Has Usher finally realized that firing his Mom-ager Jonetta Patton was a bad idea? The singer dumped his mama last year around Mother’s Day for super-manager Benny Medina (he’s handled Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez, to name a couple), but has apparently been freaking out that his latest album is selling way below 2004’s “Confessions.” Medina supposedly tried to stroke his ego and assure him that “Here I Stand” is doing just fine considering the current economic climate, but when Lil Wayne sold over a million copies of his new album in one week, Usher flipped his sh*t. “Usher was livid!,” said a spy. “He threatened to fire everyone.”

The BET Awards, which the singer headlined, also performed poorly in the ratings, and the show’s stinky performance only added to Usher’s anxiety. Now friends are telling the star that maybe he should re-hire his mom, whose beef with Usher’s wife apparently contributed to her getting axed. Now that the ladies are getting along, while her contract get picked back up? [NYDN]


Tags: Usher•Hip Hop•Music

Blink and you’ll miss it, but in this new video sneak peak for an Usher photoshoot there are a few quick shots of the most adorable little man in the world, Usher Raymond V! The precious baby has no idea his daddy is all interested in making sweet sweet love to his mommy in the club, he just likes to hang around looking all tiny and cute. We love him! Finally Tameka did something right - maybe we judged her too quickly?


Tags: Usher•Hip Hop•Music

So Usher wants you all to know that he certainly did NOT fire his mama/manager Jonetta Patton, and it most definitely was not because his wife Tameka didn’t want her around. In an interview with Vibe, Usher set the story straight: “I decided to not fire, not get rid of, but to give [my mother] the ultimate compliment — to retire her to be a full-time grandmother.” He added, “My mother and I decided to change her situation, together. There was a conversation. I didn’t write her a letter or pink slip her.”

This still sounds fishy to us - we’re calling cover up! He of course then went on to gush over his lady love, saying, “The swagger I possess now definitely comes from my wife. And my son completes me. He changes my perspective on what life is, and what matters.”

Blah blah blah. When did Usher get so peaceful and zen? We want some drama, but no way does Tameka let her man go there.


Tags: Usher•Hip_Hop•Music

So much Bobby Brown news, so little time! Let’s break this down nice and easy.

1. Bobby’s claiming Usher ripped him off.
In his new autobiography, the New Edition star accuses Usher of stealing his style. “I’ve always considered myself ‘The King of Stage.’ To this very day, I still don’t think anyone can get with me on the stage. I own the stage,” the ego-less Brown writes. “I watched one of Usher’s shows and he basically did my whole show. It was as if it was me on stage. The thing about it is, I love seeing that. It’s a compliment to me as a performer.”

2. Bobby’s son Landon says Whitney was a “nightmare” to grow up with, and that he replaced Kevin Coster as her bodyguard.
Not only did Whit alleged force Landon to sleep in a guest house and kept him away from his half-sister Bobbi Kristina, she treated him more like staff than family. He says, “She decided to turn me into one of her security personnel. I was a teenager but I was walking around dressed up in all black with a Security shirt and she’d have me work for her. I was just another one of her staff.”

3. When not protecting Whitney, Landon boned Lindsay Lohan in a bathroom stall.
We’re sure this was exciting for the younger Brown, but let’s be real - who hasn’t been with LiLo on a toilet? He claims: “Me and Lindsay got really, really close. She followed me to the bathroom during a private party, and, well, we basically got together. I think she knew who I was when she first saw me. We were just staring at each other and she walked by. I walked into the bathroom and she followed me in.”

We don’t quite buy the claim that Lindsay knew who Landon was when she saw him (he’s got the same ego as his Pops!), but we bet she does now!


Tags: Bobby Brown•Lindsay Lohan•Usher•Whitney Houston•Hip Hop•Movies•Music

A little while back, we asked you to come up with a question for Usher. We chose the best one, and Usher filmed an answer when he stopped by our offices. Watch the video to find out the significance of some of Usher’s body art.


Tags: Usher•Music•Video

We all know Usher tells it like it is; on 2004’s Confessions, he filled us in on what goes on between the sheets. His latest disc, Here I Stand, which you can listen to and read about, lifts the curtain on everything from what happens at the club to Usher’s newly domesticated life. Now the R&B phenom wants to answer one of your questions. Tell us something you want to know about Usher in our comments section. We’ll pick the best, and he’ll provide a video answer.

Watch his new video for “Moving Mountains,” too!


Tags: Usher•Music

Oh boy. We’ve just started getting emails buzzing that Usher and his wife of a few months, Tameka, have separated. The pair, who’ve been constantly beat up in the press, allegedly split up three weeks ago, but Usher was unsure whether to make a statement or let the news leak. Looks like he chose the latter! Interestingly enough, Usher’s album drops in six days, and we spotted his second video already on some blogs today. Think the timing of this juicy rumor’s a coincidence? Yeah, neither do we. Regardless, the couple have an infant son together, so if the news is true, let’s hope they end it amicably for their little guy.

Update: Usher is appearing on Ellen DeGeneres‘ talk show tomorrow, and talks about his wife and son, saying, “My approach of life…he is my reason for living — outside of my wife, obviously, for helping me have him.”

Update #2: The singer’s manager is denying the rumor. “It’s 100% not true,” says Benny Medina. “Usher and Tameka are currently traveling in Europe together as a family on his promotional tour.”

What do YOU think?

[YBF, Bossip]


Tags: Usher•Hip Hop•Music

Calling Brangelina, TomKat, X-Tina, Nicole, and Jarc Lopanthony!!! Usher thinks you and your million dollar baby photos are disgusting! He’s speaking out against all the celebs who accept cash from mags in exchange for baby pics, and he’s pissssssed. “In no way would I ever pimp out my child for money,” he growled to Page Six after rumors swelled that he too was selling pics of his newborn, Usher V. “I am livid that people talk about my child.”

He also ranted about the (mis)treatment of his wife Tameka, stating, “I stand by her as a man loving my wife and being there for my child . . . this is my wife and I would hope that [people] would respect my wife and my marriage and who I have chosen to spend my life with.” Certainly we respect Usher’s opinion (his wife is another story) and agree with his baby-pimpin’ stance. Still, we find it a little odd that he’d then pose with his son - for free - on the cover of the June issue of Essence magazine. Isn’t it possible to pimp even if no cash exchanges hands? [Page Six]


Tags: Usher•Hip Hop•Music

Oh man. Chili is seriously asking for an ass-whupping from Usher’s wife Tameka. The TLC singer recently revealed that of all the men she’s loved and lost - including Marlon Wayans - her ex Usher was the one she was meant to be with. Too bad he had all those “confessions” that prevented their relationship from really working out. Even Chili knows Tameka’s not gonna like what she has to say - let’s just hope she’s in hiding somewhere! Check out her revelation below. Think there’s a chance they’d ever get back together?

“Lord, Tameka gonna be trying to fight people. But honestly I will say, although Marlon is the one that got away, Usher is the one that I truly did love. Like that was truly my first adult love. I love him very much and I will always love him. I don’t know how you love someone that deeply and just stop loving them. I’m not in love with him anymore but I can’t say that I don’t love him anymore. And of course I do want him to be happy and all but me and him had what I never had in any of my other relationships, and that was chemistry. Even in that picture that you have up. Any picture that you see with the two of us, you see it. It’s just there! I could be standing next to him til this day and people will be like “Wow”. It’s not that you are wondering if we are back together again, it’s just that we look like we just go together.”

Tags: Usher•Hip Hop•Music

Uh oh - all was peaceful after their baby was born, but Mrs. Usher is back and churning up the drama all over again. Tameka Foster, who married Usher this fall, was allegedly very unhappy that her man handpicked singer/songwriter hottie Keri Hilson to play his love interest in the video for his new song “Love in the Club.” A spy on set revealed that “Tameka is very insecure. Even in rehearsals she was weird and clearly not happy that Keri is so gorgeous. Tameka threw a lot of attitude.”

She even went so far as to uglify Keri (and possibly risk the hotness of her hubby’s video) by dressing her down and not allowing her to bring her hairdresser on set. “The day of the shoot, Tameka dressed Keri very badly - she looked like an extra,” revealed the source. Tameka also apparently banned Usher’s longtime choreographer from the video set, and she’s had strained relations with his mom in the past as well. How long is it gonna take for Usher to notice that she might be, uh, isolating him out of her own insecurities?  [NYP]


Tags: Usher•Hip Hop•Music

Movie premieres, awards shows, benefit concerts, and plain old clubbin’ – even though most of us are at home, the beautiful peeps are living it up somewhere. Last Night’s Pics puts you in touch with all the action.

“Movies Rock” A Celebration Of Music In Film was the place to be last night in Hollywood. Guests included Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Eve, Chris Brown, a very pregnant Jennifer Lopez, Kate Hudson, Usher, Fergie, Will.I.Am, Nicole Scherzinger, and Joshua Jackson & Diane Kruger.


Tags: Usher•Jennifer Lopez•Beyoncé Knowles•Chris Brown•Eve•Fergie•Photos