‘OMG’ – how did Usher get to headline the Super Bowl? Before striking NFL gold and landing a Skims campaign with Kim Kardashian, the Atlanta rapper lived with Diddy and ‘babysat’ Beyoncé
Rumours around the possibility of Taylor Swift performing at this year’s NFL Super Bowl have been sadly, loudly quashed last week, with TMZ confirming that the stage will be all Usher’s. The pressure is mounting on a man that may not have been many people’s first-choice for the highest-profile appearance in pop.
“The idea started with the photo that is my album [cover], where I have the peach in my hand. We shot the reverse of that photo, which was the first shot that was released, and therefore, after, as I do support Kim, supporting Skims was the next step,” he told the publication. “It really was in conjunction with the album.”
So with all eyes on the prize, let’s take a look at the artist whose superstardom is only set to multiply once the weekend is out …
Was Usher raised by a single mother?
Usher was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1978, and was raised by his single mum Jonetta, with his younger brother James, in Tennessee, according to his IMDB profile. The family ended up moving to Atlanta, Georgia, when Usher was about 12, and he often credits his mother for his success.
Did Usher live with Puff Daddy?
Back in 2016, Usher told Howard Stern how he once lived with Diddy “for a year” after moving to New York City when he was still an early teenager. Stern replied, “That’s the crazy thing. That was L.A. Reid’s idea, right? ‘We’re sending you to something called Puffy Flavor Camp.’”
Usher retorted, “In the 90s, do you understand what that’s like?” He later added, “What I will say is there were some really curious things taking place and I didn’t necessarily understand [it].” When asked if he’d ever send his kid to “Puffy Camp”, Usher replied, “Hell no”.
When the video resurfaced in recent months, it raised controversies as Puff Daddy, now known as Sean “Diddy” Combs was named in numerous alleged sexual assault cases last year. We can only guess what “curious thing” Usher was referring to.
Usher was once “Beyoncé’s babysitter”
But was he her babysitter, as it was previously rumoured? According to a new interview, he wasn’t a “manny” after all.
“Daryl Simmons, he had a group by the name of The Dolls, and they came to Atlanta for the first time. This is before Destiny’s Child became Destiny’s Child,” he said on Club Shay Shay last month. “I think I looked over them while they [were] doing something in the house; I had to watch over ’cause I was like the, you know, the authority ’cause I guess I was the teenager at the time.”
How did Usher get famous?
What was Usher’s first hit single?
Usher’s first single “Think of You” was released in 1994, alongside his debut album of the same name, featuring co-executive producer Sean “Puffy Combs”. He’s since gained even more notoriety for songs like “OMG”, “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” and “My Boo” – all of which we can hope to hear this weekend.
- Rumours of a surprise Taylor Swift performance at this year’s NFL Super Bowl have been loudly quashed, meaning the stage will be all Usher’s – so how did he earn the ultimate prize in pop?
- Raised by a single mother, Usher was spotted by Bobby Brown’s bodyguard, hung around with Beyoncé, and got sent to disgraced rapper Diddy’s ‘Puffy Flavor Camp’ before striking gold with hits ‘Yeah!’, ‘Burn’ and ‘My Boo’