Rap-Up.com || Rico Love: Usher’s New Album Is ‘Classic’

Usher offered fans a glimpse into his personal life with the art-imitating-life buzz single “Papers.” But if you think that’s the only surprise the R&B crooner has in store, think again. Hitmaker Rico Love, who contributed six songs to Usher’s sixth album Raymond vs. Raymond, currently set for a December release, shared exclusive details with Rap-Up.com about the project.

Usher’s fifth album Here I Stand didn’t resonate with his audience as much as 2004′s multi-platinum Confessions. How does this new album compare to his previous efforts?
It’s going to be amazing. I did six records on the album. I feel like he’s got his mind right and it’s focused. He went through a lot. He had lost his father when he was creating the Here I Stand record, a lot of controversy with his marriage, he had kids, he parted ways with his mother’s management, and there were just a lot of things going on and he kind of lost focus. It’s not like Here I Stand wasn’t a good album. I just feel like he lost touch with his demographic.

What are the titles of the tracks you contributed to the project?
“There Goes My Baby,” “Into the Night,” “Lay You Down,” “Hey Daddy,” and “My Bag” to name a few.

He sang about his divorce on “Papers.” Will the album touch more on his relationship with his ex-wife Tameka Foster?
No, not at all. I think that’s why he put out the “Papers” record to say, “Listen, this is the last time I’ll be talking about it.” I’m sure he’s going to touch on it in a few records, but I don’t want people to think that’s what it’s about because he’s way more classier than that. I can say firsthand that the album is amazing. I’m a part of it. It’s going to be one of those classic Usher albums.

So is “Papers” his official first single?
No, “Papers” is not his first single. It’s his buzz record. Sean Garrett wrote that record. I have the utmost respect for people like Sean Garrett, Ne-Yo, and The-Dream. I really am a fan of what they do and I look up to those guys.

What’s it like working with Usher?
Usher is a genius with recording and will sing songs with such enthusiam and feeling. It’s just genius the way he translates what he’s saying to make it so personal. It’s effortless. I think Usher is my number one favorite artist to record. Mario and Beyoncé will have to be a close second.

–Monique Balcarran

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27 Comments

joe
October 27th, 2009 at 7:36 am
so many “classics” these days. everyone’s dropping “a classic”, “a monster record”, “a smash hit”… And they all generally SUCK big time!
I can’t even remember what I listened last month.
Music is going down. It’s fast food for the ears.

[Reply]
L Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 9:40 am
@joe blo!
troll alert “rolling eyes”

[Reply]
joe
October 27th, 2009 at 7:43 am
so many “classics” and “monster records” and “mega-smash” records and all of that before we even heard them.
music today is just fast food for the ears.

[Reply]
markfresh421
October 27th, 2009 at 8:07 am
If Raymond vs. Raymond comes out in december.. Then whebn does the official single drop? I smell another push back comin… I wish he’d a kept the Monster title and came hard wit the club banger.. He’s got A-List producers/writers lined up, I kno he can bang it out

[Reply]
L Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 9:41 am
@markfresh42

there will be no push back…Jive has never give us an official release date.
Did you see any date on Ushernow.com?
No? lol

[Reply]
Frank
October 27th, 2009 at 8:36 am
So glad that Papers isnt the first offer…

[Reply]
100% Nikehead
October 27th, 2009 at 8:49 am
i doubt the album is commin in December cause Chris browns album is droppin. His label is gonna push it back to January most likely!!!

[Reply]
lol
October 27th, 2009 at 9:09 am
*I hated PAPERS! But the new song ROCKBAND I’m feeling, so different. I like it. I hope to God PAPERS is not the first single. Me as a fan does not care for Usher’s personal life with Tameka. I just want some music not personal bull ish.

oops…

[Reply]
sassy
October 27th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Usher is wack now Brezzy kick his ass on this one.

[Reply]
L Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 10:10 am
@sassy,
yes he will kick his ass just like he beats this Rihanna chick…
CB fans doesnt have any respect for theselves supporting someone who try to kill a girl
just pathetic
I dont deny his talent but Chris Brown is a criminal
if he wasnt mixed ,light skinned and a celeb he will be in jail just like criminal does.

Beating a woman and almost kill her isnt just a regular mistake like an argument or breaking a glass:its a crime

Im still wondering he releases what he has done cause he seems remorseless partiying and enjoying life as Rihanna seems depressed and lost

and using Rihanna in her tweets for publicity stunt of his new video is kinda digusting and shows the worl how heartless he is.
He is right :he aint weak just shameless for showing his face like nothing happened

sad story

[Reply]
Burmy Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 11:29 am
@L,

It takes two to fight. How do we know that she didn’t hit him first? (for some reason in our culture, it’s OK for the ladies to swing at the men, but not vice versa)

I helped make #IForgiveChrisBrown a trending topic on another video. Men tend to get over these things easier than women do (my dad taught me that).

OK, now back to the Usher discussion…

[Reply]
l Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 11:49 am
@Burmy,
Its coward from a man to beat a woman even when she starts first all I got in my head is that TMZ pix for Rihanna
and that jet ski pix for CB
now draws the conclusion that you want…
I will never forgive CB cause he doesnt beat me…But I will never buy the music of a coward who beat her girlfriend

[Reply]
Burmy Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 11:56 am
@l,

HOLY DOUBLE STANDARDS BATMAN!

I just don’t get where the disparity is…

[Reply]
Carl
October 27th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Oh please.

[Reply]
lol
October 27th, 2009 at 10:56 am
No Chris is wack. His voice is wack. His video is not even half the hype that his teeny boppers fans made it out to be. The only thang that Chris has going for him is the fact that his song is better than Rhianna’s suicidal azz!

[Reply]
lol
October 27th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Usher will always eclipse Chris whole catalog in my opinion. Rockband will be a hit trust.

[Reply]
lol
October 27th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Chris sound like freaking chipmunk everytime he open his mouth. When the hell is his voice going to start maturing? GTFOH with that nonsense! Freaking beaver teeth looking beating on a woman Ike 2.0 mother*bleep* please.

BEAT IT!
BEAT IT!
DOWN! DOWN!

When Usher singing about beating it, he talking about the bedroom not beating on a woman.

[Reply]
youknow
October 27th, 2009 at 11:46 am
It would be a SMART move to put usher up against chris brown, because both would benefit from the increased traffic to the stores, and the hype.

[Reply]
l Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 11:51 am
@youknow,
it will not be a smart move cause Usher is a corporation who sells more than 40 millions album around the world and CB is a corporation with around 15 MILLIONS

It will only benefit Chris Brown the womanbeater who wants more attention than he diserves

[Reply]
bijan Reply:
October 29th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
@l, hun it’s spelled deserves

[Reply]
bass_man
October 27th, 2009 at 11:53 am
So excited

[Reply]
Philly11
October 27th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
When people say classic referring to Usher I can accept that because to me he has never had a corny cd. Here I Stand was just different and very mature but all his other albums r seriously AMAZING! So Im anticipating this new album.

[Reply]
R.
October 27th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Chris Brown= Epic Failure

Usher new album will be fire! Everyone will be sorry for bashing him for the last 2 years.

[Reply]
Catie
October 27th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I like how “Paper” is now considered a buzz single rather than the official first single because of how nobody is into it. I hope the new first single is a club banger or something.

[Reply]
@Catie.. Reply:
October 29th, 2009 at 7:02 am
@Catie,

Papers came out about 3 weeks ago, and it just went to iTunes about a week ago. The Billboard Hot 100 is a compilation of radio spins AND iTunes downloads, which obviously he was not able to get due to the late release to iTunes. Also, it is number 12 as of last week on the R&B charts. This is without any type of promotion whatsoever (Usher does not Twitter or interact with his fans as other artists do), in the midst of a bunch of bad press concerning his divorce, and without having performed it. Also, nothing has even been confirmed by his camp about a first single, release date, or even the name of the album. So to say “nobody” is in to it, is false.

[Reply]
brooks
November 5th, 2009 at 6:36 am
I hope Usher comes out with a club banger too. Ive been listening to the song, “Daddy’s Home” by Usher. It’s a sick track and I can’t get enough of it. I hope the album comes out soon, I just cant wait for it. As for Chris Brown…his new song “I Can Transform Ya”, I think is wack and nobody will pay attention to him as much anymore. That bein said,hurry up usher! we need some real R&B music!!

[Reply]
Noah
November 15th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I thought Papers was a powerful and poignant song, displaying Usher’s maturity as an artist. I hope that his next CD has many songs with such depths as embodied in Papers.

[Reply]