we are as, I don't know, man, as entertainers, as athletes. So I don't look at any of that kind of disciplinary kind of measure as a bad. I do think it's equally important to talk to your kids. Okay. If you're going to push them that way,

then you got to love on them just as much. You got to explain to them why you're pushing them. There you go. That's right. They got to know that, yo, my dad's going to push me to be great. My dad's going to talk to me as well and help me understand why he's pushing me

the way that he is. But how is that? Because you have to understand you're in a totally different situation than what they are. Your mom didn't have it like your kid's dad has it. So they're looking because you're like, man, 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 25,000 square feet. They got nanny. They got maid. They got chef. They got all of that. That is a harsh reality, which is more 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, especially the ones, you know, that, yeah, I named 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, that basketball game or their recital. They want to be very, very low key because they don't want that energy. They don't want me to come. They don't want me to be at that basketball game or their recital. They want me very, very low key

because they don't want that energy. They don't want, oh, dad walked in the room and took, you know. All their focus off of me. Yeah, and it's hard because I try my hardest 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. You want to be a parent. Yeah, man, yeah. But it is, 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,

you know what I'm saying? Like I walked so that we could ride, you know what I'm saying? And now that you're riding, you know know i want you to understand the importance of walking did you always at the age of 10 11 and 12 you're on star search um did you always know you wanted to be this well which part of this do you mean right because this the guy that's sitting across from me that's internationally known that goes and sells out every concert the guy That's almost at a hundred shows at a residency the guy that's doing the halftime show one of the the king the king of R&B

this Thank you very much But let me give you a little clarity, okay, okay. No, I don't know if I I but let me give you a little clarity. Okay, okay. No, 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 happened,

to become a businessman, to then understand entrepreneurship, to understand philanthropy, to understand empathy, to begin to understand the other side of it, I wouldn't prepare for that. I knew that if I set my mind to anything, the affirmation of me once saying it and actually making it happen, willing it to happen,

was something that I was committed to. As a kid, I walked around, and my mother used to tell me all the time, you need to stop telling people that you're going to be a big artist. I'm like, why? That's what I believe. That's 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 happened yet. I'm like, but I want it to. So let me just keep saying it. I must keep saying it until it actually becomes the reality. And I'm going to not only just say it and expect

somebody to give it to me. I'm going to take the long way around. I want to work for it. I want to be able to say I earned it. You know what I'm saying? I remember the first time that I saw you and I didn't quite know who you were. I saw you in Nike Town in Phipps Plaza. Man. I used to see you in Gucci all the time and you

always sing. I was like, man, why this dude singing? I'll be like, he's like, he's like, and you were just singing and singing and singing. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps, and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee. No dumb hot takes here. Just smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone. So I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away?

Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl. I don't know why, Colleen. Catch the podcast, the NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Can't get enough football?

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Yeah. I said, I saw this kid in Nike town and he was singing. I think he might be something. Yeah. I mean, I don't know if I was auditioning or what. You know what I'm saying? I was preparing for my moment.

You know what I'm saying? And I think that 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 process. It's a part of your every thought. If you want to play basketball, you always bounce on the ball. If you want to play basketball, you always bounce on the ball.

If you want to play football, you always readjust and you always manage and you always ready and alert. 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 haunted by the idea that I had this talent. So it's naturally just coming out. It's like you can't help but just be who you are. You had this talent so it's naturally just coming out it's like you can't help but just be who you are you had this talent obviously in high school normally when you have a talent everybody's not as talented as everyone else so were there hating going on with it with you in high school did people hate that you

were so gifted cuz you're gonna talent show you winning you know that. You're not losing the talent show. No. So they're like, okay, you won the last five talent shows. You're not entering this one. No, but that's what makes you great, right? The fact that you know that there's opposition. You know, if you're playing on a football team, right, you're going to go out there. You see this. You up against some dogs.

You know what I'm saying? You got to go out there with a different attitude you gotta like believe it you gotta like be it you know and by the way i had a hard hard trip bro my name was usher like yeah like i don't have like marcus or derrick 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, you know what I'm saying? Usher. What's up, Usher? You want an Usher boy? You know what I'm saying? A Hershey bar? I was like, man,

come on, man. Alright, that's cool. So what was dating like for Usher in high school? Dating? It was a bit difficult, you know what I'm saying? Because I just... You can say and you can swoon him. Yeah, I know, but you know, I was a bit difficult, you know what I'm saying? Because I just... You can say, you can swoon them. Yeah, I know. But, you know, I was just trying my hardest to stay focused on my actual goal. 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...

See, see, I knew I was going to get an actress. I know I'm saying like I would definitely impress the girls and Course you know I'm saying but you know, I just you know, it was it wasn't about that man. I was focused bro I was like I need to I need to stay focused and I have a goal, you know So when I figured out this is really what I want to do I think I was willing to make the sacrifices that were 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. But for the most part, I ain't. Yeah, man, I we can help each other out. Yeah. Yeah. I don't I don't think I there was a phase where I was girl crazy, you know what I'm saying? But, um, 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 Himalayas. You know what I'm saying?

But, you know, I was I was I wasn't really focused on on, you know, that too much. I wasn't really focused on that too much. How did you deal with your voice at 10 is not the same as the voice at 14, and the voice at 14 is not the same as the voice your mature voice is going to be? So how did you handle the voice change going through puberty? It's crazy. 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.

You know what I'm saying? Y'all know what I'm saying? My teenagers, you go through a phase where it's just like Nestle crunch. You know what I'm saying? And I was like, man, I got to figure this out. But I didn't let any of that deter me from like, oh, yo, I still got to stay focused on what I want to do. Yeah, I lost my voice completely. It was hard because I didn't lose my 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, I think it was Jack the Rapper in Atlanta. Can I be down? Can't remember which was one of those two. Here I am at, I think it was Jack the Rapper in Atlanta. Can I be down? I can't remember which, it 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 and like,

yo, I remember you in this yellow something. You was like a little kid, man, and you really just had this real big energy. And then after that, I lost it. And trying my hardest to not lose my mind in that and become, like, depressed, like fall into a deep depression. It took a great deal of support. It took my mama. It took my grandmother.

It took my nanny. It took my family members who, you know, just continued 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, a lady by the name of Shirley Riley, you know, an amazing coach as well, you know. But, you know, working with Kawan Prayatha, who was the person who I worked with at the time, Shanti Das, 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. L.A. Reid, they continued to invest in me,

working with, you know, vocal coaches and continued to help me find my way. Sent me to New York City to work with Puffy. It was just like, okay, we're not giving up. We still believe in it. How difficult is it as a child to find topics to sing about? Because you're like 13, 14, you can't be singing about this mature stuff. And you're not a gangster rapper. You ain't shooting up the club and talking about this bee and this garden tool and all that. So was it difficult for you? This garden tool and all that. So was it difficult for you to find material to sing about? Yeah, it was like, uh, pips and garden tools. Man, I didn't have to worry about that as much.

I think they spent time with me. It was funny. Eddie Bishop and Tim Thomas, the first two producers that I worked with, he just posted something. And 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. Just the hope in my eyes and the fact

that I was just a little kid. But here they are 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? A big Mac. Mac truck, a big Mac. Nah, but again, I think I left it to them

to help me figure out how to talk. Because I could have easily became one of the sensations that 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 great to think ahead because it made it easier for me to transition. When I worked with Organized Noise,

when I worked with Puff, when I worked with those guys, they were trying to tell the coolest young guy's story. The guy who was kind of having emotions but still trying to be a young fly player. You know what I'm saying? Yo, I got a little movement here. I talk to women a certain way. They were giving me, like, yo, you got to talk to a girl like this. You know what I mean? When we'd do intros,

like, you talk over R&B records. Just how you got to talk to them, bro. 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 you know i was out there trying to figure out how to take my shirt off and show my six pack you know what i'm saying you mentioned la reed sent you to um to new york and you live with p did it they call it flavor camp flavor camp so what was that experience like and how did that help us? I think I think I don't think I would be the artist that I am today without the experiences that I had in New York City. 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 sunning me to death, bro. And I was like, shout it. I don't know what you're talking about. You know what I'm saying? And we finna go over hill. You know what I'm saying? And they was like laughing at me because I was Southern and they were like New York, but they were like, took me and they, they, they like, they took me under their wing. You know what I'm saying? And looked at me like the little bruh. 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 way. I learned something about culture. So having the ability to be around all these different cultures of people,

it just helped me understand the world that I lived in. I didn't I wasn't isolated and felt like I needed to be protected. I wasn't, I was like, yo, we're going to 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 Mack. I'm looking at Onyx. We running in the streets. We like literally out here seeing how we in bar barbershop, they shooting dice. You know what I'm saying? You know, bet I don't four, four, four, you know what I'm saying? Four,, bet I don't, four, four, I four, you know what I'm saying? Four, five, you know what I'm like, yo, what is this?

You know what I'm saying? But so great to have had those experiences because, one, I didn't have a big brother and my dad wasn't there in my life as a kid. So all these experiences just readied me for life. So greater than just being an artist, that man helped me understand life. He helped me understand what it was to be an artist. He helped me understand what it was to be an artist He helped me understand what it be what it was to be passionate about something. He helped me understand culture He helped me understand business and a different level because I'm seeing him go from his independence to then becoming Puff daddy, you know what I'm saying? And I'm I got a front-row seat looking at that

Thank God that I had that experience Puff Daddy, you know what I'm saying? And I got a front row seat looking at that. Thank God that I had that experience, you know what I'm saying? And 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 happened to be on stage performing with Biggie, and this, but I was like, one of the craziest experiences ever, I happened to be on stage performing with Biggie, and this is back when he had a song called Party and Bull, dung, cow dung.

You know what I'm saying, I was like, yo, this is crazy. But I was able to take all of that, and then begin to understand, oh, okay, I get it. I see what the world is. But now I want to do this my way. Yeah Atlanta Jermaine Dupri you link up with JD. Yeah and What makes JD so good at a job You know Creative he's extremely creative. And he's mindful of the artists that he's working with.

He spends the time that is necessary to understand how to tell the artist's story. He spends the time making certain that he understands the cadence as he writes. He's one of the world's greatest writers. I mean, you don't get no better, bro. world's greatest writers. I mean, you don't get no better, bro. Like somebody who has like multiple skills as a writer, as an artist, as a creative, whether it's fashion, whether 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 about him because it's about his interpretation. And 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 going to breathe life into this artist who's trying to find their way. Now, what you do with it, whether you dance or you rap or you go into movies or you do other things, that's how you keep going. 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. Confessions. Yeah. Everybody thought confession was about you. Like, you was just confession. You went to a confessional, but it was about...

Yeah. Well, no. It was about you? No, it was about yeah well no it was about you no 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 uh mark pitts um you know you know myself jd there's a couple cats 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 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 uh JD it was it was everybody it was everybody at that table was was going through something yo by the way I tell you no lies everybody was going through some portion Yo, by the way, I tell you no lies. Everybody was going through some portion of what we were talking about in that studio. It's Confessions, the album, that Usher's a bonafide superstar. He's here to stay. He ain't no flash in the pan. He's not here today, gone tomorrow.

Usher Raymond is here, and you will forever remember this man's name. You got to tell me, bro. Yeah, it's... You think so? I think that's your greatest. That's the greatest? Yeah. Body of Work, 8701. Oh, no, okay.

See? When you put it like that, 8701. That's what I'm saying. So it's like, it's great that I could even have it to me. If you could sing one album, if you only had to sing one album, and you couldn't sing, you got a lot of them, but you got to sing one for the next year and only one, what you rocking with?

Man, that's a hard one, bro. Yeah, I'm going to rock with Confessions. Because I'm rocking. It's well-rounded, but I mean, just saying, just like between those two albums, I think that it would definitely have to be, based off of success, it would have to be Confessions, yeah. I mean, when you look at it, I mean, Diamond,

crazy, sexy, cool, Whitney Houston, thriller. Bro, you get the diamond? Ain't a whole lot of diamonds out there. There has been no other diamond since in this genre. That make you feel good, doesn't it? It's a good thing to have, you know what I'm saying?

But also too, 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. Right. They don't sell albums in that way as a physical copy. When 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 at a button and it's just there. So, yeah, it's like the measure of success has to change in life. And by the way, this is important because

if you don't do that, you manage 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 that's not true there's just always a different ship yo i remember when you know i'm saying vince carter was jumping out the gym bro like, he shifted his whole game and three crazy. Still can jump if he wanted to, but them ankles, you know what I'm saying?

They ain't gonna dig it. That's what I'm saying. So it's about, those are the people that I look up to, bro. You said something very interesting. Yeah. And I've heard people say this

about Michael, is that he kept trying to replicate the success that he had with Thriller. And Dirty Diana was a great album. It sold 8 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 30 million, 40 million, 60 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. How are you able to do that, Usher? Because we're measured by our 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. Well, they shouldn't. What?

Come on with it, Usher. Come on with it, see? but it shouldn't what come on come on I know I get it out of y'all see what he said y'all better leave that man alone y'all keep on talking about y'all the king of this and king of that I'm sitting with the king right here you know I'll just tell you two things on king talk right

but the confessions right again if you are living by the applause, you will die by the bulls. T.I. told me that. Yeah. And it's spot on. It is. If you live for the applause, you're going to die by the bulls. You got to do what you got to do.

And you got to make your offering as clear as it could potentially be because it's going to serve at least one person. Because that's why we really do it. Right. We do it because we want to offer something that's going to be the right dialogue or the right help or the right moment or 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 that same way, it'll it'll it'll it could drive you crazy. Right. The only way that I was able to do that is to focus on other things, to focus on building

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CBC and NPR's Embedded podcast. Listen to all episodes on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Right, I got to build more space. Let's take this thing that I got, my perspective, and I want to introduce some other artists. I want to try and go, let me go fail at some other things and get great at that, right? Because you peak 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. But how are you able to have such success and 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 fail so I kind of want to stay I'm gonna come and stay where I'm at But you're willing to go outside like okay. Let me try to be a producer. Let me try to discover talent. Yeah. Well, I mean

part of it also too um honestly became um a bit of a reckless thing for me because i think some of the actions that i've 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 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, we're now, you know, we're getting ready to take off,

now I wanna go to the moon, get to the moon, I wanna go to the sun, you know what I'm saying? 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 some things that I did were not right some decisions I made you know hey but I live with them all too by the way and and I'm okay with that um that's the only way that I was able to get through it 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 for you to say, oh, nah, he ain't gonna do it again. Oh, no, it can't happen. No, that right there is motivation. Because that means I got some place to go. I got some place to grow. I mean, you were the first artist in the 2010s

to collect three number one singles in three consecutive decades. The 90s, Nice and Slow. You make me want to. Yep. You make me want to lead. My way. And then 2000, you remind me. You got it bad.

You don't have to call me. Yeah, burn. Confessions part two. And then 2010, OMG, there goes my baby. Climax. Hits. I mean. We got hits.

Yes. Got some hits, bro. I mean, you would land in more punches than Mayweather. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you, have you, when will you sit, when will you go back and sit back? I mean, or do you take the time like?

This is it. That's what's happening right now. I'm actually sitting back and enjoying all of the labor of that. That's the moment I'm in right now. I'm in that moment of really enjoying the hard work. Now, I don't get a lot of sleep, but I think that that's just the reality of who I am as a person

because I love to work and I love to create, but I'm enjoying it finally. I'm able to you know, because I've always been of service to people. Rather, I'm offering something. And whether they like it or not is really up to them not up to me right um but I like that that that actually makes me feel good but now I get a

chance to actually enjoy what I am creating enjoy what I have created what's your favorite decade I mean 90s I think somewhere in the 70, like being motivated by that and bringing that forward. Right. Because so many incredible artists were born in that time or created in that moment. Living in the 90s, I say it was a grand moment for all of us because it was a mixture between R&B and hip hop in a way that felt sensational. By the way, even in the South, because the South, it didn't have as much of a definition, but through the 90s and then on to the 2000s,

you then began to understand, you know, Organized Noise, Jermaine Dupri, Little John, incredible producers out of the South began to really, really have a moment. But I really do think that it's something in the 70s, bro. Like, the artists that came out of the 70s were incredible. If you could have

less, I'm going to give you three. If you could perform with three, collab with three artists from the 70s, who would it be? If I could have collab with them in the 70s? In the 70s. Oh, it would have been Quincy Jones.

Okay. You know, it would have been... Out of Philly. Huh? Gambling Huff. Let me see. Who else? 70s.

I think I said the two that actually is so I thought you I thought you was talking about Artists that would have liked to perform with Oh perform with an artist you want to collab with artists to collab with? Man it would have been great to do something would like Diana Ross would have been great to do something with you know Donny Hathaway would have been great to do something with Michael Jackson yeah give me a Mount Rushmore of R&B singers Mount Rushmore you only get four ushers so I mean I've had people on here that try to get five. Stevie Wonder. Uh, let me see. Donny Hathaway. Whitney Houston.

Ooh. I said Stevie Wonder, right? You said Stevie Wonder first. Okay, I put him on twice. Okay. Michael Jackson. Marvin Gaye. Didn't I just tell you you had four?

I'm sorry. I'm saying I'm sorry. Okay, so I can't take Michael off of Marvin? Oh, come Gaye. Didn't I just tell you you had four? I'm sorry. I'm saying I'm sorry. Okay, so I can't take Michael off of Marvin? Oh, come on now. You look at Michael as R&B? Do I? You don't? I mean, I thought he was the king of pop.

But, man, he created a format that, like, R&B was like, I mean, you know, this is, he's interesting, right? Kings, right? Yes. I think all of those guys are kings. Right. I mean you know this is he's interesting right kings right yes I think all of those guys are kings right I think that we get so caught up on being

the number one king person right to have that title to be the king because normally you only got one king you got a king and a queen

you got a lot of princes you can be a lot of princes but you can only have one king Usher you can only have one king one queen but you can only have one Usher baby

and Usher you know what I'm saying he get the ceremony right he come out white glove service baby you know what i'm saying we're going to look now now hold on but greater than being a king or either saying i want to have that one spot what i see is needed is a kingdom okay right so when i look at all of the genres of music i see see EDM and I look at festivals and I look at the lifestyle, the equipment. I look at 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 kind of stuff like that. I think pickups. 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&B or 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, matter of fact. You know what I'm saying? There's tons of people who put in the work. I ain't the only person that's been put in them 1,000 hours.

And I don't know or profess to be the only king. Am I the king of what I feel? Yeah, 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 potency in hip-hop.

When I think of hip-hop, I think of what you're drinking. I think about the glasses you're wearing. I think about the shoes you got on. I think about 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 me in that same way. Who was presented the collab with Usher and he turned it down. He's like, damn, I should have did that. Collaboration. Yeah. Is there a collab that someone asked you to be a part of and you didn't? And when it came out, you're like, damn.

Yeah. You're going to hate me for this one. Oh. Oh. Jay-Z, Pharrell, Diddy. Damn, are you? And me. We're supposed to be a group.

Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, you're going to hate me for that. I know. Yeah. Why did you say no? I didn't say no. You didn't say yeah? I didn't say yeah.

You said yeah on the record, but you didn't say yeah to that. 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 and having secret meetings about it. We were talking about music and how we were flip it in it the business of it and somehow man. We just got Distracted, you know what I'm saying? And it never happened, you know, that's the one that I actually wish would have happened, right? Is there a movie or something that I was supposed to be a part of a collaboration?

Yeah movie or something that I was supposed to be a part of a collaboration yeah uh David Geffen uh reached out to me to be uh in Dreamgirls and um yeah man it just didn't happen and I had I think everybody hit me about this joint too I had Eddie Murphy hit me man Brandy hit me just there's never just there's always a reason you don't get in your car and just sit there. You go to the grocery store. There you go, bro. Or you drive to a concert. I know. You turn that down.

I didn't do it. Chanta, did you know about this? I didn't know about this one. Yeah. Drink to that. I read that you were Beyonce's nanny. Were you Beyonce's nanny? First of all, how could I be a nanny i'll be a manny you know what i mean no no i wouldn't i wouldn't be on six nanny nah um daryl simmons uh 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 destiny's child became destiny's child and um i think i looked over them while they were doing something in the house. I had to watch them because I was like the authority. Because I guess I was the teenager at the time. But no, I wasn't a nanny. You know what I'm saying? No. But you were just overseeing them, making sure they didn't break nothing.

Making certain that they didn't get in no trouble in the house at the time. 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 opera talent. Yeah. Well, not just by myself. There was a host of people, you know, they say success has a million fathers and an orphan. You know, you know, I got it. So, um, 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. They all are an incredible unit. Beyonce had a talent and also to a brilliance and a brightness that was much different. And it was actually Frank Gadsden, Gadsden, who helped me see it. 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 really special. And really great for my sister man to see that she's done so amazing and continue to to thrive and just get bigger and better and just you know just i mean brothers musically or in our life or creativity all of it man how is it working being on the stage with michael jackson because he's i mean if you're in this business. It's nerve-wracking. Bruh, I'm going to tell you, you know, so I'm in my seat and his manager comes over to me

and he says, yo, you're going to 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, 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. I was asking like

the people in the street. Like, yo, yo, I literally left, bro. And I ran outside down the street asking somebody for some shoes. Give me some Air Force Ones. It was like Wallabies and like some New Balances.

I was like, nah, that ain't going to get it. I need Air Force Ones. So I come back going to get it. I need Air Force Ones. So I come back in. I ain't got my Air Force Ones. I have some like some boots. So anyway, I went out there. So y'all see me like I look a little, I'm stuck a little bit.

That's really what happened. But no, it was nerve wracking to actually dance for and with Michael. I can remember rehearsals. And I mean, I don't normally go all out in rehearsals, dude. I was going all 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 too I know how hard that is you sing and you dance that combination is vicious that the greatest compliment you received he didn't say vicious but he

said you dancing saying I'm just I'm putting two on the team right he said that that that's a really special talent. It really felt good to get that compliment from him. Well, you know ATL, we're running the music game, right? Absolutely. We're on top of the world. Yo. How did that, because you're

part of that. Yes. I mean, you can't tell the story of Atlanta music without mentioning Usher Raymond. No, man. How did that make you feel? Man, we did something, man. Man, listen, the South got something to say is what Dre said, and we've been saying it for a long time.

And the potency of that, I think it's great. I think more than anything, again, there's this transition and this focus just for me. And I think it should be a focus of more artists. You know what I'm saying? To really focus on the other things that these genres or Southern music and entertainment breeds. There's an there's an entire movement and feeling when you come to Atlanta. Right. Right. The world needs to know that. That's why I brought Atlanta to Las Vegas. You need to understand it.

No different. Like you look at Cirque du Soleil and all of those shows, right? They celebrate their culture, whether it's in Spain or wherever it is. Our culture is the same. It might not be marketed the same. It might not feel, oh, because it's culture,

but all cultural things eventually become something that's commercial And I wanted the world to be able to see and celebrate who we are How we get out what our music feels like what our energy is what our experience is, you know? two-part question if it's R&B dead and Will R&B ever be what it once was at At the height. I'm talking about at the height. 90s, early 2000, it was... Will it ever be that again? So long as we quantify the success of it

as a number one spot that has to be garnered in order to consider R&B the biggest thing? I don't know. That's in question for the world. Musically, I think that R&B is in everything. See, I ain't no fool. I understand where it all comes from. I understand the source.

Maybe y'all don't understand the source. Maybe you don't understand that it's gospel, blues, R&B, and everything flowed upward from there. So no, it's going to forever be a source. Will it be and have potency for the entire world to celebrate? I believe so. And I'm going to continue to fight for it. I'm going to continue to be that conduit for it. As I said, man, it's a 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 on to emote and have emotions, but it also to serve so many other things that we gotta celebrate as well, you know? How do you balance being a father and being this? You 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. You don't have to leave. You don't have to leave. One-stop shop. Yeah, yeah. Once you get done, you go up to your room. Well, you got a place now here in Vegas, in Henderson, you see. Yeah, yeah.

So now you don't have to worry about getting on planes, trains, autom, trains, automobiles and going one state to the next state to the next city. How is how do you how do you balance that? Because you said because your father wasn't 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. So how do you balance that? Well, the balance is, you know, up until 7 o'clock. You know, I'm focused on my kids.

Right. And then at 7 o'clock on the dot, you know, I'm working. It's funny how that works. Right. But, you know, man, it's a balance, man man it's a balance in any field that we are right especially if you got to travel with a team i like to travel actually so i don't think that i'm done touring right um i do see it in the future uh but maybe in a different way i just played paris you know 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 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 spend that time and really enjoy the places that I go. I don't want to lose that. You're part owner of 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? Well, it all started right. moment like for you? 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 minority ownership in this team. And Dan

Gilbert gave me that opportunity, you know, just as LeBron was making his way in to the league. So we all, you know, had heard and known about him and his talent. So I felt like the luckiest man in the world to be a part of this incredible organization. And what a story to be told and a legacy to be built. I was just happy, obviously, to have that be one of the first major entrepreneurial kind of things 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. Right. Because he's a native son. 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 just been a joyous moment for So you look at that opportunity because you said this was in 2005 you become a minority owner and you've done really good You've you've invested you broaden your your portfolio. 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?

No. I mean, always open. You know what I'm saying? 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 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 very important to me. Here in Las Vegas specifically, I've put my flag in the ground here. 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. Right. You know what I'm saying? Are you going to get in the restaurant business? Hey, man, I mean, there's tons of opportunity out here. If there's partners,

holla at your boy. I'm going to get you out of here on this one I am bringing my daughter to tonight's show so if you would like you know a song that's appropriate for someone her age she's in her 30s I'm not here to tell you exactly how old she is but she's not married she's not married okay cool I'm customizing

you know I'm customizing this moment. Go ahead. Yeah. Usher, I appreciate your time, man. Congratulations on everything you've done. Continue your success, bro. And I know you're going to knock it out the park with us. Hey, bro, I appreciate you too, dog.

Thank you, man. Keep it real. Usher. Yes, sir. God bless you, dog. All right, guys. You can see boy dressed to impress. I'm in Las Vegas, and I'm getting ready to take my daughter for her birthday to the Usher concert.

She's super excited because the very first concert she ever attended was Usher. So for her birthday, she's like, Daddy, I want to go see Usher. So here we are. Let's go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you let's go thank we do for our kids brah wonder what my my son don't want for his birthday knowing him he gonna take the money my other daughter knowing her she will take the money leave the water with you got it you got it I got it. I got it bad. Hey baby. I'm nervous, you know.

You gotta be nervous. Kayla, I'm shy. You're whatever. Kayla, C sharp. The one that kicked it off. Don't put that on there. She ain't playing. She ain't playing.

She tell me that all the time. What's your accent with your very first concert that you ever saw? I was 12 and this was during the Confessions era and Kanye West opened up for him. I'm tearing up. This is so exciting. So we're making a weekend of it.

We're making a weekend. So we got Usher tonight. We got Adele tomorrow. And then Thursday, we got Lakers game. They open up against the Suns. Ooh-wee. Yo. Ooh-wee.

Caleb was on the scene. Yeah, Caleb on the scene. He's talking about the money. Well, thank you. I'm excited. I'm excited, too, baby. Yeah, he came on the scene, talking about the debt, the total money. Well, thank you. I'm excited. I'm excited too, baby. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Got the roll of dice, that's why. All my life, I've been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price.

Want a slice, got the roll of dice, that's why. All my life, I've been grinding all my life. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news and the best analysis delivered by the time you get your coffee. The show hits every single game, every single week,

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