Usher BET Awards Speech Reflects on Family, Fatherhood & Forgiveness

Usher was honored with the lifetime achievement award Sunday night time on the 2024 BET Awards with an all-star tribute efficiency, adopted by a speech heavy on self-reflection that emphasised forgiveness and fatherhood.

Legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis got here out onstage to current the tribute, which began with a video exhibiting a montage of his profession, which started in his early teenagers and included an lively efficiency on the Tremendous Bowl earlier this 12 months. The video featured reward from the likes of Kevin Hart, Toni Braxton, L.A. Reid, Jermaine Dupri, Janelle Monáe and Jennifer Hudson.

Following the video, Infantile Gambino — the alter ego of Donald Glover — kicked off a efficiency tribute with a slowed-down rendition of “U Don’t Should Name.” Keke Palmer then joined him onstage because the music picked up the tempo. Palmer then segued into “You Make Me Wanna…”

Summer season Walker adopted Palmer, performing “Good Good,” which she is featured on alongside Usher and 21 Savage. Coco Jones then gave her rendition of “There Goes My Child,” getting up shut and private with many within the viewers, together with Usher himself.

Marsha Ambrosius sang “Celebrity,” Chlöe hit the stage with “Good Kisser,” Tinashe coated “Good & Gradual,” Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét carried out a risque model of “Dangerous Lady,” and Latto introduced the power for “Yeah!”

Throughout the tribute, the cameras regularly minimize to Usher, who was seen smiling and clapping alongside, and gave the impression to be having fun with every of the performances.

After the efficiency, Jam and Lewis introduced out L.A. Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, who spoke about how they blew him away at his first audition at age 14. 

Usher then took the stage, sporting sun shades, a white jacket and denims, the place he gave the impression to be overcome with emotion earlier than giving his remarks.

“Getting right here has undoubtedly not been straightforward, nevertheless it has been price it,” he stated, earlier than noting that “I like to speak and I’ve a approach with phrases” and hadn’t written ready remarks as a result of he “wished this to be current, on this second” (his speech ran for almost quarter-hour).

“This life achievement award, I don’t know, man, is it too early to obtain it?” he quipped. “‘Trigger I’m nonetheless runnin’ and gunnin’ like I did after I was 8 years previous.”

In the meantime, portion of Usher’s speech was bleeped out, presumably attributable to language, however a lot of what might be heard discovered Usher reflecting on his household and being a dad.

He talked about his father — Usher Raymond III — leaving his household when he was a child. “I used to be making an attempt to make sense of this identify a person gave me that didn’t stick round as a result of he didn’t love me,” he stated, taking off his glasses so the viewers might actually see his expression. “You need to have a forgiving coronary heart to grasp the true pitfalls and hardships of a Black man in America. and my father, he was a product of that.” He urged different fathers to be current in their very own youngsters’ lives. “That is the 12 months of the daddy. Rise up to your daughters and sons and lead. They are saying success has 1,000,000 fathers,” he stated.

He additionally addressed his ex-wife, Tameka Foster. “I’m making an attempt, Tameka,” he stated, pointing to the that means behind his music “Good Good” and noting he was “turning a brand new leaf.” He point out as position fashions different former {couples} who get alongside for the sake of the children, together with Swizz Beatz and his ex-wife and present spouse, Alicia Keys.

He additionally spoke extra about forgiveness. “We’ve bought to be prepared to forgive. We’ve bought to be prepared to be open,” he stated. “I’m telling you, you’re standing earlier than a person who needed to forgive a person who by no means confirmed up ever. And look what I made with it. Look what I used to be in a position to ‘usher’ in. However that’s what’s actual. That’s what makes us human. That’s what makes us men and women.”

Usher introduced a number of members of the family to the 2024 BET Awards, together with his spouse, Jennifer Goicoechea Raymond, mother Jonnetta Patton, sons Naviyd Raymond and Usher “Cinco” Raymond V and brother J. Lack.

Earlier within the night time, Usher gained the award for finest R&B/hip-hop artist on the BET Awards.

Taraji P. Henson hosted the present, which aired stay on BET from Downtown Los Angeles.

See an inventory of 2024 BET Awards winners.

Justin Hagey contributed to this report.