usher
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Swizz Beatz and Timbaland Assures Us the Triller Acquisition Ain't Changing a Thing When It Comes to 'the Culture' of Verzuz
Is there a “selling out” Verzuz “the culture” in business? In anticipation of the upcoming 52nd NAACP Image Awards, The Root sat down with Verzuz co-founders (and now NAACP Image Award winners) Swizz Beatz and Timbaland to talk about the event’s recent acquisition by Triller Network. When anything fully Black-owned goes mainstream, the community has…
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I'm Not Really Into Hyperbole or Whatever but Usher's 'U Don't Have to Call' Is the Best Song Ever Made
Earlier this week, Panama Jackson refreshed and reshared a 2017 piece declaring Mark Morrison’s “Return of The Mack” the best song ever that no one acknowledges is the best song ever. He is wrong for many reasons, including the following: 1. I’m certain that Mark Morrison, the Morrison household, the Morrison family, and the Morrison…
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Verzuz, 'You Are Love' for Your Upcoming Lineup and the 'Reasons' Include The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire
If this past weekend’s Raekwon Verzuz Ghostface Killah battle didn’t already bring enough ruckus, Verzuz (and its new parent company, Triller Network) has quite the lineup coming for us! “We couldn’t be happier to be elevating Verzuz and Triller and to recognize, in a very real way, all of the artists who have helped make…
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Jay-Z, Tiffany Haddish, Common, Stacey Abrams Among Guests to Help Celebrate Legendary Artist and Activist Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte, the artist and activist who played a pivotal role in the fight for Civil Rights, will be celebrating his 94th birthday on March 1. In true quarantine fashion, he’ll be celebrating via virtual celebration and let’s just say the guest list is BOMB AF. Per Variety, the event titled The Gathering for Harry,…
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Yeah, Yeah, Tom Brady Won Another Ring, but Black Women Made the Super Bowl Their Runway
We heard there was a football game on Sunday, but as usual, we’re just here for the fashion. (Plus, Brady and ‘nem won yet again, so what else is new, other than you experimenting with wings in the air fryer this year?) While the game may have been anticlimactic, at best—OK, abjectly disappointing for those…
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Behind Every Man Exclusive Clip: Jonnetta Patton Built Her Own Company to Manage Her Son Usher, Because Mama Knows Best
If you were raised by a Black mama, you know a Black mama’s intuition is undefeated. That is certainly the case for Jonnetta Patton, the mother of R&B and Pop sensation Usher Raymond. Patton is one of the focal points of the upcoming OWN series, Behind Every Man, which is dedicated to “the women behind…
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Usher Announces 2021 Las Vegas Residency, and All We Can Say Is 'Yeah!'
Usher once sang “if you want it, scream ‘yeah’”—and it looks like fans of his live shows are going to be screaming “yeah!” next year. Rolling Stone announced that Usher is taking his decades-long career and performing talents to Las Vegas. He will have his own residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and it…
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Black Music Month: LaFace Records Gave Us More Than Music, They Gave Us a Standard of Excellence to Aspire to
In January, some of the biggest stars in music descended upon the Atlanta History Center to pay homage to the 30-year legacy of LaFace Records and its co-founders, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “L.A.” Reid. This black-tie affair, dubbed YouTube Music’s 2020 Leaders & Legends Ball, featured familiar names such as The-Dream, Ludacris, Dallas Austin…
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After 16 Years Apart, Usher, Ludacris and Lil Jon Provide the Perfect 'SexBeat'
Last weekend’s epic producer battle between crunk overlords Lil Jon and T-Pain gave us much more than just nostalgia; it also presented the perfect opportunity to premiere new music in front of a global audience. But when Lil Jon dug in the vaults and unleashed an unreleased track featuring himself, Usher and Ludacris—the holy trinity that…
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![Usher Launches #ClimaxChallenge After The Weeknd Claims He Inspired the 2012 Song [Updated]](https://assets-server.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/25192133/lgi3ksjgzoed69tte6cw-300x150.jpg)
Usher Launches #ClimaxChallenge After The Weeknd Claims He Inspired the 2012 Song [Updated]
In a recent interview with Variety, The Weeknd got candid about the far-reaching influence of his despondent alt-R&B sound, which he believes began with his 2011 project House of Balloons. Per the musician (born Abel Tesfaye), the R&B game took a dark turn, which he thinks is the direct result of the acclaimed mixtape. To…