I totally missed Usher’s Behind the Music yesterday so I’m thanking the heavens for the internet!
In his episode, Usher spoke about his time at “Flavor Camp” with Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, where he was sent as a young teen to learn the “lifestyle” of the music industry.
“Sex, drugs, orgies… it was crazy!”
…and he also addressed the stories about his high-profile relationships with Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas and his ex-wife Tameka Foster Glover Raymond.? This one right here is a must see!
Watch the full episode of vH1’s Behind the Music: Usher:
Usher became one of R&B?s BIGGEST rising stars in the 90s, after his mentor Sean ?Diddy? Combs, and his label boss LA Reid took him under their wing at just 13. Although he released his first album in 94 at the tender of 15, it was his sophomore album ?My Way? which saw him explode into superstar status at just 18-years-old. The album?s lead single, ?You Make Me Wanna?, reached number one in the United Kingdom, becoming Usher?s first record to reach the top there and since then, he has always been a UK favourite having had other UK number ones with ?Yeah?, ?Burn? and more recently ?OMG?. He also went on to enjoy numerous top 10 success in that territory. His next album ?8701? also topped the UK album chart. ?You Make Me Wanna? also became Usher?s first gold- and platinum ? certified single in the United States.
The biggest moment in his career came when he released his fourth studio album ?Confessions? which, in the US, sold over a million copies in the first week. It went on to sell Diamond in the United States. At the time, he had broken up with former TLC star Rozanda ?Chilli? Thomas who claims he cheated on her. His infidelity was incorporated into his music and generated a new level of interest, helping sales to surge through the roof.
When he met and married Tameka Foster (the mother of his two sons), his career went downhill. His music was not as good as previous works, his album sales for ?Here I Stand? dropped dramatically, he fired his mother (who despised his wife), was ditched by his PR and faced a public backlash. Now that he?s divorced, he got his career back on track with latest album ?Raymond Vs Raymond?, and ?OMG? went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic. He is also a mentor to Canadian teen heart throb Justin Bieber. The documentary looks at Usher?s highs and lows throughout his career. His mother, Chilli, Diddy, LA Reid and Jermaine Dupri were interviewed among others for the segment.
Props: ToyazWorld