Eyebrows were raised after footage of old Usher interviews revealed that he lived with Diddy as a teenager, but just before the allegations against the “I Need a Girl” artist came to light, Usher spoke about the early days of their relationship. “I got a tutor, went to New York City, and he began to show me the ropes,” Usher told People in February when speaking about being mentored by Diddy in 1994. “Some of the most valuable lessons I could ever learn as an entrepreneur were picked up when I spent that time in New York with him,” the R&B singer added. A month earlier, Usher spoke about how foundational that time at the “Puffy Camp” was for his development. “I wouldn’t be the artist I am without going to New York,” he said appearing on “Club Shay Shay” in January.
Those sentiments of praise had been shared on multiple occasions by Usher through the years. In September 2017 he spoke about Diddy’s influence. “I don’t sleep to this day. I got it from him,” Usher told Oprah’s OWN network. Speaking to Revolt in July 2022, the “U Got It Bad” singer spoke about how staying with Diddy exposed him to a litany of artists in the R&B and hip hop community. “It was a culture and I felt like they were ushering me in,” he said.
Eventually, Usher repaid the mentorship favor and found a teenage protege of his own in Justin Bieber.
