Between a global Super Bowl performance, an upcoming arena tour, and a very special honor from ASCAP, Usher continues to find ways to make 2024 “Good Good.”
On Thursday (June 27) at The London West Hollywood in Beverly Hills, Billboard 200 and Hot 100 Usher, wearing an all-black ensemble and shades, accepted the Voice of the Culture Award in front of an adoring crowd. peers and type. Victoria Monét, who took home the Best New Artist Grammy at the top of the year, received the prestigious Vanguard Award in a stunning blue dress.
The Voice of the Culture Award is presented to ASCAP members who have had a significant influence on music and culture, recognizing their success as creators and creators. Previous recipients of the award include Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, D-Nice and TI
The Vanguard Award recognizes ASCAP members whose innovative work is helping to shape the future of music. Janelle Monáe, Kendrick Lamar, The Strokes and Billie Eilish are past recipients.
The night kicked off with a red carpet event on the hotel's rooftop, featuring performances by Erica Campbell, TI, Omarion, Ernest Isley, Alex Isley, Deputy, Nascent, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Johntá Austin, The Avila Brothers and more. Many stars took a moment to speak with them Advertising sign, including Campbell, who revealed her favorite gospel song from a songwriting perspective. “The first thing that comes to mind is 'Trust In God' by The Winans,” he said. “The way the song is made, the emotions in the song, the lyrics — it's hopeful but it's God-centered. Even if it's a gospel song, it has to be well written and this song is a perfect example.”
Famous father-daughter unit Ernie and Alex Isley also posed for pictures together, with Alex revealing the 'holy grail' of R&B songwriting – which included her father, Mariah Carey, Dianne Warren, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones – and ernie considered working with Lamar in 2015 To Pimp a Butterfly in light of his recent beef with Drake. “They're both great,” he said. “It was fun working together [Kendrick,] and I imagine we'll be doing more things with him a little while from now.”
In that vein, TI also reflected on his own diss track legacy, reacting to his No. 15 (“What Up, What's Haapnin”) on of Billboard List of 15 Hottest Hip-Hop Diss Songs of All Time. “This is a spectator sport, that's what the spectators said! As a cultural contributor, I'm happy to be on people's minds,” he said, before naming Tupac's “Hit 'Em Up,” Nas' “Ether,” Jay-Z's “Takeover,” Dr. . Dre –k Wit Dre Day” and Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” as his picks for the best written diss tracks in hip-hop history.
Lil Baby — whose “Forever,” “Freestyle,” “Heyy” and “Hurricane” were all cited as winning songs — took home the first honor of the night, taking home songwriter of the year for the third year in a row. He previously won in 2021 and 2022. In a speech that lasted less than 30 seconds, the top rapper thanked his team and the ASCAP organization.
Monét offered a longer — and particularly melodic — acceptance speech when she received the Vanguard Award. After recounting how she sought out the meaning of “leading the way” once her team informed her of the honor, Monét said: “Although I think of myself as a leader… my brilliant team stands right beside me, never behind me. We have all been at the forefront of this path to success meticulously, turning every unbeliever into a believer with hard work and consistency. We're shooting, not for the eyeballs, but for the stars – and it really takes a strong team to go from underdog to frontrunner.”
The Vanguard Award is just the latest in a string of recent honors for Monet. He won three Grammys on February 4 – best new artist, best R&B album for Jaguar II and Best Album, Non-Classical, for the same LP. “On My Mama,” a Grammy nominee for record of the year, peaked at No. 33 on the Hot 100, marking her highest-ranking unaccompanied entry on the chart. On March 6, Monét received the Rising Star Award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards. The “Alright” signee ended her acceptance speech by promising her daughter (and Grammy nominee) Hazel that she would continue to be her best self every day.
Parenthood also served as a key talking point for Usher, who delivered an emotional twelve-minute speech to accept the Voice of the Culture Award. After a pair of rousing introductions from ASCAP president Paul Williams and Dupri — who's currently cooking up new music with Ari Lennox and Young Dylan — Usher took the stage, profusely thanking his many friends, members of family, team members and mentors who helped him navigate his pioneering 30-year career. “I have a lot of people I want to thank, but I wanted to say something that I felt would be meaningful, and that's the importance of working together,” he said. “No man is an island. We have to work with each other. Sometimes the vision we have can be carried to its fullest potential if you can share it.”
In addition to calling out his bandmates and paying tribute to key players like LA Reid and Mark Pitts, Usher dedicated half of his speech to his two oldest sons, Usher “Cinco” V and Naviyd Ely. Shortly after the “Burn” singer revealed that one of his sons is “really adamant” about being an artist, he reflected on his own experience of having an absent father in the context of helping his son achieve his dreams.
“While we can stand in these scenes and say, 'Mom, I did it,' we don't often get the chance to say, 'Look, Dad! I did it!” That was it hardUsher said. “You don't understand how hard it was to say because the reality is I was telling a father who wasn't there…. I am very happy to tell you, keep loving your children. Continue to take the time to listen to them, encourage them and be a part of them – if you listen to them, they have valuable things to say.”
With the Future browsing in the past is fast approaching (August 14) and possibly new music on the horizon — “We've got new — that we're making, too!” quipped — Usher's banner year shows no signs of slowing down.
The ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards recognize the songwriters and publishers of the most performed songs of the past year based on Luminate data for terrestrial and satellite radio and streaming services, as defined by the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards rules.
