Usher Rejected “Yeah!” Until L.A. Reid Threatened Him, Rico Love Claims

Usher, like the true soulful superstar he is, doesn’t think that R&B is dead, but if he had gone with his gut back around 2003, he might not have been the king of the genre to make that belief have weight in the first place. Moreover, according to TMZ, producer Rico Love recently went to Home Grown Radio to talk about his big break writing for Usher’s 2004 album Confessions. In addition, he also gave an interesting claim about the backstory behind the smash hit “Yeah!” While it’s not a traditional R&B cut, it’s still one of the Dallas native’s biggest hits, one that Love claims he didn’t want to record at first.

Apparently, Rico Love was there when Usher first heard the demo for “Yeah!,” which Sean Garrett wrote. Initially, he did not like the song at all, and he rejected any advances to record the track for his then-upcoming 2004 project. The producer thought that it was a little cringe, and so did the Super Bowl’s upcoming halftime show performer. Not only that, but Love even said that the opening lines “Up in the club with my homies/ Tryin’ to get a little V.I./ Keep it down on the low-key” made him burst into laughter.

Rico Love Recalls L.A. Reid Allegedly Pressuring Usher To Put Out “Yeah!”: Watch

However, L.A. Reid had something else to say about “Yeah!” as a then-music executive and the President of Arista Records at the time. He thought the record sounded like true-blue hit, and staunchly suggested that Usher release it as the first single instead of “Burn.” Allegedly, as Rico Love recalled, he fought back against these pressures until Reid simply said “Do the f***ing song!” and hung up on him. In addition, he apparently also left the SKIMS collaborator no choice but to put the song out, through other means that weren’t just a phone call.

Meanwhile, we’re sure that he will be able to see the real love that people have for “Yeah!” during his upcoming tour. The 45-year-old surely has different thoughts on the track these days, now that hindsight is 20/20. It would be interesting to hear him respond to this claim, and look back on the choices he made that propelled him into music’s upper echelon. With that in mind, stay posted on HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Usher.

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