Protege Usher hails Diddy's legacy

THERE were no confessions, just Usher Raymond offering respect to disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

In a recent interview with "Forbes’ The Enterprise Zone", the ever‑smooth singer, Usher, 47, attempted to explain why he still has a great amount of respect for the man the world can’t seem to quit.

Diddy, 56, who is currently serving a 50‑month sentence after being convicted on prostitution‑related charges.

During the conversation, senior writer Jabari Young tried some casual word association with Usher about influential people in his life. 

Usher said one word: “Legacy” in tribute to the man who helped kickstart his career at aged 13. 

Usher then referenced an old interview from around 2015 where he said he “knew better” than to get distracted by certain things while on tour.

Young pushed back gently, noting Usher had seemingly avoided “a lot of the negativity that we obviously know shows up in [Diddy’s] story today.”

Usher didn’t flinch. He doubled down. His admittedly “controversial” take was that “we can’t ignore the reality of history”.

He added: “In many ways, I think certain people are prosecuted and maybe not recognised for the greatness that they offer.

“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.”

In interviews from the mid‑2000s and in a resurfaced Howard Stern clip, Usher said that being around Combs exposed him to aspects of the music industry lifestyle, including parties and adult situations that he “didn’t necessarily understand at the time.”