- Usher says reports of altercation with Bieber at Oscars party were exaggerated, they have no issues
- Usher recognizes Diddy’s valuable contributions to hip-hop culture, despite his flaws and controversies
- Usher appreciates Diddy’s mentorship and ability to monetize culture, making it more than just black or white
We finally have a better picture of what really went down between Usher and Justin Bieber at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Oscars after-party.
During an episode of the Rickey Smiley Morning Show this week, Da Brat revealed that she talked to Usher about the incident, who explained that the reports of an altercation were exaggerated.
“Well, I spoke to Usher and he said, ‘This is an exaggeration of conversation,’” explained the rapper and radio personality. “He’s been nothing but supportive of plenty of issues that Justin Bieber has had throughout the years and y’all can actively check the records for all that.”
Da Brat went on to say that Usher told her, “Justin is on his own journey, dealing with his own reality he’s created,” but there are no hard feelings between them
“Usher wishes him nothing but the best and they have no hostility towards each other,” Da Brat continued. “They definitely love each other so people just take things out of context when they see something and they run with it and I’m just here to say that is not the issue. They are definitely cool with each other and they have love and they support each other.”
This clarification comes a little over a week after rumors that Usher and Bieber got into a heated exchange at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Oscars after-party. Though Da Brat confirmed that the artists did speak at the event, she says it was not a full-blown argument.
“They had a conversation and somebody heard the conversation with the two of them,” she reiterated. “People are just taking it and twisting it and turning it around. But I’m letting you know that everything is OK between them and there’s [no] hostility.”
That’s not the only thing Usher is speaking out about this week.
In an interview with Jabari Young for the Forbes series The Enterprise Zone, the “OMG” singer sang the praises of Sean “Diddy” Combs, adding that his conviction should not take away from his status as a legacy figure.
“I don’t have anything negative to say about Sean Combs because my experience was not what the world has seen and how he’s been, you know, misrepresented,” Usher said. “I’m not saying that every man is perfect. I’m not saying that all of us don’t have flaws, but I can’t with any sense of humanity not recognize the valuable contributions that this man made.”
“So many people benefited from what he created and I acknowledge that which is why I see him as a legacy figure,” he continued.
Usher was first introduced to Combs when he was a teenager, living with him in 1994. Diddy later served as the executive producer of Usher’s debut self-titled album.
“Puff was a mentor above… I think that the idea of the level of discipline came with that time in business, especially in an era that was trying to prove itself culturally in hip-hop,” Usher added. “Now, you can’t turn on the television and not see the influence of hip-hop. The people who actually made that appropriate and are the forefathers are people like Sean Combs. Not just in the great times that they had, musically, but in the idea of being able to find ways to monetize culture and create something that was not just black or white, it was colorless.”
“That’s who I see that man as. And that’s what I choose to remember,” he continued. “There are trials and tribulations that come with the pressures of success and power. But what we choose to do with it is what I hope that you see with me and hopefully other people that I’m involved with, right?”
