00:00You guys are presenting Usher with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
00:03So when it comes to him getting his flowers, why is it important for him to be receiving them now?
00:09Well, I think it's interesting because he's getting a Lifetime Achievement Award
00:14at such a young age. So that means it's not, yeah, there's a lot more to come.
00:19And that's what's so exciting is to see what he has to come in the future.
00:23Yeah, nothing better than getting your flowers while they're still growing.
00:26Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
00:27So yeah, they haven't even fully blossomed yet, right?
00:29Yeah, they haven't even blossomed yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31So the flowers are still growing for Usher.
00:33Yeah, that's such a good point. So what is you guys' favorite era of his?
00:39Well, favorite era is probably the era that we were involved with, which I guess we were
00:46kind of involved with most of the eras. I'm gonna go with Bad Girl for me. I like Bad Girl.
00:53Yeah, I like the whole Confessions period.
00:56Yeah.
00:578701 Confessions period.
00:59Yeah, yeah.
01:00But, you know, I just love Usher in every era, so it's okay.
01:03And you guys have worked with a lot of legendary artists throughout your career,
01:11like New Edition, I would say, has to have been my favorite of your guys' work.
01:16And they were honored recently as well. So as far as, you know, these R&B talents
01:21being relevant today, how have you seen them inspire the new generation?
01:25I just think that, you know, relevancy comes through
01:28really great music and great talent and where that comes together. So the artists always inspire us.
01:33When we work with an artist, it's because they inspire us to write, you know, hopefully great
01:37songs. But then when they go out and perform them and bring it to the stage, that just adds a whole
01:42nother thing to it. So I think that it's almost like planned longevity. It's like those artists
01:47really set out on a path to have long careers. And when you talk about New Edition and you talk
01:53about Usher, you talk about the staying power that they have.
01:56Yeah. You know, you're only as tall as the shoulders you stand on. So, you know, we had
02:01great talent that came before us, during us, and there will be great talent after us. But all of us
02:07take from whoever was before us, because that's how you learn. You know, you watch what they did
02:12right. Hopefully you pay attention to what they did wrong and don't repeat that same. You don't
02:16step in the poop, so to speak. So you try to sidestep the poop and keep it moving. So I think
02:22everybody takes from New Edition because they're just a wonderful group. And it's just great to see
02:27for a change, six black men staying together and not breaking up. That's amazing. That's amazing.
02:35That is true. Now, as far as you guys kind of keeping your ears to the streets and just being
02:40aware of like the modern music, where do you see music going from here on out? I think music's in
02:46a great place. I'm inspired by great music. I hear all the time. I did a Spotify playlist at
02:53the end of last year, Jimmy Jam's Favorite Jams of 23. And I've had probably like 40 songs on it
02:59by people that I think are really making great music. Top of my list is Inflo, who's a British
03:05producer who does Salt, does Cleo's Soul, did Adele, a bunch of people. But he's my favorite.
03:12And I always listen to the behind the scenes people. I'm always listening to who's the writers
03:15and the producers a lot of times more than the artists. Yeah, I just love the music. And I think
03:20for me, fans shape the music, because they tell you what they like very simply,
03:25because if they don't like it, they won't listen. So as long as we educate our ears, it's like
03:32we listen to the music that came before us. We listen to the music that was during us.
03:37Every era has its own sensibilities. I think music is in a great place because I think
03:42people are in a great place. So we just have to keep consuming. And then people keep making it.
03:51Thank you.
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