With over 30 years in the business, Usher has solidified himself as one of the greatest performers to ever hit a stage. Now he’s sharing all that talent and knowledge with the newest musical protégés signed under his record label imprint mega. The label is a joint partnership with Gamma Records, and is seeing Usher taking on the role as mentor and label executive. This week, he’s hopping onto the remix of a collaboration between two of his artists, JayDon and Paradise for the song “Lullaby”. 

When Larry Jackson left Apple Music to launch Gamma in 2023, he brought along an impressive roster of artists including Usher, Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg. He would go on to also sign Sexyy Red, French Montana and more recently, Mariah Carey. With an emphasis on nurturing Black culture, the label has had immense success in its few years. Both Usher and Mariah are legacy artists, but they have continued to release new and exciting art under the label, helping to push boundaries while still maintaining their iconic status. Mariah just released her newest album Here for It All, her first in seven years and just recently broke records for largest viewership ever for a TikTok live for her Christmas concert special in collaboration with Gamma and Apple Music. Usher on the other hand released his album Coming Home last year, his first in eight. That, and also headlining the Super Bowl plus embarking on a sold-out world tour. 

 

Recently though, Usher quietly cancelled his Australian tour dates in November and December of this year. While no official cause was given, he has been instead focusing on his mentee, JayDon. JayDon’s single “Lullaby” has been making waves across the R&B stations in the USA, so going into the new year feels like the right time to get his industry father, Usher, on board. Usher of course had a few seasons as a mentor on the popular competition show The Voice, but that’s pennies in comparison to this venture. In a recent IG post promoting the single, Usher says he’s “Sharing game with the next generation”, dropping gems on how he became the icon he is today, how he became the fantasy on that stage for millions of people. Most importantly, he’s getting to break the cycle on how to mentor new talent. If you watched the Diddy documentary, it was mentioned how Usher was around Diddy in his early days – who could forget the “Diddy camp” Usher spoke on back in 2016. No new intimate details of their time together has been divulged but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it was not an environment for a teenage artist.

Usher is now getting the opportunity to take a different approach, and give his artists the freedom to both express themselves while still finding their lanes as creatives. 

Next week is the last week before the holidays, and we’ve got the queen of everything, Cher, set to hit SNL with a new holiday track. This week there’s new music from Usher with JayDon & Paradise, 21 Savage and GloRilla, Nas and DJ Premier, Christina Aguilera and Fridayy with Mariah the Scientist. 

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Lullaby – mega remix” by JayDon, Paradise, USHER 

Usher knows a thing or two about doing his thing on a remix. “Lullaby” has already done well on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop stations across the USA, where it sits in the Top 20, but the addition of Usher onto the tracks widens its crossover appeal. Both JayDon and Paradise are signed to Usher’s mega label, so this is truly him taking on the role of mentor and musical father figure. The future of R&B is in good hands. The original version has a lusher feel, while the remix leans into the mid-tempo groove that Usher has been “confessing” to for decades. He even makes a fun nod to his famous album at the beginning of the remix where he points out “since we’re out here confessing” and proceeds to sing us all under the table. Both JayDon and Paradise have been benefitting from the expertise of one of R&B’s legends, and lots of it has been documented on their respective social media channels. Even Justin Bieber has taken notice of JayDon’s talent, showing love on IG. In a time when R&B is shining brighter than it ever has before with Kehlani, Leon Thomas and Mariah the Scientist dominating the charts, this is the perfect time for an artist like JayDon to make his mark. Also, yes, anytime I hear Usher’s voice on anything I’m going to swoon.

 

“DOG $HIT” by 21 Savage, GloRilla

His music may not be TV friendly, but there’s always been something about 21 Savage that made me stay interested, though I can’t say I love all of the latest album WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS?, as it felt a little lazy to me. There are some standouts, however, including this cut with GloRilla. Glo always adds her signature flair to any piece of music, and the two of them together bring out the best in each other. The song is a reference to having a sh-t ton of money, as explicitly stated at the beginning of the song. 21’s ad libs have always been a signature,  but for every line 21 spits, Glo delivers one that is just as savage and confident like “ain’t gon’ f-ck you with no money, better go get you some”. Facts. This is the first time that 21 and Glo have linked up for a song, and along with the Drake feature, has been one of the more popular songs online. 

“GiT Ready” by Nas, DJ Premier

Both Nas and DJ Premier are hip-hop legends in their own right. The two of them teaming up together is real legacy sh-t, and serves as an homage to the genre that they helped make a standard. Premier’s scratches are all over the song, and instantly give it the prestige. It’s a throwback to the sounds that dominated in the 80s and 90s, rich in samples and interpolations. One standout is the use of Wilson Pickett’s “Get Me Back On Time” which was also used in LL Cool J’s 1987 hit “The Bristol Hotel”, except DJ Premier flipped it for this track to give it a modern touch. Then you have the interpolation of Biggie’s remix of “Only You” by 112. Nas opens the song with the lyrics “Jesus, the king out of Queensbridge, at-ease us with your lyrical thesis” rapped to the same melody as The Notorious B.I.G., and even borrowing some of the lyrics from the now legendary lyric “Jesus, the Notorious just please us with your lyrical thesis”. Nas and Biggie were rumoured to be feuding over the “King of New York” title up until Biggie’s death. Nas is paying homage to Biggie while still centering himself along with Big as the kings of New York, but from their respective boroughs. To hit the listener with such a loaded reference right off the bat is why Nas is who he is. One listen to this album and you get both a vibe and a lesson in hip-hop all in one. 

 

“Death Do Us Part” by Fridayy, Mariah the Scientist

Mariah the Scientist has had a breakout year with hits like “Burning Blue” and her adaptation of the sound from the grand R&B ballads of the 80s. This new collaboration with R&B artist Fridayy follows that line. The song comes from Fridayy’s new surprise EP Everybody Got Somebody, meant to serve as a bridge between his previous release and upcoming album. “Death Do Us Part” is an honest reflection of the struggles that bring temptation to a relationship. If you’re locked into The Shade Room you know that Mariah is no stranger to headlines surrounding her on-again off-again relationship with Young Thug. I sense some personal inspiration behind lyrics like “Every time I’m out the door, somethin’ pulls me back”. The song does however emphasize that the love is so strong, that no matter what situation comes in their path, they will prevail until death. I haven’t made that promise to anyone so I can’t speak to the permanence of it, but I’m sure it could make many people stick through some situations that they otherwise wouldn’t. The difference between them and Mariah the Scientist is that the gossip blogs don’t get every single detail. This track is both vulnerable and realistic while keeping its romantic sound just right. 

 

“Genie In a Bottle – Live from the Crazy Horse” by Christina Aguilera

It just would not be a Christina Aguilera project without some camp. Her latest Christmas live album and film Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris sees our diva celebrating the 25th anniversary of her classic Christmas album My Kind of Christmas via live performances in Paris atop the Eiffel Tower and at the world-famous Crazy Horse. A little bit of naughty and a little bit of nice, quite “dirrty” if you will. Christina gives three of her non-Christmas hits a festive remake inspired by the sensuality and underground grit of the French performing house. The classic pop jam has been a staple in Christina’s set list since its inception in 1999 and has encountered countless re-imagined versions over the years. “Genie” has been remixed into an electronica track, a tribal mix, a rocking hit alongside mgk, and now a cabaret-inspired rendition fit for a burlesque lounge. For those of us who have overplayed our DVDs of her iconic 2010 film Burlesque, this is a side of Christina’s identity as a performer that we hold dear. Xtina was giving us “showgirl” realness decades before Taylor Swift adapted the persona. It’s also so incredibly refreshing to witness a pop act that is not concerned with the charts and rather embraces her status as a legacy, while still crafting meaningful and thematically rich creative projects. Up until this week I wasn’t aware that I needed yet another version of “Genie in A Bottle” in my playlist but leave it to Christina to prove me wrong. Christina’s full live Christmas album is now available on streaming and the accompanying film will have one more round in American theatres on December 21st. Here’s hoping that all this good will from the holiday project will materialize in a new album of original material in the new year, because I’ll be damned if we let all that beauty and talent go to waste. 

 

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“White Iverson” by Post Malone

The end of the year is the perfect time to clean out the camera roll on your phones, so why not create a viral trend over it – because that’s what we do in 2025. This brings us to the “my storage is full, let me delete sum pics real quick” trend. The trend sees users posting two photos, one of them currently at this time in their life and the other from any nostalgic time in the past. All of this of course is done to the tune of Post Malones breakout 2015 hit “White Iverson”, particularly the beginning of the second verse. The song was a huge hit for Posty, hitting #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and currently sits at a whopping 1.2 billion streams on Spotify. Safe to say that of all songs, this one certainly doesn’t need any extra viral attention, but when a song is this good it just can’t help itself.

The trend has now helped “White Iverson” hit #20 on TikTok’s top songs chart, and has close to half a million uses. Post Malone himself joined in on the trend this past weekend, with a throwback photo of him from around the time he was making songs like these. The non-country Posty days, ahh… what a time. Some of the TikToks made are pretty great, from people sharing times they’ve met celebrities, to adorable childhood photos, and embarrassing moments. I can’t exactly pinpoint why this song is associated with the trend, but just like most songs that go viral, it just happened. “White Iverson” in particular is already such a legendary song for the internet having gone viral in the past. It’s like re-watching a favourite movie of yours, familiar and always welcome. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@postmalone/photo/7583121592876535095

https://www.tiktok.com/@idk827200/photo/7580810376615398687

https://www.tiktok.com/@alejandrozario/photo/7579381230639140110

https://www.tiktok.com/@abbalynnn/photo/7582632354171063582

You can also check out my “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year. 

With Love, 

MC

Photo credits: YouTube/ JayDon

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