Usher keeps an eye on the long term in mapping out a career in music, movie roles
Thu May 9, 8:23 PM ET
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer
NEW YORK - Usher had just established himself as a young prince of R&B with his best-selling sophomore disc, "My Way," when — at 20 years old — he decided to take a break from music to try his hand at acting.
There was pressure from his record company to put out a follow-up quickly, he says.
But Usher was trying to do more than stay hot for the moment.
"This is a career, in my opinion, that has gradual steps. You can't have it all at once," he says. "You see a lot of artists that come in, sell major records, tour and they burn out. ... I've been taught from the school of Michael Jackson that you give them a hot album, take a step back two years, let them miss you."
Now 23, Usher is enjoying Jacksonesque success with his third disc, "8701."
It has sold more than 3.5 million copies in less than a year, producing the No. 1 singles "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad," and his latest hit, "U Don't Have to Call." He won his first Grammy earlier this year: best male R&B performance for "U Remind Me."
The star's first headlining tour begins this month.
"You'll see me standing on my hands, doing frontflips, backflips, singing, dancing — entertainment, ultimate entertainment," says the Chattanooga, Tennessee, native, whose full name is Usher Raymond.
"Like the greats do it. You see Michael — at his best, he's always on stage. I feel like I'm at my best when I'm on stage. I'm most comfortable in front of an audience, performing and entertaining."
The comparison to Michael Jackson isn't that far-fetched. Usher was a child star, making his recording debut at 15. He also borrows liberally from Jackson's signature dance moves and performs high-energy extravaganzas.
But Usher is far from a Michael Jackson knockoff. He has his own smooth but street-wise style that has won fans of new and old-school R&B. He hasn't been hurt by sharp good looks and sex appeal; in his videos, he's often photographed shirtless.
That charisma helped him make the transition from music to Hollywood, where he has done TV acting and appeared in four films, from teen comedy "She's All That" to the urban high school drama "The Faculty." His most recent movie was last year's Western flop "Texas Rangers."
The move to Hollywood paid off better than music ever did, Usher says, even though he had sold millions of records.
"I was straight for once in my life," he says. "I went out to Hollywood, did some movies, bought a house. I bought my mother a house, I bought some cars, I invested in a lot of stock. I really got myself financially stable so I could get right back to what I love doing the most."
Besides being lucrative, he says, acting gave him emotional release during a trying time.
"I had a few deaths in my family. My grandmother had passed, a best friend of mine died from cancer, my dog died ... It was just a lot of drama in my life," he says.
"When I got into acting, it was like now I can actually take these emotions and pour them out into each one of these characters ... This was my first opportunity to cry and really open up, because that's what really was going on inside of me."
Usher also was dealing with his first heartbreak; he had fallen in love and had a painful breakup.
"I always said it would never happen to me. And the next thing I know, I was like sprung over love," he says. "I don't think I'll ever go that far again. It was weird, because I sort of fell into love, and now I think I'm in a better position where I can walk into love."
The heartache was the basis for much of what's on his latest disc.
"I wrote songs about it. I meant it. I mean, 'U Got It Bad' was a real experience," says Usher, who is now dating Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas from the group TLC.
"That was like one of the worst periods of my life — so far," he adds with a laugh.
Usher not only helped write the songs on the disc, he picked the producers and had the most creative input he has ever had. He says the disc represents his maturation as an artist and as a man.
"I started at a very young age, so everybody that worked with me looked at me as a kid, the little baby Usher," he says. "Now all of a sudden, Usher's getting older and he's making decisions for himself, and he's standing up and he's fighting hard to get that respect."
Jimmy "Jam" Harris, who with partner Terry Lewis worked on the disc and has known Usher for years, said he was impressed by Usher's tenacity.
"He just has a million ideas. He's just going to keep throwing ideas at you," says Harris. "He's a hardworking guy."
Another producer on "8701" was Usher's old mentor Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Usher's mother (and manager) had let her son stay with Combs when the 15-year-old needed to move to New York City to record.
Combs and Usher are still close — Usher croons on P. Diddy's latest hit, "I Need A Girl" — but Usher said living with Combs opened his eyes to the seedier side of the business.
"(It was) sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, that's what it was. It was a good eye-opener," he says. "It taught me a lot about business, it taught me a lot about hustle. It taught me a lot about determination and being aggressive ... but just how cutthroat and nasty of a business it is."
Usher said that uncensored view of the industry made him vow to avoid drugs and treat people with respect.
"I've said I will never be like that. I will never sell myself to the devil like that."
He says with a laugh that he never did share the sordid stories with his mother. There's still a lot of kid in Usher Raymond. "Hopefully I'll never be a grown man," he says. "I want to stay a kid forever."
Thu May 9, 8:23 PM ET
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer
NEW YORK - Usher had just established himself as a young prince of R&B with his best-selling sophomore disc, "My Way," when — at 20 years old — he decided to take a break from music to try his hand at acting.
There was pressure from his record company to put out a follow-up quickly, he says.
But Usher was trying to do more than stay hot for the moment.
"This is a career, in my opinion, that has gradual steps. You can't have it all at once," he says. "You see a lot of artists that come in, sell major records, tour and they burn out. ... I've been taught from the school of Michael Jackson that you give them a hot album, take a step back two years, let them miss you."
Now 23, Usher is enjoying Jacksonesque success with his third disc, "8701."
It has sold more than 3.5 million copies in less than a year, producing the No. 1 singles "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad," and his latest hit, "U Don't Have to Call." He won his first Grammy earlier this year: best male R&B performance for "U Remind Me."
The star's first headlining tour begins this month.
"You'll see me standing on my hands, doing frontflips, backflips, singing, dancing — entertainment, ultimate entertainment," says the Chattanooga, Tennessee, native, whose full name is Usher Raymond.
"Like the greats do it. You see Michael — at his best, he's always on stage. I feel like I'm at my best when I'm on stage. I'm most comfortable in front of an audience, performing and entertaining."
The comparison to Michael Jackson isn't that far-fetched. Usher was a child star, making his recording debut at 15. He also borrows liberally from Jackson's signature dance moves and performs high-energy extravaganzas.
But Usher is far from a Michael Jackson knockoff. He has his own smooth but street-wise style that has won fans of new and old-school R&B. He hasn't been hurt by sharp good looks and sex appeal; in his videos, he's often photographed shirtless.
That charisma helped him make the transition from music to Hollywood, where he has done TV acting and appeared in four films, from teen comedy "She's All That" to the urban high school drama "The Faculty." His most recent movie was last year's Western flop "Texas Rangers."
The move to Hollywood paid off better than music ever did, Usher says, even though he had sold millions of records.
"I was straight for once in my life," he says. "I went out to Hollywood, did some movies, bought a house. I bought my mother a house, I bought some cars, I invested in a lot of stock. I really got myself financially stable so I could get right back to what I love doing the most."
Besides being lucrative, he says, acting gave him emotional release during a trying time.
"I had a few deaths in my family. My grandmother had passed, a best friend of mine died from cancer, my dog died ... It was just a lot of drama in my life," he says.
"When I got into acting, it was like now I can actually take these emotions and pour them out into each one of these characters ... This was my first opportunity to cry and really open up, because that's what really was going on inside of me."
Usher also was dealing with his first heartbreak; he had fallen in love and had a painful breakup.
"I always said it would never happen to me. And the next thing I know, I was like sprung over love," he says. "I don't think I'll ever go that far again. It was weird, because I sort of fell into love, and now I think I'm in a better position where I can walk into love."
The heartache was the basis for much of what's on his latest disc.
"I wrote songs about it. I meant it. I mean, 'U Got It Bad' was a real experience," says Usher, who is now dating Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas from the group TLC.
"That was like one of the worst periods of my life — so far," he adds with a laugh.
Usher not only helped write the songs on the disc, he picked the producers and had the most creative input he has ever had. He says the disc represents his maturation as an artist and as a man.
"I started at a very young age, so everybody that worked with me looked at me as a kid, the little baby Usher," he says. "Now all of a sudden, Usher's getting older and he's making decisions for himself, and he's standing up and he's fighting hard to get that respect."
Jimmy "Jam" Harris, who with partner Terry Lewis worked on the disc and has known Usher for years, said he was impressed by Usher's tenacity.
"He just has a million ideas. He's just going to keep throwing ideas at you," says Harris. "He's a hardworking guy."
Another producer on "8701" was Usher's old mentor Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Usher's mother (and manager) had let her son stay with Combs when the 15-year-old needed to move to New York City to record.
Combs and Usher are still close — Usher croons on P. Diddy's latest hit, "I Need A Girl" — but Usher said living with Combs opened his eyes to the seedier side of the business.
"(It was) sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, that's what it was. It was a good eye-opener," he says. "It taught me a lot about business, it taught me a lot about hustle. It taught me a lot about determination and being aggressive ... but just how cutthroat and nasty of a business it is."
Usher said that uncensored view of the industry made him vow to avoid drugs and treat people with respect.
"I've said I will never be like that. I will never sell myself to the devil like that."
He says with a laugh that he never did share the sordid stories with his mother. There's still a lot of kid in Usher Raymond. "Hopefully I'll never be a grown man," he says. "I want to stay a kid forever."
