Usher had regrets about the 2014 MTV VMAs.
In an interview with Charlamagne Tha God and Jess Hilarious that aired during The breakfast club on Monday, the “U Got It Bad” artist, 45, talked about dealing with Nicki Minaj during their performance at the awards show 10 years ago.
“Did you see some of your old moments, like when you were on stage with Nicki Minaj and you were headbutting her ass? Why were you so reluctant?” Charlamagne, 45, asked Usher, referring to a performance in which he also slapped the “Anaconda” musician’s derriere.
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At first, the R&B star tried to laugh it off and give his reasoning.
“Absolutely! That was Jamaican culture! So you have to go to Jamaica. It was just a moment that was fun,” Usher said, referring to the island’s dance culture. “By the way, I was playing bass, so I probably would have hit my shoulder or hand, but I had the bass in my hand and I was playing, so I bounced off her body a little bit. If you go back and watch the video, you’ll see because that’s the first time I did it there.”
At the 2014 performance, the eight-time Grammy winner hops his shoulder and head on Minaj’s back as she plays bass during their 2014 collaboration “She Came to Give It to You,” before standing up and punching the rapper, 41.
“Oh no, it was in rhythm and everything!” Charlamagne recalled. “It was in rhythm, and I said, ‘Damn it!'”
“I think I was reaching a little bit when I hit her, though,” Usher admitted. “I shouldn’t have hit her. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Jess, 42, then interjected and brought the conversation back to discussing the importance of supporting fellow black artists: “Look, you’ve got to lift her up!”
“I he was raising!” the “Burn” musician said of the controversial moment.
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Usher; Nicki Minaj.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
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Earlier this month, Usher headlined the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show and included a spectacular lineup of acts including Alicia Keys, HER, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Will.i.am and Jermaine Dupri for his set.
His career-spanning concert featured songs including “Caught Up,” “U Got It Bad,” “My Boo,” “Yeah!” and more.
Usher’s performance at the Super Bowl came just two days after he released his ninth studio album, Coming home. As he wraps up his Las Vegas residency in December 2023, he will embark on his USHER: Past Present Future Tour on August 20 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
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Source: HIS Education