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.
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