Photo: Getty Images
Usher delivered a passionate speech that went mostly unheard by viewers after receiving BET's Lifetime Achievement Award.
On Sunday (June 30), Usher was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards.
Songwriters and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis kicked off the tribute for Usher, detailing his illustrious career as a singer, songwriter, and dancer.
A video with appearances from Jennifer Hudson, Jermaine Dupri, Janelle Monae, and more further dived into how the singer's greatness began at a young age with his first album dropping at 15. Usher was also recognized for his sold-out Las Vegas residency, his Super Bowl halftime performance, and for selling over 150 million records worldwide throughout his career.
A line-up of music stars including Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Coco Jones, Summer Walker, Chloe Bailey, Latto, Teyana Taylor, and more joined forces for an electrifying performance of Usher's greatest hits.
L.A. Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds then spoke on Usher's greatness before the Lifetime Achievement recipient took the stage to deliver his acceptance speech.
“Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it,” Usher started his speech.
The artist went on to give a nearly 15-minute speech about family and forgiveness from what viewers could hear at home. Most of Usher's speech was censored seemingly due to explicit language.
“I was trying to make sense of this name a man gave me that didn’t stick around because he didn’t love me,” Usher said, referencing the beginning of his career and his father. “You have to have a forgiving heart to understand the true pitfalls and hardships of a Black man in America. and my father, he was a product of that."
At one point during the speech, Usher addressed his ex-wife, Tameka Foster, saying that he was "turning over a new leaf."
“I’m trying, Tameka,” he said.
Usher also quipped about receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award "too early" in his career.
“This life achievement award, I don’t know, man, is it too early to receive it?” he quipped. “‘Cause I’m still runnin’ and gunnin’ like I did when I was 8 years old.”
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