Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis share their excitement with THR to present Usher with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards. Plus, they share the qualities of current pop and R&B music that make them feel hopeful.
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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
00:14at such a young age. So that means it's not, yeah, there's a lot more to come.
00:19And 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. Yeah.
00:27So yeah, they haven't even fully blossomed yet, right?
00:29Yeah, they haven't even blossomed yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31So the flowers are still growing for Usher.
00:33Yeah, that's such a good point. So what is you guys' favorite era of his?
00:39Well, favorite era is probably the era that we were involved with, which I guess we were
00:46kind of involved with most of the eras. I'm gonna go with Bad Girl for me. I like Bad Girl.
00:53Yeah, I like the whole Confessions period.
00:56Yeah.
00:578701 Confessions period.
00:59Yeah, yeah.
01:00But, you know, I just love Usher in every era, so it's okay.
01:03And 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 honored recently as well. So as far as, you know, these R&B talents
01:21being relevant today, how have you seen them inspire the new generation?
01:25I just think that, you know, relevancy comes through
01:28really great music and great talent and where that comes together. So the artists always inspire us.
01:33When we work with an artist, it's because they inspire us to write, you know, hopefully great
01:37songs. But then when they go out and perform them and bring it to the stage, that just adds a whole
01:42nother thing to it. So I think that it's almost like planned longevity. It's like those artists
01:47really set out on a path to have long careers. And when you talk about New Edition and you talk
01:53about Usher, you talk about the staying power that they have.
01:56Yeah. You know, you're only as tall as the shoulders you stand on. So, you know, we had
02:01great talent that came before us, during us, and there will be great talent after us. But all of us
02:07take from whoever was before us, because that's how you learn. You know, you watch what they did
02:12right. Hopefully you pay attention to what they did wrong and don't repeat that same. You don't
02:16step in the poop, so to speak. So you try to sidestep the poop and keep it moving. So I think
02:22everybody takes from New Edition because they're just a wonderful group. And it's just great to see
02:27for a change, six black men staying together and not breaking up. That's amazing. That's amazing.
02:35That is true. Now, as far as you guys kind of keeping your ears to the streets and just being
02:40aware of like the modern music, where do you see music going from here on out? I think music's in
02:46a great place. I'm inspired by great music. I hear all the time. I did a Spotify playlist at
02:53the end of last year, Jimmy Jam's Favorite Jams of 23. And I've had probably like 40 songs on it
02:59by people that I think are really making great music. Top of my list is Inflo, who's a British
03:05producer who does Salt, does Cleo's Soul, did Adele, a bunch of people. But he's my favorite.
03:12And I always listen to the behind the scenes people. I'm always listening to who's the writers
03:15and the producers a lot of times more than the artists. Yeah, I just love the music. And I think
03:20for me, fans shape the music, because they tell you what they like very simply,
03:25because if they don't like it, they won't listen. So as long as we educate our ears, it's like
03:32we listen to the music that came before us. We listen to the music that was during us.
03:37Every era has its own sensibilities. I think music is in a great place because I think
03:42people are in a great place. So we just have to keep consuming. And then people keep making it.
03:51Thank you.