Usher Recalls Nelly Helping Him Reconnect With His Father Amid 'Personal Issues'

Usher has credited Nelly for helping him reconnect with his father when the two were experiencing issues prior to his death.

Speaking to LEVEL, the R&B singer discussed his complicated relationship with his father and the impact it had on his own attitude to parenting.

“I was going through some personal issues,” Usher explained. “My father was at a place where he was declining. And I had to make a decision if I was going to be a part of that decline after I had spent my entire life not knowing him.

“The conversation [with Nelly] was like, ‘Man, you know, not having the relationship with your father is bad enough up to this point. You’ll regret it if you don’t go see your dad if he passes.’

“I think had I not gone to see my father and spent that time, I would not have been able to close that chapter in which I was just seeking answers.”

The singer also elaborated on the questions he wanted to ask his father: “Why is it that you didn’t love me? Why didn’t you spend time to get to know me? Meanwhile, everybody else is celebrating what I made of what you gave me. You gave me a name. But you just never showed up to anything.

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“I was looking for some connection. Is there a real connection? What about your traits did I inherit? Why do I do certain things? Why do I respond to certain things? Are there things I should know about myself that you have that I should look forward to?”

The “Nice & Slow” artist also opened up about some of his father’s positive traits: “He was a very charming person. Any person who came in contact with him, he could put a smile on their face.”

Usher’s father Usher Raymond III passed in 2008 after suffering from undisclosed health issues. He was also known to be an addict.

The singer told Grant Cardone that his father wanted his forgiveness during an interview in September 2023.

“My father and I had a very short amount of time together throughout my entire life, but the most valuable time was during his final days,” Usher said. “He asked me to forgive him for not being there.”