Usher names his ‘GOAT’ hip-hop MCs
Singer-songwriter Usher has been a superstar for years and has been the male face of R&B since the 1990s. However, it would be remiss not to accept that he has also been associated with hip-hop for the entirety of his career.
From being guided by the now-disgraced Diddy to providing soulful vocals for prominent rappers, Usher has been a part of the culture for over three decades. Earlier this year, the vocalist was even the headline act of the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show and delivered a medley of his greatest hits, with some special guests included.
The singer performed tracks such as ‘U Don’t Have to Call,’ ‘Superstar’, ‘Love in This’, ‘Burn,’ Caught Up’, ‘OMG’, and his smash hit ‘Yeah!’. For his performance of ‘My Boo’, Usher brought out New York singer Alicia Keys. Ludacris and Lil Jon also came out for ‘Yeah!’ and it was undeniably one of his most significant performances since the 2010s.
Although Usher’s halftime show dominated the headlines earlier this year, it’s fair to say the vocalist hasn’t been relevant since his 2009 EDM rebrand. As such, unlike previous artists, people weren’t enthused by the prospect of hearing slow-paced, sentimental love songs from the 1990s.
However, the Confessions singer is still putting out music for his core fanbase, and following the release of his Coming Home album earlier this year, it was undoubtedly necessary for him to get his nationwide promotion.
That said, last year, as he popped up on various international music outlets to promote his project’s lead single ‘Boyfriend’, he appeared on Capital XTRA with Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie, where he was asked to name some of his favourite rappers. Although the vocalist has been around hip-hop for years, there were no surprises to suggest he has been paying attention to contemporary rap music.
Beginning with a legend, Usher stated, “The Notorious B.I.G”. He then explained his love for another emcee as he unveiled, “I would also say Eminem. In terms of rapport and in terms of just swag.”
Reinforcing his love for Biggie Smalls, the 8701 creator explained, “You put on Biggie’s verses and ’till this day, they still hit as if they were just created today. His pocket, his metaphors, his story-telling, just so vivid, and just understanding what the culture is”.
However, there was one more lyricist that the vocalist admitted he loved, concluding, “In terms of one of the fastest and most credible rappers, I’d say Busta Rhymes”. Strangely, Usher has never collaborated with Busta Rhymes or Eminem, but a track featuring all three would most definitely be a hit.