Usher

Usher's debut

Review Score:

(10/10)
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.

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