Usher has had one hell of a 2024. He’s got a new album, he’s headed on tour, he performed at the Super Bowl, and now, he’s been honored with a BET Lifetime Achievement Award. However, we aren’t sure how he feels about it, because BET’s infamously touchy censor weighed in pretty heavily during Usher’s acceptance speech after he let some colorful language fly in reference to his absentee father. The speech ended up sounding a bit like the radio edit of Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None),” only without the fly instrumental. Fans were quick to let their own commentary off the chain on Twitter.
The censor person in the back during Usher speech #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/cVjmXMfWOO
— LENA (@_sdm26) July 1, 2024
The person censoring Usher’s speech: #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/PaqtdhkjPH
— patweetme (@patweet_me) July 1, 2024
they full on muted usher’s acceptance speech?? #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/QqE2eEFy64
— mikal (@fcrgiveme) July 1, 2024
Usher cussing up a storm up there like it’s the Source awards BET took away my audio can’t even hear the speech
#BETAwards #BET #Usher pic.twitter.com/ESQKY7WCtR
— JAYT
(@JaytMusiq) July 1, 2024
Me trying to read usher’s lips when they censored his speech #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/KrQjRfCcFl
— Toney! Toni! Toné! (@the_notorious_) July 1, 2024
They really cut Usher’s whole damn speech. Cannot believe we really waited around for Usher to FINALLY get on the damn mic and #BETAwards really cut the whole damn thing other than 4 words and claps. That’s that BS, Gelado!! pic.twitter.com/hRWrgwlkQT
— Dr. Nicki Washington (@dr_nickiw) July 1, 2024
Despite this, the mics were indeed on during the tribute performance honoring Usher, which featured an all-star roster of nearly all women singers covering hits from across Usher’s near-30-year run of hits. Included in the performance were Childish Gambino (“U Don’t Have To Call”), Keke Palmer (“You Make Me Wanna”), Summer Walker (“Good Good”), Coco Jones (“There Goes My Baby”), Marsha Ambrosius (“Confessions Pt.2”), Chlöe (“Good Kisser”), Tinashe (“Nice & Slow”), Teyana Taylor & Victoria Monét (“Bad Girl”), and Latto (“Yeah!”).
This isn’t the first time the BET Awards have had censor issues — it’s a tradition going back decades at this point. Nor is this the first time this month Usher has had technical difficulties on the mic, after Latto had to help save his performance at her Birthday Bash in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. Check out his speech… in all its censored glory… above.
the broadcast technician hitting the bleep censor when Faneto comes on #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/CyLLiADAoi
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) June 26, 2023
https://twitter.com/questlove/status/879137846262628352