The Atlanta based but Hollywood bound dance king reveals to Rocka.Candy his deep thoughts on dating while famous, marriage vs. being single, his budding acting career and why we won’t see him onstage again until 2007. Check out his words below…
- If I weren’t an artist I’d still be trying to do what I do, I really made a career and a life of this and at a very young age recognized what I wanted to do. I tried to play football, basketball, and baseball but I was too short in certain areas, but I always had the will to win, I also had the pizzazz for the ladies and I knew the only way I would ever get them was to sing.
- To be honest with you man, I’m the type to go for some pussy, rather than do charity work in my town. But because I got a lot of respect for people that did that for me, [If I weren’t famous] I would have been a mentor to kids in the inner city.
- In no way to discredit autobiographical movies [i.e. Get Rich or Die Tryin’], but [In The Mix] was a conscience effort to go after a film that I would be able to use certain elements of what I’ve built as an artist, but not rely a hundred percent on it. It was an opportunity to take a step away from Usher Raymond, and build Usher Raymond the actor.
- I’d love to act opposite Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks. Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Sidney Poitier are all people that I could get something from. I view acting as a collaborative effort, the same way with music and producers you get a different feel.
- For females it would be Nia Long, Halle Berry or Angelina Jolie [He smirks].
- I was never green lighted for Dreamgirls. As many statements that have gone out associating me with it, I’ve was never signed on. But I think that roles like that are definitely great roles. I am interesting in expanding my gift as far as it can possibly reach. They say the skies the limit, but there is always space.
- The best part of being single is being single. For me, relationships can be time consuming, and if you’re not able to work it out and move in the direction of marriage – because that’s really the goal for women – then it’s best to build friendships. And I consider single, not married, even if you’re in a relationship, if you’re not married - you’re single.
- I am on somewhat of a hiatus; I don’t plan on going back on stage until 2007. I had a great two years with Confessions, so I need to let it breathe… I don’t want to wear out my welcome.
- I reached out to Shakira to entertain us doing something in the future. I told her if we should try something for her album, but maybe we can work together for my next album.
- [Confessions] catered to things that I as a man wanted to talk about, the issues that we as men deal with, so this next album I look to reach out even further, I don’t know what it’s gonna be, I have to find myself in the
middle of it. Nine times out of ten, I end up doing about three albums before I come out with one. - You can’t always live in the moment, sometimes you have to step away from it. If you live a little, then you have more to talk about. Right now I can just talk about being busy – but so is everybody.
Tags: Interviews, Usher



WHAT NOW?