Usher says he doesn’t have anything negative to say about Diddy.
During a recent interview with Forbes’ The Enterprise Zone, Usher explained his relationship with Diddy that has lasted for more than 30 years.
When the host Jabari Young played a word association game with Usher, he described Diddy with the word “Legacy.”
Young then said that Usher avoided “a lot of the negativity that we obviously know shows up in [Diddy’s] story today.” Usher then shared his thoughts on the disgraced mogul.
“In many ways, I think certain people are prosecuted and maybe not recognized for the greatness that they offer,” Usher said. “I don’t have anything negative to say about Sean Combs because my experience was not what the world has seen and how he’s been misrepresented.”
USHER SAYS DIDDY’S CONTRIBUTIONS CAN’T BE DENIED
“I can’t, with any sense of humanity, not recognize the valuable contributions that this man made for us as Black entrepreneurs. For us as businessmen, for us as people who transition culture and ideas into something that’s tangible and becomes business,” Usher continued. “So many people benefited from what he created. I acknowledge that. And that’s why I see him as legacy.”
Usher also described Diddy as a “really, really hard teacher” whom he learned from “in real time.”
“I put respect on his name because I realized that what I learned as a businessman. Before I even understood what business was came as a result of seeing the incredible things that he was able to do. And the way that he positioned himself as a businessman,” said Usher.
DIDDY WORKED ON USHER’S FIRST ALBUM
In the early 90s, Diddy served as a mentor and legal guardian. He exposed a teenage Usher to the the music industry and Bad Boy Records. Diddy went on to co-executive-produce Usher’s self-titled debut album in 1994.
Diddy is currently serving a 50-month prison sentence. He was convicted on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey. His release date is April 25, 2028.