Usher addresses life struggles in emotional BET Lifetime Achievement speech

Usher was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards in Los Angeles.

The ceremony held on June 30, celebrated Usher's influential career spanning more than three decades.

During the event, the U Got It Bad hitmaker was treated to a tribute performance by various artists, including Childish Gambino and Keke Palmer, who performed renditions of his classic songs.

Despite encountering audio issues that briefly disrupted the proceedings, Usher delivered a poignant acceptance speech.

He reflected on the challenges he faced growing up without his father and how those experiences shaped his journey in the music industry.

"I was trying to make sense of this name that a man gave me that didn’t stick around because he didn’t love — or at least that was my perception of it," Usher said in his speech.

He continued, "Because I had to live long enough to understand that you have to have a forgiving heart in order to understand the true pitfalls and hardships of a Black man in America," adding, "And my father, he was a product of that. He made a lot of decisions — he made a lot of choices — and the one that probably hurt and helped me at the same time was to stay away."

Usher dedicated the award to his children, emphasizing the importance of fatherhood and inspiring future generations.