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Speaker 1: Pushkin. Usher is one of the few R and B

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Speaker 1: acts from the nineties who's gone on to become a

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Speaker 1: global superstar. And if you ask him today how it

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Speaker 1: all happened, he'll tell you he manifested it all. As

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Speaker 1: a kid back in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Usher and his mom

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Speaker 1: moved to Atlanta when he was just twelve years old

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Speaker 1: so he could pursue a career in music. His first

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Speaker 1: big break came in ninety three when a song called

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Speaker 1: Me a Mac was released on the Poetic Justice soundtrack.

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Speaker 1: Shortly after, he was signed to the Face Records and

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Speaker 1: first found mainstream success with the release of his sophomore album,

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Speaker 1: My Way in ninety seven. Since the beginning of his

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Speaker 1: thirty year career, Usher sold over sixty five million records worldwide.

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Speaker 1: He's also started on the Broadway Musical Chicago, been a

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Speaker 1: coach on The Voice, and recently added a Las Vegas

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Speaker 1: residency to his long list of career achievements. The Vegas Show,

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Speaker 1: which sold out all of its twenty twenty two dates,

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Speaker 1: was just extended to include fifteen more shows in June

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Speaker 1: and October. As you can probably imagine, Usher is a

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Speaker 1: busy man. I caught up with him on Zoom for

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Speaker 1: today's episode, between a vocal lesson meetings with his team

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Speaker 1: and his beautiful kids pressing for his attention. During our chat,

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Speaker 1: Usher explained why conflict has always been a big inspiration

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Speaker 1: for a songwriting, especially when working with producer Jermaine dupri

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Speaker 1: Jd on his two thousand and four classic album Confessions.

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Speaker 1: Usher also talks about how elder statesmen like Quincy Jones

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Speaker 1: have helped him maintain a level of sophistication throughout his career.

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Speaker 1: This is broken record liner notes for the digital Age.

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Speaker 1: I'm justin Mitchman. Here's my interview with Usher. Hey, Hey,

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Speaker 1: what's going on? How you guys doing good? How are

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Speaker 1: you doing? You know? I really, I really do. Wish

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Speaker 1: I could complaint, but I would sound like a damn

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Speaker 1: fool one because I don't think anybody would care to

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Speaker 1: care that two. It's a waste of time when you

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Speaker 1: always have such precious moments, right, that's right, man. You

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Speaker 1: can either use it to complain or you can use

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Speaker 1: it to compel, right, and to propel. Man, you got

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Speaker 1: a lot going man, a lot going on, that's right.

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Speaker 1: Since fourteen I remember you busting out killing it and now. Man,

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Speaker 1: we're about twenty five years later, and it's as if

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Speaker 1: you're as busy as you've ever been. Man, tell me

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Speaker 1: about what's going on. It's crazy, man, considering I'm only

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Speaker 1: thirty years old. I mean, I've been doing it since

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Speaker 1: I was five. Man, it's been a lot going on, actually,

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Speaker 1: a lot of really great things. A career obviously that's

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Speaker 1: been you know, constructed over all of this time, in

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Speaker 1: all of these years, but more than anything, a celebration

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Speaker 1: over the last few years in Las Vegas for my

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Speaker 1: biggest residency is I go back night after night listening

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Speaker 1: to the songs and kind of reliving some of the emotions.

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Speaker 1: Obviously the choreography and all the things that come with it.

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Speaker 1: But more than that, man, it's fun and excitement that

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Speaker 1: I need it, you know. I think all artists need

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Speaker 1: a bit of motivation, and rather it's an audience or

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Speaker 1: either just the love and passion of what you do.

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Speaker 1: But being in front of a live audience really, you know,

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Speaker 1: kind of reignited my passion and the energy, which is

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Speaker 1: part of the reason that I'm now dropping the music

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Speaker 1: and also too in the process of putting out another album,

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Speaker 1: working on other products and other ancillary things to what

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Speaker 1: I do culturally. You know, if you see the way

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Speaker 1: I address or do you see the products I'm using,

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Speaker 1: whatever it might be, all of those things are really

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Speaker 1: your product of a career man, that has been dealt,

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Speaker 1: as you said, over twenty years. It's crazy because I

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Speaker 1: don't feel it. It's honestly, you don't realize how older

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Speaker 1: you are, I guess until you think about your children.

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Speaker 1: I have fourteen and a fifteen year old, so I'm like, okay,

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Speaker 1: apparently i must be a bit older. But I'm not

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Speaker 1: feeling like I'm losing a beat because rather I'm playing

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Speaker 1: you know, football or basketball or any of those things

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Speaker 1: with them. I'm keeping up. That's right. Man. The kids

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Speaker 1: keep you young and old. It's a little bit of both.

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Speaker 1: They keep you wise, That's what I will say. Kids.

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Speaker 1: They will challenge you and at the same time they

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Speaker 1: will give you purpose and reason. Yeah, you know, you

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Speaker 1: think about the things that matter. It's that time that

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Speaker 1: you have with them, them finding themselves, that becomes more

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Speaker 1: of a priority. You know. Yeah, the new album, what

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Speaker 1: did that energy start to come together? The energy of

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Speaker 1: working on an album started a few years ago, and

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Speaker 1: there's been you know, some hiccups that obviously have caused

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Speaker 1: you know, I mean not to just put music out

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Speaker 1: one the pandemic kind of sent everybody into like a

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Speaker 1: holding pattern. And then just you know, deliberating over you know,

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Speaker 1: just the process of analyzing right what expectations are out there.

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Speaker 1: Then you just kind of get to a place where

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Speaker 1: you're like, you know, what this is? What it is

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Speaker 1: that I've been working on. This is a and offering,

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Speaker 1: you know, rather I'm talking about things that I I

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Speaker 1: obviously can relate to because I went through them, or

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Speaker 1: either you can relate to because you're going through them.

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Speaker 1: But you know, now I'm ready to share. I'm ready

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Speaker 1: to share the music. I'm ready to share the emotion.

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Speaker 1: I'm ready to share the creativity some of the things

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Speaker 1: that I picked up over the time that I've been

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Speaker 1: making this album. Now I'm ready to share it. What

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Speaker 1: that is. I made a directorial debut with a song

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Speaker 1: that's really only a snippet at this point, goog. But

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Speaker 1: I have to say that a lot of it has

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Speaker 1: been spun as a result of my Las Vegas residency.

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Speaker 1: When I did that, it's just again, it's just reignited,

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Speaker 1: you know, my passion and my connection to my audience

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Speaker 1: and also to my connection to my music. Were you

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Speaker 1: as backwards looking before you started the Vegas residency. Were

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Speaker 1: you kind of typically in a mode of looking back

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Speaker 1: at your career and thinking about different albums and eras,

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Speaker 1: or did this kind of help you to that Las

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Speaker 1: Vegas specifically has always been about celebrating the songs that

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Speaker 1: you've had from the past. For me, it was a

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Speaker 1: little bit of that, but it was the celebration of

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Speaker 1: a genre, celebration of music because R and B in

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Speaker 1: that capacity hadn't really been there. You've had a few

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Speaker 1: artists you've had, you know, Marian Kerry and also to

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Speaker 1: a few you know, more new recent artists that were

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Speaker 1: working in Las Vegas, like Buno Mars and then it's impact.

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Speaker 1: But that culture of R and B music and live

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Speaker 1: performance in the way that I do it, it wasn't there.

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Speaker 1: So I don't know if I ever looked at it

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Speaker 1: as looking back. I looked at it as let me

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Speaker 1: go back for a second to remind you of what

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Speaker 1: this level of performance and entertainment is ultimately about, and

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Speaker 1: the fact that this culture doesn't exist here. Things that

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Speaker 1: I shared on stage you know. I mean, I don't

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Speaker 1: know if you've ever been to my show, but I

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Speaker 1: take you on a complete ride through Atlanta, through black culture.

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Speaker 1: There's you know, certain views of like you know, jazz

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Speaker 1: and I live music, and the idea of like being

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Speaker 1: in this impromptu moment or improv that happens. You know,

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Speaker 1: these unexpected things and unexpected guests that might come out

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Speaker 1: on the stage. All of those things are part of

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Speaker 1: what an R and B show has always offered in time.

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Speaker 1: So it gave me the opportunity to do that and

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Speaker 1: then experimenting with other things like skating on stage, and

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Speaker 1: I just really I had fun. So again, I didn't

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Speaker 1: look at it as looking back. The music from the

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Speaker 1: soundtrack of My life, which is the songs that are hits,

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Speaker 1: they take you back. But I'm moving forward in terms

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Speaker 1: of how introduced this to you and how immersed you

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Speaker 1: are in this experience. You don't feel like you're going

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Speaker 1: to a show. You feel like you're having an experience.

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Speaker 1: You don't feel like you're watching a live experience. You

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Speaker 1: know that it's just singing and lights. No, you were

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Speaker 1: completely immersed from the moment you walk into the theater

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Speaker 1: to the moment that you leave the nightclub, you're completely

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Speaker 1: in my passion. You're in the passion of what it

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Speaker 1: is that I created, both musically and also too as

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Speaker 1: an experience. I love that it's such a send up

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Speaker 1: to like R and B, such a celebration of the genre, man,

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Speaker 1: because you know, it's funny. I was having a conversation

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Speaker 1: for the podcast with baby Face a couple weeks ago,

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Speaker 1: and it dawned on me through talking to him that

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Speaker 1: the era that you came up in the nineties really

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Speaker 1: was the era of like R and B just being

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Speaker 1: the mainstream popular music of the day, man, you know,

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Speaker 1: whereas at some point it was race music at some

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Speaker 1: point it was segregated to black charts. By the nineties, man,

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Speaker 1: when you guys were what you guys were doing with

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Speaker 1: the face, it became like a driver of the culture. Yeah. Well,

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Speaker 1: I'll say this was it more relevant because it became

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Speaker 1: defiant and things and genres that were established, like hip

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Speaker 1: hop became more relevant. And then the mixing of R

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Speaker 1: and B and hip hop together made it feel dangerous.

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Speaker 1: I'd say that, but it was dangerous way before, and

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Speaker 1: it was those other cultures of music, our genres of music.

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Speaker 1: If you want to than that that were bastardizing in ways.

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Speaker 1: You know, this credible thing called jazz. Jazz is the

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Speaker 1: creation of all things man, all things that musical rather

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Speaker 1: it's rock rather ideas of classical things. Right, you think

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Speaker 1: about how R and B was established, it was jazz,

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Speaker 1: and then from that all other things come. In my opinion,

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Speaker 1: I think that there was a formal way of listening

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Speaker 1: to music, which is orchestrated, and that's a different practice.

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Speaker 1: But the things that you feel, the emotion, the storytelling,

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Speaker 1: that's jazz, and rather through the thirties forties, you know,

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Speaker 1: and then making your way up until the fifties, sixties

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Speaker 1: and seventies, R and B was kind of on the

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Speaker 1: back burning, but it was always supplying. Jazz was always

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Speaker 1: supplying to all of those other genres. Yeah, So in

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Speaker 1: my mind, I take ownership of that for those people.

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Speaker 1: Even though we were racially segregated and maybe black, you know,

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Speaker 1: performers were not celebrated. They couldn't even walk through the

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Speaker 1: very places that they would perform in. So yeah, I

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Speaker 1: think you're right. You know, through the nineties, R and

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Speaker 1: B had a moment where it was more relevant than

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Speaker 1: others and it felt dangerous. Rock and roll for it

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Speaker 1: felt dangerous. If you look at DM and all of

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Speaker 1: those are the things hip hop, it felt dangerous. So

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Speaker 1: there's a sophistication that R and B had and has

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Speaker 1: always had, that popular music or popular genre has been

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Speaker 1: able to adopt. But it ain't ever went away. I

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Speaker 1: think that it's always been there. And so long as

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Speaker 1: you hear those those hues of what is jazz, those

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Speaker 1: hues of what is blue, those hues of what is

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Speaker 1: soul music, then that shit is R and B. That

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Speaker 1: ain't what you think it is. It's it's not the

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Speaker 1: genre that was claimed, it's the inspiration that was provided,

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Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. We'll be back after a

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Speaker 1: quick break with more of my conversation with Usher. We're

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Speaker 1: back with more from Ushure. You're right about like R

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Speaker 1: and B having this sort of dangerous feel to it

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Speaker 1: too in the nineties. And it was almost an accident

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Speaker 1: because you get discovered by La Reid and get signed

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Speaker 1: to the face, but because La didn't exactly know what

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Speaker 1: to do with you in the beginning, you get sent

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Speaker 1: to go work with Puff and it's like you kind

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Speaker 1: of get immersed in a kind of have this dual

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Speaker 1: world happening, man, between the R and B that you

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Speaker 1: aspire to do and now you're hanging with Puff and

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Speaker 1: and even kind of more dangerous R and B cats

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Speaker 1: like Davante Swing, kind of more edgy cats. You know,

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Speaker 1: how was that moment for you? Man? It seems like real,

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Speaker 1: like the stars aligned to have that moment happened for you. Man. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: before you get to like Davante Swing in New York's

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Speaker 1: contribution to R and B and hip hop, you got

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Speaker 1: the Parliament you gotta go, you know, those guys you

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Speaker 1: gotta go to. You know, R and B was was

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Speaker 1: dangerous much earlier than that, and mine working with Puff

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Speaker 1: was you know, a matter of La Reid's vision to

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Speaker 1: see that the entrepreneur that Puff was was going to grow.

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Speaker 1: You know, until La Reid introduced with the world to

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Speaker 1: Sean Buffy Combs, you didn't know nothing about bad Boy.

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Speaker 1: You didn't even understand what it had to offer it,

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Speaker 1: which meant, you know, you might have even glassed over,

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Speaker 1: you know what he did with Joe to see and

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Speaker 1: Uptown records. So I think it was really the sophistication

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Speaker 1: between La Reid's helping people like Puff to be able

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Speaker 1: to find his light, or Dallas Austin or Jermaine Duprie

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Speaker 1: or any of the guys that he had hit records with,

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Speaker 1: or Rico Wade with organized noise, all of those things.

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Speaker 1: That was a matter of sophistication and La Reid's blending

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Speaker 1: of the two worlds to make it dangerous. Yeah, Joe,

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Speaker 1: to see was hip hop. It almost looked like a

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Speaker 1: rock band that was R and B. You know, Mary

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Speaker 1: James was and has always been, you know, this incredible

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Speaker 1: soul singer that was just pulling her heart out. You know,

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Speaker 1: I'll be sure you know heavy d all of those

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Speaker 1: guys from that time that was setting a standard. There

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Speaker 1: would be no Shaggy and all of those guys if

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Speaker 1: you didn't have a heavy deed. So when I think

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Speaker 1: about what I gained from working with Puffy and being

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Speaker 1: in New York City and spending an entire year with

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Speaker 1: him making my first album, it gave me all the

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Speaker 1: fuel that I need to be not only the creative

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Speaker 1: but also to the innovator that discovers talent and knows

246
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Speaker 1: how to develop it as well using it for myself

247
00:13:34,716 --> 00:13:37,756
Speaker 1: or either helping them find their way. There was something

248
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Speaker 1: so fundamental about his creation and this idea of branding.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't just about being a singer. You could be

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Speaker 1: a great fucking singer. That don't matter. If I don't

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Speaker 1: feel like I'm getting it's dangerous dealing with you and

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Speaker 1: it's like, then why am I looking at you? Why

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Speaker 1: do I care about you? I learned all of that

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Speaker 1: from the School of Puff, and then from there it

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Speaker 1: became relationship, and it became the life story and understanding

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Speaker 1: where the person was, what their views were of what,

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Speaker 1: you know, choices they made, how they dressed, you know,

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Speaker 1: what type of shit they got into it. It became

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Speaker 1: something far more than just listening to the music. You

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Speaker 1: fell in love with the artist, so I wanted that.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, great. So then we didn't make a

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Speaker 1: hit Altum together, but we had a hit record on

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Speaker 1: it working with Davante Swim you know man, believe it,

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Speaker 1: or not being around Biggie earlier in the days when

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Speaker 1: he was being introduced Craig mag total being in New

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Speaker 1: York City, like going to Mount Vernon, being you know,

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Speaker 1: and being under the wing of Heady d and being

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Speaker 1: able to see how you move and work with these

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Speaker 1: work like hip hop and R and B together all

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Speaker 1: of those things I could, I gained all of that now.

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Speaker 1: I left and after that made my Way, came back

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Speaker 1: to Atlanta and worked with JD and we made incredible music,

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Speaker 1: incredible music together that now serviced all of what I

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Speaker 1: know about being an artist. But yeah, a lot of

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Speaker 1: hit records came out of that My Way, eighty seven

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Speaker 1: oh one Confessions, and we kept going and we are

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Speaker 1: still going. But yeah, I think that the one thing

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Speaker 1: you might be overlooking is the danger and also to

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Speaker 1: the sophistication that La Read had to create a blend right, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: because that man had insight. That man had the ability

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Speaker 1: to see for real before everybody else soft real. That

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Speaker 1: man had the ability to see you know, jay Z

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Speaker 1: and make him an executive that now we respect as

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Speaker 1: a businessman because he saw something more us. The sophistication

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Speaker 1: of understanding how to grow black entrepreneurs and black creatives

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Speaker 1: to a place and lift them up is what I

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Speaker 1: think happened with La and really made what we celebrate

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Speaker 1: as a culture in music. Where do you think your

289
00:15:48,356 --> 00:15:50,956
Speaker 1: sophistication came from? Because it just feels like you had

290
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Speaker 1: it so early, like from the beginning like even though

291
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Speaker 1: the first record wasn't hit record, it's like you came

292
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Speaker 1: just ready made. What ready made is in the work,

293
00:15:58,116 --> 00:16:00,636
Speaker 1: my work ethic is where that's what makes a difference.

294
00:16:00,676 --> 00:16:03,276
Speaker 1: I learned the skill of being in the environment of people.

295
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Speaker 1: If you want to be great, that surround yourself around

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Speaker 1: great people. La Read Sean, Puffy Cones, Man do Pre

297
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Speaker 1: Dallas Austin, you know, working with the greats you know,

298
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Speaker 1: and then creating really incredible, amazing one offs, like you know,

299
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Speaker 1: we did records with for real for the first time.

300
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Speaker 1: But being able to have access to these guys, and

301
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Speaker 1: I look at my you know, all of the records

302
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Speaker 1: and the things that I've been able to create. Fact,

303
00:16:27,236 --> 00:16:30,036
Speaker 1: I really really don't click of people who have been

304
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Speaker 1: a part of my legacy. It ain't just one person.

305
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Speaker 1: It's an entire world of people who who have all

306
00:16:37,236 --> 00:16:39,516
Speaker 1: of these different views of R and B and hip hop,

307
00:16:39,836 --> 00:16:41,556
Speaker 1: and then the way they play with it and the

308
00:16:41,596 --> 00:16:44,876
Speaker 1: way they man make things. It's like it's like nothing

309
00:16:44,956 --> 00:16:48,556
Speaker 1: else that I can't you can't compare it to anything else. Man,

310
00:16:48,596 --> 00:16:51,436
Speaker 1: you really have multiple worlds of music colliding all through

311
00:16:51,556 --> 00:16:54,836
Speaker 1: your catalog. Really and cats like early and cats and

312
00:16:54,956 --> 00:16:57,076
Speaker 1: interesting points in the career, like when you're working with

313
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Speaker 1: Jimmy jam and Terry Lewis, Like you got them at

314
00:16:59,316 --> 00:17:01,516
Speaker 1: a kind of like a real interesting point in my view,

315
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Speaker 1: and it's just Catalog's crazy. You asked where the sophistication

316
00:17:05,396 --> 00:17:10,516
Speaker 1: comes from. The sophistication comes from, you know the gurus Jimmy, Jamy, Taylorwis,

317
00:17:10,636 --> 00:17:13,796
Speaker 1: like La Reid maybe face you know, those are the

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Speaker 1: guys who were like they were like the oracles man

319
00:17:17,156 --> 00:17:20,356
Speaker 1: they would have did They're like the Jedis. They they

320
00:17:20,436 --> 00:17:22,796
Speaker 1: made you understand what it was to be an artist

321
00:17:22,916 --> 00:17:26,716
Speaker 1: and how to make things last, being able to have

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Speaker 1: ships like Quincy Jones. And then you know the young

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Speaker 1: Jedis like you know, like Jermaine Dupree, He's advoicate, you

324
00:17:35,316 --> 00:17:38,716
Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, Like, just yeah, when did you

325
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Speaker 1: first meet Quincy Jones? Man? I first met Quincy. I

326
00:17:42,396 --> 00:17:44,956
Speaker 1: walked in a Tummy Hill figure. It was a Tummy

327
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Speaker 1: Hill Figure show in New York City. It was me

328
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Speaker 1: Aliyah I think it was. It was a ton of

329
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Speaker 1: relevant artists at that time. He had us walk in

330
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Speaker 1: the show and that was the first time that Q

331
00:17:56,316 --> 00:17:58,956
Speaker 1: kind of put his crew together so we were his

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Speaker 1: crew for the night, and from that's found a really

333
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Speaker 1: great relationship, a friendship. He's been a godfather to me

334
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Speaker 1: ever since that day, you know, and my conversations with him,

335
00:18:10,276 --> 00:18:13,076
Speaker 1: believe it or not, were not about music as much

336
00:18:13,116 --> 00:18:15,676
Speaker 1: as it was what is your contribution to life? He

337
00:18:15,836 --> 00:18:18,636
Speaker 1: turned me into a philanthropist. He began to help me

338
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Speaker 1: understand that there's much more of a responsibility to kind

339
00:18:23,236 --> 00:18:25,836
Speaker 1: of lay groundwork and remind people that it's not just

340
00:18:25,876 --> 00:18:29,636
Speaker 1: about music. It's also too about opening your eyes or

341
00:18:29,636 --> 00:18:31,836
Speaker 1: the world's eyes to things that need to be addressed,

342
00:18:32,276 --> 00:18:34,796
Speaker 1: you know, advocating for things that you think, you know

343
00:18:34,916 --> 00:18:39,196
Speaker 1: do matter and will matter for generations to come and

344
00:18:39,356 --> 00:18:42,836
Speaker 1: even for the current time. But yeah, a great relationship.

345
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Speaker 1: So that sophistication, you know, it comes from those relationships,

346
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Speaker 1: relationships with the guys who've been here before, the elders,

347
00:18:50,076 --> 00:18:53,316
Speaker 1: the guys who understand, you know, it's idd and this

348
00:18:53,476 --> 00:18:57,236
Speaker 1: time because everything so young, right, and everything so vibrant,

349
00:18:57,236 --> 00:19:00,676
Speaker 1: and everything so defiant. But really, man, our elders are

350
00:19:00,676 --> 00:19:03,156
Speaker 1: the ones that matter. They got something to teach us,

351
00:19:03,156 --> 00:19:06,036
Speaker 1: and we really do learn from listening to them. So

352
00:19:06,516 --> 00:19:08,996
Speaker 1: you got to listen to the ogs. You know, they

353
00:19:09,156 --> 00:19:12,196
Speaker 1: are the gatekeepers and they make the difference. Yes, there

354
00:19:12,236 --> 00:19:14,916
Speaker 1: is a new frontier of people who are just speaking

355
00:19:14,956 --> 00:19:18,076
Speaker 1: out for how they feel and being loud about it.

356
00:19:18,116 --> 00:19:22,836
Speaker 1: But sophistication, man, longevity comes from listening to your elders.

357
00:19:23,316 --> 00:19:25,636
Speaker 1: You want to make it last forever, and you gotta

358
00:19:25,676 --> 00:19:28,596
Speaker 1: listen to your elders, Listen to the ones that have

359
00:19:28,636 --> 00:19:30,756
Speaker 1: been here. Even if you think what they're telling you

360
00:19:30,836 --> 00:19:33,916
Speaker 1: ain't relevant to what you think or what you feel

361
00:19:33,996 --> 00:19:36,436
Speaker 1: right now, they got something to share with you, and

362
00:19:36,596 --> 00:19:42,076
Speaker 1: that sophistication and longevity comes from there, their will of knowledge. Man.

363
00:19:42,716 --> 00:19:46,036
Speaker 1: It's beautiful that you already at such a young tender

364
00:19:46,116 --> 00:19:48,876
Speaker 1: age man, just to accept that wisdom man and listen

365
00:19:48,876 --> 00:19:51,476
Speaker 1: because you know, and then also not to take what

366
00:19:51,556 --> 00:19:54,116
Speaker 1: they tell you, incorporate it and also find your own

367
00:19:54,116 --> 00:19:57,196
Speaker 1: way and implemented your own way, man, because certainly looking

368
00:19:57,236 --> 00:20:00,516
Speaker 1: at your catalog, looking out your career, it's a totally

369
00:20:00,596 --> 00:20:04,196
Speaker 1: unique path that you took. Their commitment and their dedication

370
00:20:04,276 --> 00:20:07,916
Speaker 1: is what I saw, and I become them in time.

371
00:20:08,476 --> 00:20:10,356
Speaker 1: I don't know, Like I said, I'm only a thirteen

372
00:20:10,436 --> 00:20:14,596
Speaker 1: years old, you know what I'm saying. So over time,

373
00:20:15,436 --> 00:20:19,516
Speaker 1: hopefully I'll be able to share, you know, that information

374
00:20:19,596 --> 00:20:22,436
Speaker 1: that ends that wisdom with the artists that are coming.

375
00:20:22,836 --> 00:20:25,556
Speaker 1: Speaking of Quincy, is there any truth to the idea

376
00:20:25,676 --> 00:20:28,916
Speaker 1: that Tevin Campbell's second record, I'm ready some of those

377
00:20:28,916 --> 00:20:32,316
Speaker 1: songs supposed to be written for you. Now many people

378
00:20:32,316 --> 00:20:35,236
Speaker 1: have said that no, Tevin Campbell songs were Tevin Campbell songs,

379
00:20:35,556 --> 00:20:38,516
Speaker 1: and my songs were my songs. The reality is, I

380
00:20:38,556 --> 00:20:41,316
Speaker 1: think La Reid and Baby Facebook kind of going through

381
00:20:41,316 --> 00:20:44,276
Speaker 1: a transition when they worked together and when I first

382
00:20:44,396 --> 00:20:47,636
Speaker 1: signed as an artist, so I probably didn't get a

383
00:20:47,716 --> 00:20:54,196
Speaker 1: chance to receive, you know, the love and the benefit

384
00:20:54,356 --> 00:20:57,996
Speaker 1: of what Baby Face offered my first album. But I

385
00:20:58,156 --> 00:21:00,156
Speaker 1: later on became great friends with him. I just seen

386
00:21:00,196 --> 00:21:02,396
Speaker 1: him in Atlanta. You know, he's still the o G.

387
00:21:02,556 --> 00:21:05,116
Speaker 1: I love him, and rather he was writing songs for me.

388
00:21:05,116 --> 00:21:07,236
Speaker 1: He still was a motivation. I still looked at whip

389
00:21:07,316 --> 00:21:10,116
Speaker 1: appeal and was in was by that a matter of fact,

390
00:21:10,116 --> 00:21:12,196
Speaker 1: The song that actually, you know, spun it all and

391
00:21:12,236 --> 00:21:14,636
Speaker 1: started it off for me was a song that he wrote.

392
00:21:14,876 --> 00:21:17,036
Speaker 1: He and La Read together wrote that record End of

393
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Speaker 1: the Road, End of the Road. Yeah, boys a minute,

394
00:21:20,516 --> 00:21:24,956
Speaker 1: but I'm ready those songs. They belonged to Tavin Kimpbell.

395
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Speaker 1: What I did with Puff and my first album, it

396
00:21:28,996 --> 00:21:31,556
Speaker 1: was what it was. I did not get that record

397
00:21:31,596 --> 00:21:34,636
Speaker 1: that I wanted my first album. When I listened to

398
00:21:35,556 --> 00:21:38,476
Speaker 1: Can We Talk, I felt slighted because I was like, damn,

399
00:21:38,476 --> 00:21:40,636
Speaker 1: I wanted that record. I wanted to record that. I

400
00:21:40,676 --> 00:21:43,516
Speaker 1: wonder if that song was for me. Noah, it wasn't.

401
00:21:43,556 --> 00:21:46,636
Speaker 1: I think it was always Tavin Kimbell song. And I

402
00:21:46,756 --> 00:21:50,836
Speaker 1: know that, you know Face, he was going through something

403
00:21:50,876 --> 00:21:53,436
Speaker 1: I guess at the moment with La and we just

404
00:21:53,436 --> 00:21:56,636
Speaker 1: didn't work together my first album. That's it. That goes to,

405
00:21:56,796 --> 00:21:59,276
Speaker 1: like again at being sort of serendipitous that you get

406
00:21:59,316 --> 00:22:01,596
Speaker 1: to work, you get to be on the face and

407
00:22:01,796 --> 00:22:04,436
Speaker 1: have a lot of what comes with that, but then

408
00:22:04,516 --> 00:22:06,636
Speaker 1: also kind of get to kind of go your own

409
00:22:06,716 --> 00:22:08,796
Speaker 1: route and go work with Puff and you kind of

410
00:22:08,836 --> 00:22:11,476
Speaker 1: got Face plus more in a lot of ways, which

411
00:22:11,516 --> 00:22:14,076
Speaker 1: was I imagine must have been free. It was out

412
00:22:14,116 --> 00:22:16,356
Speaker 1: of my control. I would have wanted to work through

413
00:22:16,516 --> 00:22:19,596
Speaker 1: Baby Face. They were just going through something that wouldn't

414
00:22:19,716 --> 00:22:22,796
Speaker 1: allow it to happen at the time. But yeah, it's

415
00:22:23,276 --> 00:22:27,196
Speaker 1: it's a manifestation. I remember being in Chattanoob Tennessee, and

416
00:22:27,756 --> 00:22:30,196
Speaker 1: me and my mother talking about going to Atlanta and

417
00:22:30,276 --> 00:22:34,596
Speaker 1: potentially meeting La Reid and Baby Face and signing to

418
00:22:34,636 --> 00:22:37,876
Speaker 1: their label. That's why we came to Atlanta. For me,

419
00:22:38,436 --> 00:22:40,796
Speaker 1: she came to Atlanta because it was a you know,

420
00:22:41,316 --> 00:22:44,756
Speaker 1: it was an elevation from Chattanooga and an opportunity, more

421
00:22:44,796 --> 00:22:48,436
Speaker 1: opportunity for her as a as a woman and also

422
00:22:48,476 --> 00:22:51,876
Speaker 1: to her employment at the time. But for me, it

423
00:22:51,916 --> 00:22:55,036
Speaker 1: was a true opportunity to meet some executive and maybe

424
00:22:55,316 --> 00:22:58,036
Speaker 1: turn this talent into something that would take care of us.

425
00:22:58,516 --> 00:23:00,436
Speaker 1: Because I was not taking no for an answer. I

426
00:23:00,436 --> 00:23:03,636
Speaker 1: ain't my mind. I knew I would I wouldn't perform,

427
00:23:03,756 --> 00:23:06,836
Speaker 1: but like I had a red diet on where I

428
00:23:06,876 --> 00:23:10,876
Speaker 1: wanted to be. I was performing Maybe Faces songs rather

429
00:23:10,956 --> 00:23:13,836
Speaker 1: it was Bobby Brown or Boys to Men or any

430
00:23:13,836 --> 00:23:16,916
Speaker 1: of the other artists that they've worked with, and Rock

431
00:23:16,996 --> 00:23:20,636
Speaker 1: Steady was on repeat, you know, by the Whispers with

432
00:23:20,716 --> 00:23:22,676
Speaker 1: my mom for my mom. So I was always listening

433
00:23:22,716 --> 00:23:25,836
Speaker 1: to La Read and Maybe Faces production. I didn't realize it. Yeah,

434
00:23:25,956 --> 00:23:29,436
Speaker 1: but I finally made it to Atlanta, and I didn't

435
00:23:29,476 --> 00:23:32,436
Speaker 1: know who La Reid was. I just knew that they

436
00:23:32,436 --> 00:23:34,356
Speaker 1: had a hit record on the radio, and I love

437
00:23:34,436 --> 00:23:36,516
Speaker 1: singing it, and if I could get people to pay

438
00:23:36,556 --> 00:23:39,836
Speaker 1: attention to me, maybe I could get to them. And

439
00:23:40,276 --> 00:23:43,476
Speaker 1: it happened. It was a manifestation. I called it into existence.

440
00:23:43,516 --> 00:23:46,716
Speaker 1: I said it, and we went after it, and me

441
00:23:46,756 --> 00:23:49,796
Speaker 1: and my mother we made it happen. We're gonna take

442
00:23:49,836 --> 00:23:52,796
Speaker 1: one last break and then me back with more from Usher.

443
00:23:57,156 --> 00:23:59,916
Speaker 1: We're back with the rest of my conversation with Usher.

444
00:24:00,596 --> 00:24:04,076
Speaker 1: What do you think happened between making a really great

445
00:24:04,116 --> 00:24:06,756
Speaker 1: first record that, honestly I think still holds up as

446
00:24:06,996 --> 00:24:09,316
Speaker 1: one of the great records of that early nine these

447
00:24:09,396 --> 00:24:11,796
Speaker 1: R and B era, But what happened you think between

448
00:24:12,276 --> 00:24:16,836
Speaker 1: then and my way where you kinda were able to

449
00:24:16,876 --> 00:24:20,156
Speaker 1: create a hit record. I think, first of all, Puffy

450
00:24:20,276 --> 00:24:22,916
Speaker 1: was ahead of his time in terms of what he

451
00:24:22,956 --> 00:24:26,996
Speaker 1: created with my first album that would ultimately become the

452
00:24:27,036 --> 00:24:30,516
Speaker 1: stable of what R and B artists in my age

453
00:24:30,556 --> 00:24:33,716
Speaker 1: group would go after. So he was way ahead. I

454
00:24:33,716 --> 00:24:36,236
Speaker 1: think it just it might have been a little bit

455
00:24:36,276 --> 00:24:40,036
Speaker 1: too mature, And now looking at things, it's like they

456
00:24:40,116 --> 00:24:42,236
Speaker 1: busted it wide open and that pussy wet. You know

457
00:24:42,276 --> 00:24:44,436
Speaker 1: what I'm saying. This is crazy type of ship that

458
00:24:44,476 --> 00:24:47,676
Speaker 1: they say on now, which, hey, it's an interpretation and

459
00:24:47,756 --> 00:24:49,676
Speaker 1: you should be able to say whatever you want wet ass,

460
00:24:49,676 --> 00:24:53,156
Speaker 1: pussy and all that other ship. But you know, I

461
00:24:53,196 --> 00:24:55,516
Speaker 1: think can you get rid it was a bit that

462
00:24:55,636 --> 00:24:58,636
Speaker 1: was a bit much for a fifteen year old to say,

463
00:24:58,676 --> 00:25:00,596
Speaker 1: can you get rid it? To a girl that means

464
00:25:00,796 --> 00:25:03,716
Speaker 1: a sexual thing? But you know, I think he was

465
00:25:03,756 --> 00:25:06,676
Speaker 1: just ahead. He was just ahead of the curve. I

466
00:25:06,756 --> 00:25:09,556
Speaker 1: think that he got there before everybody. Instead was willing

467
00:25:09,596 --> 00:25:11,556
Speaker 1: to push me in as so long as I was

468
00:25:11,596 --> 00:25:14,956
Speaker 1: willing to allow myself to be produced as an artist,

469
00:25:14,996 --> 00:25:17,556
Speaker 1: that I would get something valuable. Now going back and

470
00:25:17,556 --> 00:25:21,436
Speaker 1: listening to those songs, they're way way better than I

471
00:25:21,476 --> 00:25:24,716
Speaker 1: could even understand at the time. I missed at that

472
00:25:24,956 --> 00:25:28,196
Speaker 1: Davante swing production. There's no songs on the radio that

473
00:25:28,236 --> 00:25:30,916
Speaker 1: sound like any of that stuff. What he was creating,

474
00:25:30,916 --> 00:25:33,796
Speaker 1: what they were working on. You know, Timberland was doing

475
00:25:33,836 --> 00:25:36,916
Speaker 1: those beats, man like, there's no music that sounds like

476
00:25:36,996 --> 00:25:39,116
Speaker 1: that type of R and B even to this day,

477
00:25:39,156 --> 00:25:41,516
Speaker 1: and as great as R and B is, nothing is

478
00:25:41,876 --> 00:25:44,596
Speaker 1: great like that. That man was creating something that was amazing.

479
00:25:45,356 --> 00:25:47,116
Speaker 1: What was it like being in the studio with Davante

480
00:25:47,236 --> 00:25:50,676
Speaker 1: swing man if I could even remember, because I only

481
00:25:50,716 --> 00:25:53,276
Speaker 1: saw so much, and obviously my focus was on performing

482
00:25:53,316 --> 00:25:55,916
Speaker 1: and singing. Yeah, I wouldn't really paying attention to the

483
00:25:55,956 --> 00:25:58,316
Speaker 1: type of things that were going on. But he was

484
00:25:58,356 --> 00:26:03,556
Speaker 1: a star and something about living and breathing and being

485
00:26:03,636 --> 00:26:08,116
Speaker 1: the star at all moments. It's what I saw. I

486
00:26:08,236 --> 00:26:10,316
Speaker 1: watched him work, and when I watched him over to

487
00:26:10,356 --> 00:26:13,356
Speaker 1: the piano, watching him turn the knobs. So he directed

488
00:26:13,396 --> 00:26:15,796
Speaker 1: me how to sing when he walked over to his car,

489
00:26:15,876 --> 00:26:19,196
Speaker 1: when he directed how he wanted his crew to producer

490
00:26:19,236 --> 00:26:21,076
Speaker 1: or either work on songs, because it wasn't just came

491
00:26:21,396 --> 00:26:23,956
Speaker 1: with it. He worked on a few songs on the album.

492
00:26:24,036 --> 00:26:27,316
Speaker 1: I was just so impressed with the starter that he was,

493
00:26:28,236 --> 00:26:31,636
Speaker 1: how he you know, how just how he carried himself.

494
00:26:32,236 --> 00:26:34,396
Speaker 1: I just he was a rock star. Man. It was

495
00:26:34,556 --> 00:26:38,516
Speaker 1: it was like that dude is just super duper freaking cool.

496
00:26:38,956 --> 00:26:41,476
Speaker 1: And then you got Joe to see in the background,

497
00:26:41,596 --> 00:26:44,796
Speaker 1: literally Casey is singing backgrounds on Can't You Get with It?

498
00:26:44,876 --> 00:26:48,356
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, who am I? What have I manifested

499
00:26:48,436 --> 00:26:51,076
Speaker 1: to be able to have Casey and Joejoe here listening

500
00:26:51,076 --> 00:26:53,756
Speaker 1: to me perform in the booth, you know what I'm saying,

501
00:26:53,796 --> 00:26:57,756
Speaker 1: and also to singing backgrounds on my song and it

502
00:26:57,796 --> 00:27:00,916
Speaker 1: comes out of this world. Man, At what point did

503
00:27:00,956 --> 00:27:04,316
Speaker 1: you working with Jad realized Confessions was going to be

504
00:27:04,316 --> 00:27:05,956
Speaker 1: confessions in other words, that it was going to be

505
00:27:05,996 --> 00:27:09,996
Speaker 1: such a like a personal record. When me and JD

506
00:27:10,116 --> 00:27:12,916
Speaker 1: lock in, we lock in, you know, we become one

507
00:27:12,956 --> 00:27:16,356
Speaker 1: in that moment, right, Rather we're talking about things that

508
00:27:16,876 --> 00:27:20,116
Speaker 1: we as men sitting and talk about. Rather we were

509
00:27:20,156 --> 00:27:22,196
Speaker 1: talking about things that he was going through or things

510
00:27:22,236 --> 00:27:26,076
Speaker 1: that I was going through. I think there was an

511
00:27:26,156 --> 00:27:30,236
Speaker 1: aha moment between he and I because the album title

512
00:27:30,396 --> 00:27:32,996
Speaker 1: was called Real Talk when we first started, and it

513
00:27:33,036 --> 00:27:34,996
Speaker 1: was all about that was like a catch tone, you know,

514
00:27:35,116 --> 00:27:38,916
Speaker 1: catch phrases. I was like real Talk. So I was like,

515
00:27:38,956 --> 00:27:40,956
Speaker 1: let's name it that. We named it that, and that

516
00:27:41,116 --> 00:27:43,436
Speaker 1: was a motivation, Like all the conversations on this album

517
00:27:43,436 --> 00:27:47,956
Speaker 1: are going to be real, like complicated things. Rather it's

518
00:27:47,996 --> 00:27:51,236
Speaker 1: dealing with the emotion of complicated in the complications of emotion,

519
00:27:51,676 --> 00:27:54,596
Speaker 1: or rather as dealing with the complications of love and

520
00:27:54,636 --> 00:27:57,756
Speaker 1: what happens when you you know you're in a toxic

521
00:27:57,836 --> 00:27:59,996
Speaker 1: situation or you have a girl on the side or

522
00:28:00,236 --> 00:28:01,876
Speaker 1: you're in a relationship and you're trying to figure out

523
00:28:01,876 --> 00:28:04,996
Speaker 1: how to balance as a man. You know, when he

524
00:28:05,076 --> 00:28:09,076
Speaker 1: and I lock in, it becomes something special. So confess

525
00:28:10,036 --> 00:28:13,636
Speaker 1: as a title or as a song. It really just

526
00:28:13,756 --> 00:28:16,836
Speaker 1: happened organically. You know, we were just living and talking

527
00:28:17,116 --> 00:28:19,756
Speaker 1: and living with each other and trying to find a

528
00:28:19,796 --> 00:28:21,876
Speaker 1: way to write the songs of what we were living through.

529
00:28:21,996 --> 00:28:24,836
Speaker 1: You know, talking about dangerous, that record really felt dangerous

530
00:28:24,836 --> 00:28:26,836
Speaker 1: in a different way, man, because it felt like harkening

531
00:28:26,956 --> 00:28:29,796
Speaker 1: back to like Marvin putting it all out there, like

532
00:28:29,876 --> 00:28:31,596
Speaker 1: in the like when he was going through his love

533
00:28:31,636 --> 00:28:34,436
Speaker 1: troubles in the late seventies, and just I don't know

534
00:28:34,476 --> 00:28:37,556
Speaker 1: that there was records R and B Records two thousand

535
00:28:37,596 --> 00:28:40,076
Speaker 1: and three, two thousand and four that felt as personal

536
00:28:40,076 --> 00:28:42,236
Speaker 1: as that man, that felt powerful. Even as a kid.

537
00:28:42,316 --> 00:28:44,036
Speaker 1: I mean I was a freshman in high school and

538
00:28:44,076 --> 00:28:46,036
Speaker 1: that came out and I was like it just felt

539
00:28:46,036 --> 00:28:48,396
Speaker 1: I was like, yo, this is different. Well, by the way,

540
00:28:48,516 --> 00:28:51,236
Speaker 1: as a young boy, right, you don't necessarily have a

541
00:28:51,236 --> 00:28:54,916
Speaker 1: lot of songs that, you know, speaking to the emotions

542
00:28:54,956 --> 00:28:58,476
Speaker 1: that we feel and that they are you know, maybe

543
00:28:58,476 --> 00:29:02,556
Speaker 1: it's disconnected. Um, you know, the reality of the facade

544
00:29:02,596 --> 00:29:04,796
Speaker 1: that we as men have to put on. You know,

545
00:29:04,916 --> 00:29:06,876
Speaker 1: I don't want to be emotional. I don't really want

546
00:29:06,876 --> 00:29:09,716
Speaker 1: to let you know that my hardest broken or I'm

547
00:29:09,796 --> 00:29:13,316
Speaker 1: really broken in this moment. We always found very unique

548
00:29:13,356 --> 00:29:15,876
Speaker 1: ways to be vulnerable. And that was the point. It

549
00:29:15,996 --> 00:29:19,996
Speaker 1: was like, no, let's talk about the things that are complicated.

550
00:29:20,116 --> 00:29:24,916
Speaker 1: Let's talk about the complications of like passion and love

551
00:29:25,076 --> 00:29:28,636
Speaker 1: man and make it all right for men to listen

552
00:29:28,636 --> 00:29:32,556
Speaker 1: to it and women to respect it because it's articulated

553
00:29:32,556 --> 00:29:34,036
Speaker 1: in a way that's clear for them to know what

554
00:29:34,076 --> 00:29:37,516
Speaker 1: we're dealing with. Yeah, you know, and I necessarily you

555
00:29:37,556 --> 00:29:41,436
Speaker 1: know light what we're saying. And I think the nineties

556
00:29:41,556 --> 00:29:44,476
Speaker 1: kind of found this way of doing that. It was

557
00:29:44,756 --> 00:29:47,036
Speaker 1: there were artists that did it other than Jabie, like

558
00:29:47,876 --> 00:29:51,516
Speaker 1: Daniel Jones, you know, being in love with When you

559
00:29:51,596 --> 00:29:53,876
Speaker 1: love someone, you just don't treat them bad. Now. I

560
00:29:53,876 --> 00:29:55,796
Speaker 1: feel so sad now that I want to leave. She's

561
00:29:55,836 --> 00:29:58,316
Speaker 1: crying a herd to me. How could you let this be?

562
00:29:58,516 --> 00:30:00,156
Speaker 1: I just need time to think where I want to be.

563
00:30:00,356 --> 00:30:03,596
Speaker 1: That's a conflict. Like living in this place of conflict

564
00:30:04,476 --> 00:30:07,396
Speaker 1: is what I think we were really focused on with

565
00:30:07,476 --> 00:30:11,036
Speaker 1: confessions and every time me and JD worked together, you know,

566
00:30:11,076 --> 00:30:13,236
Speaker 1: and it became a really a practice of all of

567
00:30:13,276 --> 00:30:16,356
Speaker 1: the art that I've created. I make that like, what

568
00:30:16,556 --> 00:30:18,956
Speaker 1: is that conflict? You remind me of a girl that

569
00:30:18,996 --> 00:30:20,836
Speaker 1: I once knew. You don't have to call because I'm

570
00:30:20,836 --> 00:30:23,436
Speaker 1: outload my homies, I can't. You know, I'm gonna be

571
00:30:23,476 --> 00:30:25,316
Speaker 1: all right. We broke up and I'm cool. I'm gonna

572
00:30:25,356 --> 00:30:27,716
Speaker 1: keep it moving. I gotta get back on my feet. Confessions.

573
00:30:27,716 --> 00:30:30,516
Speaker 1: I got a baby on the side. You know, you know,

574
00:30:30,916 --> 00:30:33,516
Speaker 1: I don't mind you know. You know I'm looking at

575
00:30:33,516 --> 00:30:35,236
Speaker 1: the girl in the strip club like I don't mind

576
00:30:35,236 --> 00:30:36,796
Speaker 1: you that you do what you do. I ain't got

577
00:30:36,796 --> 00:30:39,116
Speaker 1: no judgment for you. I mean you dancing the poles.

578
00:30:39,116 --> 00:30:41,116
Speaker 1: They don't make you all. You know what I'm saying.

579
00:30:41,556 --> 00:30:44,156
Speaker 1: All of those things, those things are conflict, like that

580
00:30:44,396 --> 00:30:47,196
Speaker 1: you got it bad climax. I've reached the climax of

581
00:30:47,956 --> 00:30:50,276
Speaker 1: this relationship and I know it's not gonna be more

582
00:30:50,316 --> 00:30:53,236
Speaker 1: than sexual. I get it, and I'm letting it be

583
00:30:53,316 --> 00:30:55,916
Speaker 1: what it is. You got it bad, Let it burn.

584
00:30:56,116 --> 00:30:59,516
Speaker 1: These are things that were real. I can't remember, you know,

585
00:31:00,196 --> 00:31:03,276
Speaker 1: feeling the emotions of like you know, I'm out of control.

586
00:31:03,516 --> 00:31:09,156
Speaker 1: I cannot deal with the emotional like internal burning, and

587
00:31:09,236 --> 00:31:13,516
Speaker 1: I'm going through like I can't stop crying. I can't

588
00:31:13,556 --> 00:31:16,996
Speaker 1: stop what I'm feeling. That's like a burning sensation. We

589
00:31:17,116 --> 00:31:20,236
Speaker 1: go to a song called burn. So living in or

590
00:31:20,556 --> 00:31:25,596
Speaker 1: finding ways to articulate conflict is what is in those

591
00:31:25,676 --> 00:31:28,436
Speaker 1: songs and what you know was in confessions. So just

592
00:31:28,516 --> 00:31:30,436
Speaker 1: to wrap things up, you're working on a new record.

593
00:31:30,596 --> 00:31:32,876
Speaker 1: Do you still find inspiration and conflict or what do

594
00:31:32,916 --> 00:31:35,436
Speaker 1: you find yourself finding inspiration these days in terms of

595
00:31:35,636 --> 00:31:40,036
Speaker 1: songwriting or emotion A little bit of both. It's what

596
00:31:40,196 --> 00:31:44,676
Speaker 1: I feel in my song making. Yeah, as a man,

597
00:31:44,716 --> 00:31:48,196
Speaker 1: I'm going to always be conflicted because there's passion and

598
00:31:48,356 --> 00:31:51,076
Speaker 1: we're kind of working against the natural nature of man.

599
00:31:51,196 --> 00:31:53,796
Speaker 1: It's like I want to be in love, I want

600
00:31:53,836 --> 00:31:56,116
Speaker 1: to be happy, but then I also too, am going

601
00:31:56,156 --> 00:31:59,316
Speaker 1: to sabotage myself because I'm passionate. You know, I want

602
00:31:59,396 --> 00:32:02,716
Speaker 1: to be happy, but I've been so unhappy for so

603
00:32:02,876 --> 00:32:06,676
Speaker 1: long that I just end up sabotaging myself because that's

604
00:32:06,716 --> 00:32:10,756
Speaker 1: just what I'm accustomed to. Toxicity in life. And by

605
00:32:10,836 --> 00:32:13,356
Speaker 1: the way, it's not just men. Women are going through

606
00:32:13,396 --> 00:32:16,916
Speaker 1: this ship too. It's a human condition. There's a human condition,

607
00:32:17,036 --> 00:32:19,876
Speaker 1: and it's a human experience. What we are all doing

608
00:32:20,596 --> 00:32:24,836
Speaker 1: is having a human experience. Music provides an opportunity to

609
00:32:24,996 --> 00:32:28,476
Speaker 1: drive it down, to make it last forever, to listen

610
00:32:28,556 --> 00:32:30,676
Speaker 1: to it and continue to think about where you were

611
00:32:31,116 --> 00:32:34,156
Speaker 1: and maybe get something from it. Rather you like, Okay,

612
00:32:34,196 --> 00:32:36,356
Speaker 1: I acknowledge that I got this problem, I got this issue.

613
00:32:36,476 --> 00:32:39,276
Speaker 1: Now I gotta get past it or either man, I'm

614
00:32:39,356 --> 00:32:41,756
Speaker 1: going through that right now. All right, Well, what's on

615
00:32:41,796 --> 00:32:43,756
Speaker 1: the other side of it? You got to first acknowledge

616
00:32:43,756 --> 00:32:46,196
Speaker 1: it and deal with it, sit with it. Don't just

617
00:32:46,356 --> 00:32:48,916
Speaker 1: go go get another love or go go you know,

618
00:32:49,276 --> 00:32:51,556
Speaker 1: buy another thing, or go and run away from it

619
00:32:51,596 --> 00:32:54,356
Speaker 1: and go put your attention in time somewhere else. No,

620
00:32:54,516 --> 00:32:57,156
Speaker 1: you gotta shit with it. But that conflict, yes, is

621
00:32:57,156 --> 00:33:00,636
Speaker 1: still there to this day, because I'm human, you know,

622
00:33:00,836 --> 00:33:03,756
Speaker 1: even if it's just a thought. You know, sometimes we

623
00:33:03,916 --> 00:33:05,916
Speaker 1: need a little space to be able to find that.

624
00:33:06,236 --> 00:33:09,436
Speaker 1: Sometimes we need to slow down and sit with this comfort.

625
00:33:09,516 --> 00:33:12,396
Speaker 1: Maybe sometime we need to find balance. And I'm happy

626
00:33:12,476 --> 00:33:14,476
Speaker 1: that I've been able to be that balance in music,

627
00:33:14,996 --> 00:33:17,916
Speaker 1: to be able to help people get through that. Absolutely, man,

628
00:33:17,996 --> 00:33:20,116
Speaker 1: Thank you always for finding that in your music and

629
00:33:20,356 --> 00:33:22,476
Speaker 1: not being afraid to be vulnerable because you've helped a

630
00:33:22,556 --> 00:33:24,436
Speaker 1: lot of people process a lot, man, a lot of

631
00:33:24,516 --> 00:33:26,596
Speaker 1: different things, a lot of different emotions, good and bad

632
00:33:26,676 --> 00:33:29,916
Speaker 1: and in between. So appreciate you always, man. And and

633
00:33:30,036 --> 00:33:31,996
Speaker 1: so I have my math wrong up top two rights

634
00:33:32,036 --> 00:33:35,796
Speaker 1: fifteen years. Been in the game about thirty now now.

635
00:33:35,876 --> 00:33:37,676
Speaker 1: But you know I claim all of my years. Man,

636
00:33:37,836 --> 00:33:39,796
Speaker 1: I don't look for to four. You know what I'm saying.

637
00:33:39,836 --> 00:33:42,796
Speaker 1: But I'm definitely loving the wisdom that has come with

638
00:33:42,916 --> 00:33:46,356
Speaker 1: this this time in the celebration in Las Vegas. Man

639
00:33:46,476 --> 00:33:48,716
Speaker 1: that I get out of it, the fact that people

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00:33:48,756 --> 00:33:50,756
Speaker 1: are paying their hard earned money to come out there.

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00:33:51,316 --> 00:33:54,236
Speaker 1: I ain't bringing you there to disappoint you. I'm going

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00:33:54,276 --> 00:33:56,676
Speaker 1: to give you an experience and you're going to have

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00:33:57,396 --> 00:34:00,316
Speaker 1: a celebratory moment. Whether it was the beginning of my

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00:34:00,476 --> 00:34:03,476
Speaker 1: career or rather it's the current moment that just makes

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00:34:03,516 --> 00:34:08,156
Speaker 1: you enjoy the process. Come, come to Las Vegas, Come

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00:34:08,196 --> 00:34:10,276
Speaker 1: and join you. Be on the lookout for new music

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00:34:10,316 --> 00:34:13,356
Speaker 1: because it's coming. And man, I thank you. Thank you

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00:34:13,396 --> 00:34:15,436
Speaker 1: for this moment to be able to share, thank you

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00:34:15,476 --> 00:34:17,676
Speaker 1: for this moment to be able to just talk about

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00:34:17,756 --> 00:34:19,676
Speaker 1: that thing as a guy giving gifts that I get

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00:34:19,716 --> 00:34:22,996
Speaker 1: to share with that audience every day. Yes, sir, can't

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00:34:23,036 --> 00:34:24,556
Speaker 1: wait to see you out in Vegas. I'll be out

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00:34:24,596 --> 00:34:27,036
Speaker 1: there in June. And thank you, man Man, thank you,

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00:34:29,916 --> 00:34:32,236
Speaker 1: thanks again to Usher for jumping on zoom despite his

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00:34:32,396 --> 00:34:34,756
Speaker 1: busy schedule. You can hear all of our favorite Usher

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00:34:34,836 --> 00:34:38,876
Speaker 1: songs at Broken Record podcast dot com. You can subscribe

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00:34:38,876 --> 00:34:41,916
Speaker 1: to our YouTube channel at YouTube dot com slash Broken

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00:34:41,996 --> 00:34:44,956
Speaker 1: Record Podcast, where you can find all of our new episodes.

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00:34:46,156 --> 00:34:49,676
Speaker 1: You can follow us on Twitter at broken Record. Broken

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00:34:49,756 --> 00:34:53,596
Speaker 1: Record is produced with helpful Lea Rose, Jason Gambrell, Ben Holiday,

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00:34:53,796 --> 00:34:57,956
Speaker 1: and Eric sam Now. Our editor is Sophie Crane. Broken

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00:34:57,996 --> 00:35:00,716
Speaker 1: Record is a production of Pushkin Industries. If you love

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00:35:00,836 --> 00:35:04,196
Speaker 1: this show and others from Pushkin, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus.

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00:35:04,916 --> 00:35:08,476
Speaker 1: Pushkin Plus is a podcast subscription that offers bonus content

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00:35:08,556 --> 00:35:11,276
Speaker 1: and unto up to ad free listening for four ninety

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00:35:11,356 --> 00:35:14,956
Speaker 1: nine a month. Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple podcast subscriptions,

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00:35:15,476 --> 00:35:17,716
Speaker 1: and if you like the show, please remember to share, rate,

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00:35:17,796 --> 00:35:20,876
Speaker 1: and review us on your podcast app by theme musics

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00:35:20,916 --> 00:35:23,036
Speaker 1: by Kenny Beats, I'm justin Motion