Usher Accepts the R&B Entertainer of The Year Award | Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024 - video Dailymotion

Billboard

Usher accepts the R&B Entertainer of the Year award at Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024 party.

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00:00So it would not be a number one's party without Usher.

00:04He is still breaking records as R&B's biggest and brightest star three decades

00:14into his career. And after landing his 16th number one on our R&B hip-hop

00:20airplay chart in November, he has way more number ones on that chart than any

00:26other artist in the chart's 32-year history. Then, as if that wasn't enough,

00:35he wrapped up his game-changing residency in Las Vegas in December, a

00:40hundred sold-out shows produced in partnership with the creative forces

00:45behind the box, this very special venue that we're in tonight. And in February he

00:51headlined a little event called the Super Bowl halftime show, dazzling a

00:56record-shattering 130 million viewers and catapulting his 2004 hit, Yeah, back

01:04to our Hot 100 singles chart. Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for our

01:09Entertainer of the Year, Usher.

01:22You can hold on to it. Not that I don't appreciate it. Man, I'm really happy to be able

01:32to be here. I've been in this venue many and many of times as you guys know. The

01:37box is my home away from home. And this is different, you know what I'm saying?

01:50We're gonna put some pride on it tonight, you know what I'm saying? But no, no, no,

01:53no, really. But it's really happy to be able to celebrate here with Billboard

01:58and get this incredible, monumental award. You live with passion as artists, as

02:05creators, as creative people, and you live long enough to become the very

02:11thing that inspires you and inspiration to other people. And I was upstairs with

02:16my brother, Big John Platt, who's in the house tonight, ladies and gentlemen, who

02:20has opened the door for so many people. And he reminded me of this one thing, the

02:25gatekeepers are really what matters. And though we're up there on that balcony, we

02:29look down here and we see so many incredible people who are just following

02:33the dream, you know, just truly in pursuit of something. Rather, it's a

02:39number one record or rather it's to make something that people will love and

02:43celebrate. But what we see is the very thing that inspired us when we look over

02:49that balcony. It's like, man, that right there is the reason why we did it. And

02:53you never stop wanting to do it, no matter where you are. Rather, you're up

02:56there or you're down here making it happen. Many times in our industry,

03:01people may not necessarily get to their goals as quickly as they may want to,

03:06right? Because it's hard to do that. And specifically for those people who are

03:13like myself, who had to work a bit harder to be recognized and celebrated in the

03:19ways that they probably wanted, they can't truly understand the gift of what

03:23it is to work hard for something. Because the harder you work, the longer you

03:28sustain. And in our industry, so many people who sit in those high positions

03:35as executives, they look forward to that parachute, right? That thing that says,

03:39oh man, at the end of my career, or you know, last time I was on camera, I was

03:43saying a lot of fucks and stuff like that, so sorry. You know, thank God that

03:47we decided to do it here, but I'm fucked, right? And the reality is, the people who

03:54worked hard as Big John, they didn't need a parachute because they built a

04:00plane that was gonna sustain. And that right there is the difference. That is

04:05why it's so important to continue to strive for your dreams, work hard, and be

04:10alright with the difficult moments, the tumultuous moments, because it leads to

04:14something that will one day hopefully recognize and celebrate you. So tonight, I

04:18appreciate receiving this award from Billboard, and for everybody that had

04:23anything to do with it, my team, my management, my family, my wife who's here

04:28as well, and any of the people who've supported me in building these amazing

04:32moments and number ones that I've had on the charts for many, many years. I thank

04:36you guys so much for this honor, and I tell you to continue to work hard. I'll

04:40see you at work tomorrow.

Usher Accepts the R&B Entertainer of The Year Award | Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024

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