Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Share Excitement to Present Usher With BET Lifetime Achievement Award

2 days ago

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis share their excitement with THR to present Usher with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards. Plus, they share the qualities of current pop and R&B music that make them feel hopeful.

Transcript

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 at such a young age.

00:16So that means it's not, yeah, there's a lot more to come.

00:20And 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.

00:27So, you know, they haven't even blossomed yet.

00:30Yeah, the flowers are still growing for Usher.

00:33That's such a good point.

00:34So what is you guys' favorite era of his?

00:38Or favorite song?

00:39Well, favorite era is probably the era that we were involved with, which I guess we were kind of involved with most of the era.

00:49I'm going to go with Bad Girl for me.

00:51I like Bad Girl.

00:52Yeah, I like the whole Confessions period.

00:56Yeah.

00:57The 8701 Confessions period.

00:59Yeah, yeah.

01:00But, you know, I just love Usher in every era.

01:03So it's okay.

01:04Here's Bad Girl.

01:05The whole Bad Girl.

01:07And 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 on it recently as well.

01:17So as far as, you know, these R&B talents being relevant today, how have you seen them inspire the new generation?

01:24I just think that, you know, relevancy comes through really great music and great talent and where that comes together.

01:32So the artists always inspire us.

01:33When we work with an artist, it's because they inspire us to write, you know, hopefully great songs.

01:38But then when they go out and perform them and bring it to the stage, that just adds a whole other thing to it.

01:43So I think that, you know, it's almost like planned longevity.

01:47It's like those artists really set out on a path to have long careers.

01:51And when you talk about new edition and you talk about Usher, you talk about the staying power that they have.

01:56Yeah.

01:57You know, you're only as tall as the shoulders you stand on.

02:00So, you know, we had great talent that came before us, during us, and there would be great talent after us.

02:06But all of us take from whoever was before us because that's how you learn.

02:11You know, you watch what they did right.

02:13Hopefully you pay attention to what they did wrong and don't repeat that same.

02:16You don't step in the poop, so to speak.

02:18Yeah, that's right.

02:18So you try to sidestep the poop and keep it moving.

02:20So I think everybody takes from the new edition because they're just a wonderful group.

02:25And it's just great to see, for a change, six black men staying together and not breaking up.

02:33That's amazing.

02:34That's amazing.

02:35That is true.

02:36Now, as far as you guys kind of keeping your ears to the streets and just being aware of, like, the modern music,

02:42where do you see music going from here on out?

02:45I think music's in a great place.

02:48I'm inspired by great music I hear all the time.

02:52I did a Spotify playlist at the end of last year, Jimmy Jam's Favorite Jams of 23.

02:57And I've had probably, like, 40 songs on it by people that I think are really making great music.

03:02Top of my list is Inflow, who's a British producer, who does Salt, does Cleo Soul, did Adele, a bunch of people.

03:10But he's, like, my favorite.

03:11And I always listen to the behind-the-scenes people.

03:14I'm always listening to who's the writers and the producers a lot of times more than the artists.

03:18Yeah.

03:18I just love the music.

03:19And I think, for me, fans shape the music.

03:22Because they tell you what they like, very simply.

03:25Because if they don't like it, they won't listen.

03:28So as long as we educate our ears, it's like we listen to the music that came before us.

03:35We listen to the music that was during us.

03:37Every era has its own sensibilities.

03:39I think music is in a great place because I think people are in a great place.

03:44So we just have to keep consuming, and then people will keep making it.

03:48All right.

03:49Well, thank you, guys.

03:50Have fun tonight.

03:52You, too.

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Share Excitement to Present Usher With BET Lifetime Achievement Award | THR Video

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended