WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.820 --> 00:00:05.415 Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together and give a big, warm Asian welcome to Usher. 2 00:00:07.465 --> 00:00:10.652 Some fans of you[rs] call you the "king of R&B." 3 00:00:10.977 --> 00:00:14.286 What's your key secret of making so many successful number one records? 4 00:00:14.377 --> 00:00:18.207 If the entire world is listening to banjo, then that's what we're playing. 5 00:00:18.283 --> 00:00:21.826 If the entire world is listening to ballads, then that's what we have to do, 6 00:00:22.234 --> 00:00:26.321 and find a way to articulate my message over whatever that sound is. 7 00:00:26.873 --> 00:00:28.382 So, if there's any key, that's it. 8 00:00:28.602 --> 00:00:30.669 Thank you very much and congratulations again. 9 00:00:32.901 --> 00:00:36.378 Now, so you're 31 years old, you've sold 45 million albums, 10 00:00:36.378 --> 00:00:41.287 you've got five Grammys -- when you were just a little Usher back in the day, 11 00:00:42.038 --> 00:00:47.156 you know, going from talent show to talent show, trying to get somebody to give you your shot at stardom, 12 00:00:47.490 --> 00:00:50.366 is this at all how you pictured things turning out for yourself? 13 00:00:51.110 --> 00:00:57.042 Well, I mean I can I remember, you know, standing in parking lots and meeting celebrities and asking them to listen to me sing, 14 00:00:57.042 --> 00:01:05.240 and some of them passed me over. Some people gave me a shot and others lived to regret it. 15 00:01:06.742 --> 00:01:10.246 I definitely always had a[n] idea of what I wanted to do, 16 00:01:10.246 --> 00:01:16.369 and knew as long as I could dedicate myself -- energy, time and effort -- the dream could come true. 17 00:01:16.624 --> 00:01:22.874 Having a team of people around me -- my mother and others who would support the growth of me as an artist -- 18 00:01:23.252 --> 00:01:25.072 makes me who I am today because of it. 19 00:01:25.054 --> 00:01:29.459 So, I'm very happy with the results and there is so much that I have yet to do. 20 00:01:29.459 --> 00:01:32.888 This is only really kind of like the beginning of the story, believe it or not. 21 00:01:32.888 --> 00:01:38.449 Even 40 some odd million records later, it's still the beginning. 22 00:01:39.515 --> 00:01:45.207 You know you've got a lot of friends in high places these days, quite obviously, and Michael Jackson was a friend of yours. 23 00:01:47.084 --> 00:01:54.089 Since his death, it's almost like people have said, "Oh, you know, Usher, you must now assume the mantle," 24 00:01:54.089 --> 00:01:59.131 because there appear to be these, you know, similarities between you certainly on stage. 25 00:01:59.572 --> 00:02:04.258 What do you feel when they sort of join the dots between the two of you? 26 00:02:04.502 --> 00:02:09.361 I mean to bear the comparison to someone as great as Michael Jackson is the ultimate compliment. 27 00:02:09.361 --> 00:02:15.789 Of course, I'm definitely honored, and as I continue to build my career, 28 00:02:15.789 --> 00:02:18.484 I only hope to have a career that spans as long as his did. 29 00:02:19.267 --> 00:02:26.169 And, you know, it was very unfortunate for all of us, not just for me, but all of us when we lost Michael Jackson 30 00:02:26.169 --> 00:02:31.637 because he's made such a meaningful contribution to music, entertainment, philanthropy, life. 31 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:38.959 And, you know, to take that throne, that's nothing that I was ever aiming for. 32 00:02:38.959 --> 00:02:44.807 [I am] not really interested in taking a throne, but yet to build a sustainable career just like his. 33 00:02:44.807 --> 00:02:49.930 You know, the way James Brown was an inspiration to him, Michael Jackson has been an inspiration to me. 34 00:02:50.407 --> 00:02:58.095 And all of the wonderful artists who've, you know, blessed us with incredible entertainment [that], you know, he was inspired by, so am I. 35 00:02:59.617 --> 00:03:06.133 Another star that you have recently been closely associated with is Justin Bieber, who you discovered, 36 00:03:06.181 --> 00:03:09.431 I guess, and now he's absolutely everywhere. 37 00:03:10.521 --> 00:03:15.888 It must be [a] really great feeling to be able to make, you know, somebody else's dream come true. 38 00:03:15.888 --> 00:03:20.544 Yeah, well definitely. I mean I just, once again... 39 00:03:20.953 --> 00:03:27.833 the person I am and what I do is really a product of having a proper structure around. 40 00:03:28.567 --> 00:03:35.548 I have a team that's incredible. You know, when I was first introduced to Justin by my staff, 41 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:38.788 they said, "You should go online and take a look at this kid, he's really incredible." 42 00:03:44.232 --> 00:03:49.962 So, I saw him. I arranged a meeting with his manager whom I'd worked with in the past, 43 00:03:50.634 --> 00:03:56.171 and I said this kid has definitely got what it takes to be something incredible. 44 00:03:56.171 --> 00:04:01.736 You know, I'd really like to invest into his future. I feel like I think it will be ideal for me to be a part of it 45 00:04:03.155 --> 00:04:06.644 because I just feel like there is [are] so many things that I understand that would be helpful. 46 00:04:08.225 --> 00:04:13.197 You know, and I also was very mindful of the story...of my own story, 47 00:04:13.291 --> 00:04:17.590 you know being 15 years old, getting in this business at a very young age. 48 00:04:17.739 --> 00:04:19.460 Would you say you're living your dream? 49 00:04:21.110 --> 00:04:26.338 I am definitely living my dream to the fullest and very happy that the Lord has blessed me in the way that He has, 50 00:04:26.787 --> 00:04:33.687 to be a shining light and to be able to plant seeds within this world, this place, of positivity. 51 00:04:33.946 --> 00:04:38.863 What I do is very positive and an indication that if you simply believe in your dreams, you can make it. 52 00:04:39.035 --> 00:04:43.231 Hopefully, that is motivational to the kids all around the world, people all around the world.