The first time I met Usher Raymond was back in 1993 at the Jack the Rapper convention. The 14-year-old R&B prodigy had recently been signed to a recording contract by LaFace Records co-founder L.A. Reid and was there to promote his debut single “Think Of You;” I was an entry-level marketing rep for BMG Distribution and was there to serve as the go-between between the artists and their adoring fans. Though there was no clear indication at the time of the multi-platinum mega-star he would eventually become, the barely pubescent singer was as slick and polished as a four-star general’s shoes, greeting other artists and autograph seekers alike with a suave sense of charm that belied his tender age.

Fourteen years later Usher is one of the world’s biggest pop stars, with a string of chart-topping albums, two Grammys, several films (including The Faculty and Light It Up) and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame under his belt. And now, at the ripe old age of 28, the man who proclaims his desire to inherit James Brown’s title of “Hardest Working Man in Show Business” is being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

We recently spoke to the singer about growing up in fame’s spotlight, taking care of business and how his next album will compare to the multi-platinum Confessions.

HipHopDX: Who were some of your earliest musical influences?
Usher: Anything I could get my hands on! When I was a kid, we really couldn’t afford CDs, so I would listen to the radio or go to my grandmother’s house. She had all these old records, from old Jazz and B.B. King to James Brown, the Isley Brothers and Heatwave. As far as the artists who influenced me the most, it was people like Michael Jackson and Bobby Brown, who were great entertainers as well as being great vocalists. I also love The Winans, because I listened to a lot of gospel since my mother was the director of my youth choir at St. Elmo Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga. When I began to take my career more seriously, I studied people like Guy, New Edition and Jackson 5. In order to be great, I knew I had to study the people who had influenced them, so that’s when I was introduced to Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles and other mega-star artists of that era. My career became like my version of college, and I realized I had to become a student of this game in order to understand where true inspiration comes from. In dance, I studied Bob Fosse, Ben Vereen, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and all those guys. Growing up in Tennessee, there wasn’t a lot to do, so music was our favorite pastime.

DX:What are your favorite memories of your time singing in your mom’s church choir?
U: [Laughs] I think I was more of a problem child than I was a good singer. I used to cause my mother the most problems. Here she is, the director of the youth choir, and I’m acting a behind every Saturday at rehearsals. I can’t remember how many times she kicked me out of rehearsals because I wouldn’t act right.

DX: Tell me the story of how you got discovered at such an early age.
U: There was a guy named A.J. Alexander who introduced me to L.A. Reid’s brother when I performed in the Atlanta Talent Search at Center Stage Theatre. Back then, there was such a wealth of up and coming talent coming out of Atlanta, and I can remember performing everywhere from the parking lots of clubs to Turner Field. So anyway, A.J. Alexander took me to this talent search, I auditioned and got accepted, then won three times in a row. By the third time, I’d had offers to perform on Star Search and Showtime at the Apollo, though I never did the Apollo because I got a record deal first. I met with L.A. Reid, and he brought all the females from the LaFace Records office in to hear me sing “End of the Road,” which was their number-one single at the time. The ladies were going crazy, clapping and screaming because I was really catering to ‘em, going down on one knee and kissing them and stuff, and he stopped the song halfway through. From there, I started my career and the rest is history.

DX: Was it overwhelming to be snatched from obscurity at the age of 13 and thrust into fame’s spotlight?
U: To an extent it was, but I always had my mother to help gauge the balance and make sure I got my schooling. It was every kid’s dream, but my mother and grandmother did a really good job of helping me stay grounded. I had a goal in my mind to be the best and make my name mean something. I want to be remembered for being a great performer and entertainer.

DX: You were still in high school when you were working with producers such as Babyface, Jermaine Dupri and Puffy. Was there one particular thing you learned from working with those guys that has helped you in your career?
U: You grind until you get it. Watching those guys maneuver and handle their business at a very young age gave me a relentless view of how to approach this business. What you put into it, you get out of it, and I always strive for perfection. Continued on page 2 »