![]() ![]() He had gained new experiences that he wanted to share from his perspective. In Reid’s book, he claimed that when Austin turned in the album, “it didn’t have the magic.”Ĭoncurrently, Usher was entering young adulthood. He initially recruited Dallas Austin, who had scored hits for TLC ( CrazySex圜ool) but also had experiences working with youthful acts at the time, such as Boyz II Men and Another Bad Creation. Reid knew that Usher was the total package, but needed the right music to take him to the next level. “I had to believe that I had to at least have an idea of what the journey represented because, in this whole thing, people choose success to represent things or certain milestones. “I felt like it was a make-or-break moment for me,” Usher says candidly. When it was time to work on Usher’s second album, My Way, there was an urgency to get the music right this time around. He wanted Usher to be edgier than what LaFace was known for at the time.) (Usher had spent time in New York City under Puffy’s wing, as requested by Reid. I first search for style, even before songs… I didn’t want a hit for Usher from Puffy, I wanted a style,” wrote Reid. “What was great was I didn’t hear a big hit - far more important, I heard a style. In Reid’s memoir, Sing to Me, he recounted the first time Sean “Puffy” Combs, who served as executive producer, played the album for him. It was an eye-opening moment for Usher and the label - sorta. While Usher scored entries on the Billboard Hot 100 with the first two singles, it wasn’t an overwhelming success. The album spawned three singles: “Can U Get Wit It,” written and produced by DeVante Swing “Think of You,” co-written by Usher, Donell Jones and Faith Evans and “The Many Ways,” co-written by Dave Hall and Al B. I wanted to have a spot of my own.”Īt the time, the teen had one album under his belt, his self-titled LP that was released in the summer of 1994 on LaFace Records, the burgeoning label helmed by LA Reid and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. “I want to be recognized the same way as Michael Jackson, or any of the contemporaries that I was inspired by, to be recognized as Usher Raymond. “It’s kind of funny when you hear the ambition, the unwavering belief and the unknown,” Usher tells Rated R&B. It was a profound statement encapsulating the young artist’s vision for his career. That’s gonna be the next Bobby Brown.’ I wanna be the next Usher Raymond. “I want to have a name for myself,” a 16-year-old Usher told Donnie Simpson in a 1995 interview on Video Soul. “You know how some people say, ‘That’s gonna be the next Michael Jackson.
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