Then & Now

Usher

2010 Raymond v. Raymond

Usher's latest album Raymond v. Raymond was released on March 30 led by three singles. See his newest videos from the album, "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" featuring Plies, "Lil Freak" featuring Nicki Minaj, and "OMG" featuring Will.I.Am, as well all of his videos spanning his career.



2008 Here I Stand

Usher's 2008 album Here I Stand topped the Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts and the single "Love In This Club" reached the top of the Hot 100.



2004 Confessions

In early 2004, Arista released the single "Yeah!" Produced by Lil Jon and guesting Ludacris, the addictive, lightly crunk cut fast became a club and radio favorite. By the time the Usher full-length Confessions dropped later that March, "Yeah!" had hit the top of the Billboard charts. The album itself was Usher's most mature work to date and won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2004, while "Yeah!" took home the best rapped/sung collaboration award.



2001 8701

Usher launched an acting career, appearing in the 1998 horror spoof The Faculty and the 1999 urban high-school drama Light It Up. To tide fans over between 1997's My Way and his next album in 2001, he issued a concert recording titled simply Live in 1999. Usher returned with his third proper album, All About U, toward the end of 2000, which was retooled and renamed to 8701, released in 2001.



1997 My Way

After graduating from high school, Usher released his sophomore album, My Way, in 1997. Usher co-wrote six of the nine songs and enlisted the help of producers Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, and, Sean "Puffy" Combs. The album's first single, "You Make Me Wanna," made him a crossover sensation, topped the R&B charts for 11 weeks, hit number two pop, and eventually went double platinum. Both of the follow-up singles, "Nice & Slow" and "My Way," also went platinum; the former stayed at number one on the R&B charts for eight weeks and became his first number one pop single.



1994 Usher

He was introduced to the world simply by his first name and his single "Call Me a Mack" was released in 1993 for the film Poetic Justice. Usher released his self-titled debut album in 1994, which featured co-executive producer Sean "Puffy" Combs. The first single, "Think of You," gained Usher wide recognition and reached gold status. From that initial exposure, Usher was approached to do other projects.



1978 Birth

Usher Raymond IV was born October 14, 1978 in Chattanooga, Tenessee and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. At 14, he auditioned for LaFace co-founder L.A. Reid, who signed the gospel choir boy to a recording contract.

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