Usher isn’t afraid to give his protégé Justin Bieber some tough love when he desperately needs it.
During an interview with Billboard magazine, the r&b singer spoke about his career, personal life and his relationship with the young pop star that seems to be getting himself in a lot of trouble lately.
Bieber was arrested multiple times in 2014, including one instance in which he was reportedly caught vandalizing his neighbor’s home. Bieber’s tumultuous relationship with on-again, off-again girlfriend Selena Gomez has also made him a target for the gossip blogs.
Usher explained his relationship with Bieber has grown, but he still has a fatherly connection to him that forces him to be brutally honest.
"Our relationship is more man-to-man now," he told Billboard. "He's making his own decisions and it's important to show support. I can say I'm not happy with all the choices my friend has made, but I'm supportive of him.
“I try my hardest to give as much positive reinforcement as I can. I'll punch him in the f---ing chest when I need to, and give him a hug and kiss when I need to. It's more than just mentoring. I love the kid."
Usher told the magazine he’s always had the mentality of a “mentor” and it came across while he was speaking with the contestants during his time of NBC’s “The Voice.”
“My mom always says, ‘You talk to everybody like they're your kids,'" he said. "I'm like, ‘I'm sorry, I was born to be a dad.'"
The singer is currently living in Atlanta with his sons Usher V, 6, and 5-year-old Naviyd Ely. Usher has postponed his album release date indefinitely, as he feels he has more to say and the album just isn’t ready.
