STR8NYC.COM » Usher

STR8 VIDEOS: DIRTY MONEY ft. USHER- “LOOKING FOR LOVE”

LexAve — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:14:48 +0000

Usher and Diddy reunited once again for their new collabo on “Looking For Love” off Dirty Money’s new album Last Train To Paris.

ON DECK or OFF DECK?!
Is it me or this is a recycled version of “I Need A Girl”?!…

STR8 TALK: 2011 GRAMMY NOMS & PREDICTIONS…

LexAve — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:04:12 +0000

And the nominees are…pretty much all of our favorites. Following in Beyonce’s 2010 footsteps, Eminem got 10 noms, Lady Gaga scored 6 noms, as well as Jay-Z and newcomer Bruno Mars got a whopping 7 Grammy nominations. Sure Bruno Mars’ album Doo-Wops & Hooligans dropped a week after the Grammy eligibility period, Bruno scored noms for his collaborations with other artists. Finally the Academy gets it right. Be sure to tune to the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards being held on Feburary 13, 2011 on CBS.
But while we wait for the results, here are some of my predictions + comments…
Album Of The Year
Recovery – Eminem
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster – Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

Lady Gaga vs Eminem…man this is a tough one! Lady Gaga’s album was an all around club hit while Eminem’s “Recovery” was just MESMERIZING! This is a toss up.

Record Of The Year
Empire State Of Mind – Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
Love The Way You Lie – Eminem & Rihanna
Fuck You – Cee-Lo Green
B.o.B & Bruno Mars – Nothin’ On You
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum

Another set of great nominations…including that country music nomination. All of these records were spectacular and memorable. But Jay-Z x AKeys got this one in the bag. I mean this record was everywhere and I mean everywhere.

Best Rap Album
The Blueprint 3 – Jay-Z
Thank Me Later – Drake
Recovery – Eminem
How I Got Over – The Roots
The Adventures Of Bobby Ray – B.o.B

Hands down..Em got this one. NO question!

Best Rap Song
Empire State Of Mind – Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
On To The Next One — Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz
Love The Way You Lie – Eminem & Rihanna
Not Afraid – Eminem
Nothin’ On You – B.o.B & Bruno Mars

Not sure how Eminem and Jay-Z go up against in each other…so by default B.O.B got this one.

Best Rap Solo Performance
Over – Drake
Not Afraid – Eminem
How Low – Ludacris
I’m Back – T.I.
Power – Kanye West

Douchebag aside, Kanye West’s performance of “Power” is a masterpiece.

Best New Artist
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence + The Machine
Mumford & Sons
Esperanza Spalding

What can I say…it’s Bieber fever!

Song Of The Year
Beg Steal or Borrow- Ray LaMontagne
F*** You- Cee Lo Green
The House That Built Me- Miranda Lambert
Love The Way You Lie- Eminem featuring Rihanna
Need You Now- Lady Antebellum

I’m all for hip hop domination, but Lady Antebellum’s cross over hit speaks volumes.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
King of Anything- Sara Bareilles
Halo (Live)- Beyonce
Chasing Pirates- Norah Jones
Bad Romance- Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream- Katy Perry

Sorry Katy but even your whip cream ta-tas couldn’t outdo Lady Gaga’s reign…she’s this generation’s pop queen!

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Gone Already- Faith Evans
Bittersweet- Fantasia
Everything To Me- Monica
Tired- Kelly Price
Holding You Down (Going in Circles)- Jazmine Sullivan

After all the scandal and suicide attempt, let’s throw Fantasia a bone and give her a win. #imjustsayin

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Second Chance- El DeBarge
Finding My Way Back- Jaheim
Why Would You Stay- Kem
We’re Still Friends-(Kirk Whalum &) Musiq Soulchild
The Goes My Baby-Usher

Jaheim’s record was tight, but none of these moved me like Usher’s “There Goes My Baby”.

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or A Group With Vocals
Love- Chuck Brown, Jill Scott & Marcus Miller
Take My Time- Chris Brown & Tank
You’ve Got a Friend-Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin
Shine- John Legend & The Roots
Soldier of Love- Sade

Sade is an icon, yes…but John Legend got vocals and the roots…well they know how to put on a show. Need I say more?

Best R&B Album
The Love & War Masterpeace- Raheem DeVaughn
Back To Me- Fantasia
Another Round- Jaheim
Wake Up!- John Legend & The Roots
Still Standing- Monica

Did you read my last comment?!

BE SURE TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF NOMINEES HERE!

STR8 GLOSSY: USHER COVERS VIBE MAGAZINE!

Cola Janneti — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:06:18 +0000

Check out Usher on the cover of Vibe’s October/November 2010 issue. Looks like is trying to re-invent his image and regain his sex symbol status to which he lost the minute he married Tameka Foster. Check out an excerpt from the Usher’s cover story with Clover Hope below:
On Raymond V Raymond being a career rebound
“I don’t think it was a rebound at all. Some people in my organization felt like it was a rebound, but for me it was business as usual. Were there hard times in the process? Absolutely. I think it was the first time that doubt was ever amongst the opinions. Like, Can he do it again? Is it possible that this can happen? When you have 15 years of a legacy built, it shouldn’t be questionable with one album.”

Now that Usher has managed his way on to top of the charts…he can’t help but wonder do you still find Usher sexy?

ALICIA KEYS’ “KEEP A CHILD ALIVE” 7TH ANNUAL BALL

LexAve — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:48:11 +0000

Check out a very pregnant Alicia Keys working the red carpet belly and all in a stunning lace gown alongside her hubby, Swizz Beats at her 7th annual Keep A Child Alive’s Black Ball in NYC last night. Everyone from Whitney Houston, Usher to Jay-Z & Beyonce showed up in support. Overall the event was a huge success, raising over $2.4 million for lifesaving AIDS treatment, care and support to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. Gotta love Alicia’s philanthropic ass! Check out some images below from the red carpet, the ball, and special performances.

Whitney was looking good…but unfortunately the heavy winds had her hair looking kinda crazy.

Usher was doing some major ass kissing to Alicia Keys…perhaps in hopes of scoring another hit with the mommy-to-be.

I get Janelle Monae’s look, but doesn’t she have anything else in her closet besides, blazers and cut-off slacks? #imjustsayin

Sade was a vision in white. Isn’t she like 50-something years old?! WOW! A certified stunner.

Beyonce was in the building looking very retro in this fushia number. And what’s up with the 80′s curls?! Hmm, not feeling it!

Don’t even let me get started on her dress! Just horrid!

Alicia and her mom, Teresa. Surely mama Keys is thrilled to have a new addition to their family.

Later into the night, Alicia Keys hit the stage with Jay-Z, Sade, Janelle Monae and others. There’s nothing keeping Alicia away from that stage…not even a huge belly. Too cute.

USHER KNEW MARRIAGE TO TAMEKA WOULDN’T LAST…

J'More — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:26:51 +0000

In the latest issue of People magazine, Usher admits what we already knew–his marriage to cougar Tameka Foster just wasn’t going to work.

“I appreciate the relationship for what it was,” he says. “Even though it didn’t work out, I’m glad we got together. I love her as the mother of my children; we just couldn’t be married.”

So what happened? Well, according to the R&B singer they fought over everything from parenting to his hectic schedule.

“We’re two different people,” he says, “and we have two different goals. It just was never going to work out 100 percent.”

USHER & RIHANNA MAKING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER?!

J'More — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:07:20 +0000

See all Usher had to do was get rid of his pet monster Tameka Foster for his music career to take off again. And at the rate he’s going, we hope he doesn’t wife up another cougar anytime soon. The R&B crooner is killing the charts right now and he has plans to keep it that way. In a recent interview with the UK’s Capital FM, Usher revealed that he has a couple tricks up his sleeve including a possible collaboration with “Good Girl Gone Rated R” Rihanna. He says,

“Me and Rihanna have been speaking about doing something together. There is definitely something to wait for, I’ll say that much.“

A collabo with Usher and RiRi sounds really interesting. For one, he can sing and she can’t…wonder how that’s going to work out.

DRAKE, TREY SONGZ, NICKI MINAJ & MORE TAPPED FOR SUMMER JAM

J'More — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:22:05 +0000

It’s gon’ be a party y’all! Earlier today, Hot 97 announced the lineup for this year’s Summer Jam set to take place June 6^th at the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey. This year’s acts include Usher, Young Money’s Drake and Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz, Juelz Santana, Fabolous, Reflection Eternal, DJ Khaled, Ludacris and Gucci Mane since he’ll be out of the pen by then–let’s just hope he doesn’t get his a$$ locked up again!

You already know to expect the unexpected at Summer Jam. Last year, Jay-Z launched a massive assault on Auto-Tune with the debut of “D.O.A”.

NEXT UP: TERRELL HOWARD

J'More — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:18:34 +0000

Straight out of Brooklyn…Flatbush to be exact is singer/songwriter Terrell Howard who embodies all the key elements needed to succeed in today’s grueling music industry–determination, dedication and direction. Terrell began honing his craft at an early age. He attended the Professional Performing Arts H.S. in NYC, while receiving vocal training at the prestigious Julliard. After graduating from high school, Terrell was accepted to Berklee College of Music, however he turned them down and went on to pursue his dream–signing a deal with Arista Records. Although Terrell was released from Arista, he didn’t let that deter him. Terrell went on to create his own imprint, Hitbox Music and has worked with a slew of the music industry’s all-stars including Usher, Slim of 112, Missy Elliot, and Sean Garrett to name a few. Terrell describes his sound as being “likened to the “real singers” of R&B including, Charlie Wilson, Aaron Hall and R. Kelly, bringing back the 90s sound, while incorporating edgy lyrics.”

He’s been featured on Power 105.1′s “New NY” unsigned hype segment, “On Deck” with Jovonn “The Last Don” and not to mention he’s also got the backing of Cavi, one of the flyest contemporary menswear lines worn by some of your favorite celebrities including Jay-Z!

Check out Terrell’s hot track “Siren”…

For all our ATL readers, Terrell will be doing his thing LIVE at BMI’s “Unsigned Urban Showcase” at Havana Club tomorrow!

For more information on Terrell Howard, check him out on www.terrellhoward.com, MySpace, or follow him on Twitter!

TAMEKA FOSTER HAS USHER THINKING TWICE ABOUT TYING THE KNOT…AGAIN!

J'More — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:17:38 +0000

Gearing up for the release of his new album Raymond vs. Raymond, Usher opened up in a sit-down interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts about the public’s perception of him, his failed marriage to Tameka Foster, why he let his momager go and so much more. After being married to Tameka’s crazy a$$, Usher makes it clear that he’s not wifing up another chick up anytime soon. When asked if he’d ever get married again, he responded,

“I want to hold my horses. Adding, “I’m 31. Let me just take my time. I have two beautiful children. And managing the process of it, I want to be comfortable. You know, I’m not rushing, you know, to get old. I’m young.”

Usher’s marriage to Tameka is a perfect example of what happens when you follow your heart and not your brain. Hell, mama dearest warned him about shorty and he didn’t listen. Now look at him he’s singing about signing those papers…

Oh yeah, Raymond vs Raymond drops tomorrow. Will you cop it?!

DRAKE MAKES BILLBOARD’S “SEXIEST MEN IN MUSIC” LIST!

J'More — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:10:49 +0000

Billboard debuted its “Sexiest Men/Sexiest Women In Music” list and to my surprise actor-turned-rapper Drake made the list! The Toronto native is definitely among Hip-hop’s most sought after– scoring major endorsement deals and even a Grammy nomination without dropping an album. Drake came in at No. 10 with 1.8% of the vote. While R&B crooners Chris Brown, Usher and Maxwell also made the list.

10 Sexiest Men in Music

1. Adam Lambert

2. Nick Jonas

3. Chris Brown

4. Justin Timberlake

5. Enrique Iglesias

6. Bruce Springsteen

7. Jon Bon Jovi

8. Usher

9. Maxwell

10. Drake

As for the chicas, Beyonce was knocked off her thrown by Britney Spears and landed at the No. 2 spot. I don’t know how Britney Spears managed to top the list! While, Bajan sensation Rihanna came in fourth place.

10 Sexiest Women in Music

1. Britney Spears

2. Beyonce

3. Miley Cyrus

4. Rihanna

5. Lady GaGa

6. Carrie Underwood

7. Shakira

8. Nicole Scherzinger

9. Taylor Swift

10. Katy Perry

Of course our list would’ve been totally different! So with that said, do you agree with this list?