Usher and Pharrell Williams feat. Leah LaBelle | ARTST TLK™ Ep. 6 Full | Reserve Channel

you hey guys once again for our Williams here artist talk I'm sitting here with the incredible Asher Raymond good friend of mine telling extraordinaire Jack of many trades I'll be running under Michael Jackson that's what I want to do they're like yeah sure kid whatever no no that's what I'm gonna do not at a young age you're thinking like this yeah if I would have come out as a kid artist I probably would have ended up kind of lost in the kid thing but he put me with pup and the time when the pup was hot you're blowing away blowing away instantly know many people who passed up on just a great love songs a great love song day listening to love songs of doubt and that's why it's so important for us to continue to keep R&B ballads alive oops uh sure became a household name when he was just 14 years old over the past 19 years he has sold over 65 million albums worldwide in addition to his reputation as one of the times greatest performers he is also an accomplished producer and mentor to young artists welcome to artist talk oh yeah well now they get a chance to see what we talk about that's right yeah so you were singing in the church choir at 9:00 and you started professionally by the time you were 11 did you feel like yet enough time and experience to be a singer before it all it all became a job well I mean if you go through history I think that the church is kind of significant to everybody start I mean in some way rather it's just the soulful essence of it and the runs that we used to enjoy listening to you know Clark Sisters are you know bebe and CeCe Winans our Derrell Coley or whatever it may be you know I mean in earlier times my mother you know she was really the influence more than anybody because she sang in the choir so while I'm listening to quote/unquote secular music and just enjoying it I'm like okay well I need to outlet because I like singing you know and dancing and singing is a part of what we do on a day to day basis if we're not on a you know a piece of linoleum or you know on a street corner battling each other running and I mean that there ever really was no outlet I start telling people like I'm gonna be somebody like what what do you mean I'm gonna be a star one day you see what that man is doing on television there's Bobby burning like the Michael Jackson that's what I want to do they're like yeah sure kid whatever I said no no no no that's what I'm gonna do so Church was a place where you were able to kind of you know really get off and enjoy and it was almost like a culture in her in a way so that kind of got me accustomed to being in front of at least an audience in a way after that you know I wanted into talent shows [Music] [Music] so who really discovered you was it Jermaine Dupri LA Reid or Star Search my mother discovered me dude okay okay you know she was the first person to notice my town and miss Ginetta it was genetic pattern it was jpg so after she recognized my talent any outlet that was possible she gave it to me so there was this group in Chattanooga Tennessee that I was a part of and it gave me an opportunity to do a record for the first time and actually go state to state and just kind of you know do something good with teenagers right it wasn't until I moved to Atlanta Georgia that I applied for Star Search one well I was I was selected and then went to do it but also I was still in talent shows in Atlanta until I was recognized by Bryant Reed I mean I was making noise you know what I mean okay yeah yeah sorry sure baby yes I love it now wait you're not Showtime yes sir and um you know I was I was I was I was destined you know me for something I wanted I wanted to make it and I knew that Atlanta was the place to make it happen Elly Reid and babyface it just started their label you know boys demands into the road was like the biggest record of life at the time and that was my hit record to sing that's when I met Brian Reed introduced me to LA brought me into his office had me sing for a couple of his employees and on the spot wanted to sign me I blew him away you blew him away instantly I'm singing to him and I'm I'm into my thing and I got my eyes closed and I'm keep it all together and you know that I'm singing this thing he's like that's what you say yeah that's the worst song you said the first song that's a name okay so that like let's make sure everyone knows what song it into the road boys to men is what I say for LA Reid and you how old I was 13 years old okay 13 years old okay and he stopped me and said wait a minute would you be comfortable if I bring some people in here see well you bring whoever you want in here so he brought a few of his female employees in and he set him up and I'm realize oh he think I was few things I'm afraid of women I go get me get it so he put the record back on and I instantly go over and I'm like connecting with the girls and I go down on one knee and I'm serenading the woman and they're like you know all giggling and stuff so he realized oh wow he gets performance right away la's never seen you perform doesn't know what I do super when I'm singing I want him right there that was it Wow okay so now 1994 can you get with it yeah it was it was a derailment I lost my voice so I you know the one disadvantage in having young artists is they're gonna go through some tumultuous things that they don't have any control over right one of my voice I was changing so yeah so naturally I'm in a higher register I'm like a Alto now but that song was so dope what happened was after I was signed la really wanted me to get would he call flavor camp he wanted to send me to flavor camp so he you know introduces puffy to the scene the world not now knows who puffy is and I met puff and he said I cool have him come and stay with you in New York you guys work on an album you know and then I ended up crossing you know Devante and also Timbaland and Biggie and Craig Mack and met you know all of them in that time okay so then we're gonna speed up to three years late 1997 yeah your first big hit first big hit how did that feel I mean it felt good to finally you know have a hit record I'm like man I'm thankful to LA Reid didn't have a change of heart and he really was dedicated to the world being able to see the artists that I was he just knew that there was always a little something missing rather it was a hit record or really the ability to make that connection if I would have come out as a kid artist I probably would have ended up kind of lost in the kid thing and then had to figure out a way to make that transition but he put me with puff and the time when you know puff was hot and puff did have a solo young artist so you know he introduced me to a older demographic but also kids could listen to it as well and I can't get with it I don't know how good messaging was but I think it definitely opened up the conversation for a man the sex symbol that you know I'm saying they wanted me to eventually you know evolved into yeah okay but let's let's talk about it right like a lot of times parents talk about like what's appropriate for kids but the kids like the grown-up music well then let's just go back to the fact that I guess the older generation has always been inspiration for the youth you know if you look at you know Michael and then Smokey Robinson being an influence for him and then us being able to hear him cover you know Smokey Robinson you know written records and you'd be able to hear like such incredible potential for voice but the same thing happens in this time it's just I think maybe the focus is no longer on vocal ability artist development it's on sensationalism and I think that now kind of creating a movement you know move a dance something that is like fearless and you know unapologetic that is what people now flock towards and unfortunately it does trickle down to kids but hey they're gonna hear one way or another that's right it's just I mean you had you just it what it means is that we as parents just have to monitor what we allow my kids to be you know for every - well you know a great love song is a great love song day listening to love song so doc know they trying to see that drop drop and drop it low you know send they wanna they wanted they want to be a part of the movement you understand like they look at TV and they look at their friends in school you know I mean that's why it's so important for us to continue to keep you know soulful music R&B ballads alive yes if it dies our beat music really does die so it's a responsibility man it's a it's one that I don't mind you know taking on my back at some point it's it's it's my opinion that you're gonna do a book right and I feel like it's gonna be about love because you have a lot of experience yeah would love how do you define love love is sacrifice love is pain love is patience love the sharing love his honesty love is Integra love is unwavering it's all those things so I mean when I come up with all those kind of mantras or words at least right and I'm thinking about you know it could be philanthropic it could be you know integrity of art it could be music it could be a child it could be a loved one it could be your family it could be your significant other love can be all those things man but I think that more than anything it is patience now you've had like a lot of people a lot of good people around you what's still very fortunate you see what's the best advice you feel like you've got man let go enjoy have fun man you know you know what do you do after you've considerably you know done enough you know some people would say a Grammy is enough some people would say traveling around the world one time is enough some people that would say that a hit record on an album released would be enough some people would say when album would be enough you know I think at this point having evolved the way that I have and been you know the places I've been had the experiences that I've had like just enjoy it now and be free in it you know and you know be artistic be creative allow you know the world to benefit from you know some of the things that you've seen is there anything you did as an artist that you wish you didn't anything that I mean I can tell you like I got it like an encyclopedia because I'm such a perfectionist and you you're very particular and that's that's worked to your advantage you know what I really do feel like we all have our crosses to bear you know how could I really learn a lesson if I were if I regret it anything that means you probably gonna still go to the same over and over again until you get it all the artists that are watching us right now totally appreciate what you're saying it's the truth yeah yeah I mean I'm talking about in any any platform I mean art is art as art as heart yo man we can all appreciate it let me tell you something you really understand it when you begin to study the life trending topic in music rather it's social rights provider it's love rather it's a pain around this and divorce here my dears albums like that really vulnerable I almost like that for Marvin Gaye if you don't know what I'm talking about you know they really give credence to the fact that you really just gotta live in a moment let go and just let it let it happen you understand and you know what you can only be where you are when you're there and then when you move on you in another place it's all about evolving you know I came up with this phrase evolve or evaporate it really does apply to life I don't know if everybody can get it cuz some people do live in a fearful place a fearful place of what people may think or what people will assume or what they will feel you can't give a about none of that you just got to be creative and and live in it because fear is not gonna create anything new you let go or it's an egg oh yeah let go let go okay it may seem to everyone that's watching this right now that you've just answered my next question but I know you very well and you haven't answered this next question which is what's the secret to your success like what what are you doing that makes us care so much about you what's the secret to usher it's that feeling man it's that irreplaceable feeling of real music and entertainment I feel very fortunate because I've had a lot of people around to help build what it is but to be able to perform a record to be able to sell a record through performance dance vocally and the passion of what it is I think that that's what continues to keep people connected to who I am as an artist and that RB music allows you to feel or my music I don't know if it's our viewer if it's just music period the music that I create and that I've lived through and the experiences that I've been able to you know borrow from to create inspiration for our songs that we create together hmm you know they're real experiences that people can feel that that's an irreplaceable feeling and soulful music something you can feel yeah something you can feel mm would you say that as great of a singer as you are greater dancers you are you know tap everything is that your real talent like the magnetism that you have it is a magnetic force that pulls people in okay thank us what right here that comes from the pure source of love for music so is that what we're showing up for we keep showing up this to watch no no no no hey it's it's the voice I really do think that it's my voice and my voice is what makes me unique and different from each and every person you know dancing is great but eventually the greatest dance move can be recreated or something else but you can't recreate this voice okay and the culture of it you know listening to and studying such incredible artists before me it's really well created which is why I am and that's what I think I'll be remember for having won seven Grammys that pretty much says it but I don't even know if people know that you know them saying yeah listen I remember vividly you had a white suit on we were both doing a red carpet you walked over before you even said what's up you said yeah we just want for you don't have to call alright what's up man it's cool to speak to you later remember that yeah rude I got it on tape I just watched it the other day that's really yeah wow that's a it was crazy was like wait wait we won already I'm like yeah we want set the record straight did you discover Justin Bieber we may say the street that's is there a little bit a conversation a question whether it's real enough no but you know just it gets this good reaction okay whoo yeah no oh it's real clear right we all know I mean in actively continuing to be supportive there as a mentor and also a creator along with scooter scooters his manager mhm and has always been school abroad Scooter Braun is Justin Bieber's manager and always been there but you know I'll say this success has a million fathers and failure is an orphan so you know there's a ton of people who in part have I guess at least a hand and being a part of discovering him because his his impression was made about a million-plus before anybody had kind of brought him to a label now the interesting part is this many people who passed up morning Justin which I will call no names because that's not why we were here nor hate for him but I think he came at a time when people were very doubtful that one he or an artist like him would be relevant outside of a factory like Disney or collodion or something like that yeah so it was a bit of a risk and it took the credibility and the guts an association of some I like myself to really help push the ball along and really get you know the right people behind it and the right support staff to continue to help cultivate and build who Justin Bieber is today well look you've done really well with Justin Bieber um let me introduce you to someone I'm excited about this is Leah LaBelle not me so welcome thank you how are you finding being an artist you appreciate every moment and I think this journey has been a journey for sure you know a lot of years and a lot of hard work and a lot of dreams and sleepless nights and cries and tears and laughs and love and you know it's all those things and then you come to it and you're thrown into it I always say like it doesn't happen overnight but when it happens it happens overnight you know like proven it took me seven years to finally get to where I am for you to find me and I'm really happy with what I'm getting ready to give the world because I think it's different like we've done some things that nobody has touched yet or you know may have been scared to do but of course this man is never scared to do anything and that's one of the reasons why he's been so successful and even you guys you did um and you don't have to call you guys took one of those risks and did that a double bridge that like nobody had done before when do you feel like it's the right time to take a risk like that it's really produces intuition hmm you know what feels right and for me and I like myself to be led by his vision mm-hmm and I just think it just felt so good that why not bring it back oh hey so yeah producers intuition you know spot-on you uh in every way you just have to is that a naked woman that just came through yeah I love that this is very great oh she was nice right so no produces intuition for the third time okay that's when you take over any well you know the intuition is it's not just what the producer but it's also with the artists you know it's it's everyone in the room it's all of us sharing our intuition today yeah whoo all right thanks P appreciate that uh needed a but it's a seriously intuition is something that we share in the studio and that's where we get our magic from how you feel about what you've been working on I mean I feel great I feel I like I've been pushed and I've been challenged um and done things that I may not have thought that I could have or would have thought on my own and that's the beauty of working with Pharrell and JD you know Jermaine Dupri is also the other half of my project so both of them have so much to offer and their own in their own ways and have challenged me it's it's pretty special you work until something happens absolutely stay focused on the goal which is just work yeah and uh you know you work your heart as you put your best foot forward and take small wins hmm you know because every little one means something greater for bigger reward in the end you know the instant gratification of being able to get it overnight ain't the that you want because it'll be over overnight so you got to do work it's subjects like that that I just love to explore in every episode and this has been yet another great episode of artist talk so thank you guys so much you invite me back and exam Hey frou Williams here host of artist talk make sure you don't you know miss any of the episodes coming in 2013 I got like all like super genius slime sternly minded artists sculptors architects just don't miss it it's super cool just make sure you subscribe here on the button this is not like I'm not really good at this because I'm not sign like really a show at the end of the day it's like it's a conversation that you should participate in don't miss it alright 2013 the coolest episode's artists talk and you know I'm kind of like the hosting Pharrell Williams here hi I'm joy Bryant I'm Eric Lee bear I'm Kyle Colicchio I'm dr. Frank Lippmann they're all stopped on the table the host of across the board host of artists all host of hooked up host of the show be well week be well weekend on the reserved Channel it's only on reserve did you know that you can follow my show on social media sites like Facebook Follow us on Twitter if you're a fan of my show hit the like button all of the above share me with your friends and treat yourself go check out a new episode of my show hooked up and if you want to leave comments feedbacks ideas whatever love to hear from you leave a comment and if you don't want to miss the show be sure to subscribe the one is like down here or is it here that somewhere down here thanks for watching the reserve trouble only on YouTube throw caution to the wind and ask yourself what rules you you

Channel: Reserve Channel

Views: 180,764

Rating: 4.8735094 out of 5

Keywords: Reserve, Channel, Reserve Channel, Uncommon, Content, UCP, extraordinary people, culture, celebrities, doctors, chefs, non-fiction, non fiction, original, usher, pharrell, justin bieber, leah labelle, jermaine dupri, artist talk, artst tlk, ART006

Id: GEhyNmikdNw

Length: 24min 0sec (1440 seconds)

Published: Tue May 21 2013