| Product Summary | | Label: Bmg/arista/la Face | | UPC: 00730082600828 | | Release Date: 8/30/1994 | | Buy.com Sku: 60064597 | | Item#: MM4DFY | Format:  CD |
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(C) (P) 1994 LaFace Records LLC
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| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Usher Raymond, Biz Markie (vocals); Carl "Chucky" Thompson, Devante Swing, Tim Mosley, Brian Alexander Morgan (various instruments); Darryl Pearson (various instruments, background vocals); Herb Middleton (keyboards); Bob Blackman (bass); Jean "Pokey" Olivier, Alex Richbourg (drums); Faith Evans, Darren Benbow, Surena Lowe, Crystal Johnson, Kiyamma Griffin, Dave Hollister, Mary Brown, Tone Wilson, Laquentis Saxon, Al B. Sure! (background vocals). | | Producers: Sean "Puffy" Combs (track 1); Carl "Chucky" Thompson (track 2); Devante Swing (track 3); Sean "Puffy" Combs, Carl "Chucky" Thompson (tracks 4, 9); Brian Alexander Morgan (track 5); Al B. Sure! (track 6); Dave "Jam" Hall (tracks 7, 14); Sean "Puffy" Combs, Alex Richbourg (track 8); Al B. Sure!, Kiyamma Griffin (track 10); Darryl Pearson, Devante Swing (track 11); Edward "Eddie F" Ferrell (track 12); Sean "Puffy" Combs, Herb Middleton (track 13). | | Engineers: Nashiem Myrick, Bob "Bassy" Brockmann (track 1); Nashiem Myrick, "Prince Charles" Alexander (tracks 2, 8-9); Tony Maserati (track 3); "Prince Charles" Alexander (tracks 4, 12); Larry Funk, Brian Alexander Morgan, Bob "Bassy" Brockmann (track 5); Al B. Sure!, "Prince Charles" Alexander (track 6); Al B. Sure (track 10); Gary Joost, Tony Maserati (track 11); Bob "Bassy" Brockmann (track 13); Rob Paustian (track 14). | | Samples include "Top Billin'" (as performed by the Audio Two), "Jussummen" (as performed by Das EFX), "Tidal Wave" (as performed by Ronnie Laws) and "The Show" (as performed by Doug E. Fresh). | | Usher Raymond is the new teenage sweetheart of R&B. Although he's been lumped in with the genre's other young artists (Tevin Campbell, Immature and others), Usher comes forth with a more developed sound, mainly due to the maturity of his vocal style. Distinctly sculpted to appeal to members of his own generation, Raymond's full-length debut, USHER, unites some of the R&B's hottest producers to aid his cause. On the Devante Swing-written and choreographed "Can You Git Wit It," Usher proves that he could easily be the fifth member of Jodeci or a young Al B. Sure, who himself guest stars on "The Many Ways" and works the boards for "Slow Love." But listeners shouldn't doubt that Usher is his own artist, as his ability to harmonize and take control over phat tracks like "I'll Make It Right" clearly demonstrates. | | Usher delivers more than the typical '90s R&B feel. With its samples and break beats, his music is extremely hip-hop-oriented in both its content and production values. One reason for this is Sean "Puffy" Combs, who is responsible for the ascension of artists such as Mary J. Blige and The Notorious B.I.G., and plays a major role on USHER. "Puffy" adds his particular brand of hip-hop flava to the album through a studied choice of appropriated grooves--including James Brown's "Blind Man Can See It" and Ronnie Laws' "Tidal Wave"--well-known to rap fans. Yet rather than diverting the listener's attention, the backing tracks serve to highlight Raymond's remarkable vocal prowess, and the lethal combination helps make USHER an impressive success. |
Musical Guests | | Al B. Sure! | | Faith Evans | | Biz Markie | | Tone Wilson | | DeVante Swing | | Laquentis Saxon | | Dave Hollister |
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| | Associated Artists and Works |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 08/30/1994 | | Original Release Date : 1994 | | Catalog ID : 26008 | | Label : LaFace (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00730082600828 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | The Source (11/94, p.100)
- "...Usher is neither a blubbering slob nor a singing gangster; he's just a talented kid who feels as comfortable singing over break-beats and hip-hop loops as he does over lush string melodies..." |
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| | Bio | | | Usher Beyond the 35 million albums he's sold worldwide since the release of his 1993 self-titled debut, the five Grammy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, the countless other accolades (from Billboard, MTV, Soul Train, BET, People's Choice, Vibe and ASCAP), box office records for his worldwide tours and on Broadway (during his 2006 performances as Billy Flynn in the hit musical Chicago), the cumulative 100 million dollar grosses for the films in which he's starred and his recognition as a bona fide global superstar (with gold and platinum albums in over fifteen countries), Usher Raymond has achieved what few other contemporary entertainers have ever accomplished: still under thirty years of age, he has created a network of thriving, successful enterprises that express his leadership in business and as a humanitarian. "It's been quite a journey," he says of the last three years since the release of his mega-platinum Confessions album. "I've been transforming my first passion -- music -- into the areas of business and community contribution and I'm committed to be successful in all that I put time and effort into..." From his all-important New Look Foundation (whose multi-faceted programs focus on empowering and motivating youth) to his own record label (US Records, a joint venture with Clive Davis' J Records), the creation of his own fragrances for men and women, his part-ownership of the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team and involvement with a chain of Atlanta restaurants (known as The Grape), Usher's skills as a forward-thinking young entrepreneur reflect the same approach he has taken as an entertainer: for the Tennessee-born, Atlanta-raised performer, songwriter and producer, working on a sixth album for release in late 2007, it's about longevity and staying power.
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