Usher On Justin Bieber: "It's More Than Just Mentoring. I Love The Kid"

In a new interview with Billboard, Usher admits that he hasn't approved recently all of  Justin Bieber's decisions.  


  


"I can say I'm not happy with all the choices my friend has made," Usher, 35, said of Bieber.

Usher and Bieber's friendship dates back to 2007, when Scooter Braun brought a then-unknown Justin to sing for him. They have collaborated together over the years, with Usher serving as Bieber's mentor as the teenager's career took off.

Usher revealed to the outlet: "Our relationship is more man-to-man now. He's making his own decisions and it's important to show support. I can say I'm not happy with all the choices my friend has made, but I'm supportive of him."

"I try my hardest to give as much positive reinforcement as I can. I'll punch him in the f*cking chest when I need to, and give him a hug and kiss when I need to," Usher explained, noting: "It's more than just mentoring. I love the kid."

Usher loves helping people in general, which is what led him to join "The Voice," which he and contestant Josh Kaufman won last season. He claimed: "My mom always says: "You talk to everybody like they're your kids." I'm like: "I'm sorry, I was born to be a dad.""

Just in case you have missed it, Usher supported Bieber earlier this year after a years-old clip in which the performer used the N-word and joked about joining the KKK emerged on the web. Usher said in a statement in June: "At my core, I am a person that supports growth and understands without judgment, that growth often comes as a result of pain and continues effort." He continued: "As I have watched Justin Bieber navigate difficult waters as a young man, I can tell you that he hasn't always chosen the path of his greatest potential, but he is unequivocally not a racist."

"What he was 5 years ago was a naïve child who did not understand the negative power and degradation that comes from playing with racial slurs," Usher pointed out, adding: "What he is now is a young man faced with an opportunity to become his best self, an example to the millions of kids that follow him to not make the same mistakes."


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