Usher recalls recognising Beyonce’s ‘brilliance’ when she was a preteen

Usher knew Beyoncé was going to be huge when she was barely a teenager.

Usher has famously mentored a lot of emerging artists – one of the was Queen Bey’s former girl group, The Dolls, formed during her preteen years before Destiny’s Child was formed.

Reflecting on his experience “babysitting” the girl group, the OMG hitmaker told Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay Wednesday,“I think I looked over them while they [were] doing something in the house; I had to watch over ‘cause I was like the, you know, the authority ‘cause I guess I was the teenagers at the time.”

However, Usher clarified that he wasn’t the group’s “many” – or male nanny.

Instead, since he was just a few years older than the preteens, he took on the responsibility of ensuring they stayed out of trouble.

“[I was] making certain that they don’t, you know, get in trouble in the house at the time,” he said.

Reflecting on Beyoncé’s journey, the King of R&B expressed pride in witnessing her monumental success. He recalled that all those years ago, he noticed in Beyoncé “a talent and also to a brilliance and a brightness that was much different.”

“[It’s really great for my sister, to see that she’s done so amazing and continue to thrive and just get bigger and better,” he continued. “Whether it’s musically or in her life or creativity – all of it, man.”