Usher's debut CD is an album that celebrates the undeniable Black soul power of post-New Jack Swing music, an era that saw the rise of acts like Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly and SWV. On this album, a somewhat chubby 14 year-old Usher is introduced. With production work by Al B. Sure, Puff Daddy, and Jodeci's DeVante Swing, (as well as shimmering background vocals by Faith Evans), this album is a "must hear" for folks who enjoyed the first half of 90s soul/R&B.

There aren't any solid crossover hits like "You Make Me Wanna" or even "You Remind Me" on this album; rather, you get nothing but the smoothest jams. "Can U Get Wit It" is an early winner, produced by Jodeci's DeVante - the lyrics on this track (as well as the rest of the album) are extremely racy for a 14 year-old; oh well, that's showbiz for ya. The album continues on a consistently good basis, and then we reach "The Many Ways", an Al B. Sure midtempo that borrows heavily from Al B's work with Tevin Campbell (think: "Alone With You" from Tevin's debut)...anyhow, this song should have been a single in my opinion...

"Love Was Here" is an extremely soulful song (once again, Al B) with Faith Evans shining through on the backgrounds, but it's DeVante's masterpiece "Whispers" that really sets things off in a major way, and is still to this day (after almost 7 years) my favorite song that Usher ever recorded; extremely smooth, dark and mysterious (thanks to DeVante), "Whispers" is probably the only reason to try out this album in my opinion - if you like soul/R&B.

There really isn't a bad song on this debut, and production-wise it was defintely top notch, yet underrated because it didn't cross over to the "mainstream" pop audience; but for the R&B headz, I cannot recommend this album enough. The best way to describe Usher's sound on this album (he's still trying to find himself here) is at times like Tevin Campbell, sometimes like Tony Thompson of Hi-Five, and amazingly (like on "Can U Get Wit It") he sounds like Ginuwine...

Bottom line: this album is Usher's super-plush, velvety R&B masterpiece.

C.H.R.

I LOVE THIS CD. IT'S MOSTLY WHAT I LISTEN TO. ALL THE SONGS ON HERE WERE SO BEAUTIFUL AND USHER'S VOICE JUS CARRIED OUT THE SONGS SO WELL. MY FAV. ARE : "THINK OF YOU" "SLOW LOVE" AND "THE MANY WAYS." I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THIS ONE(USHER) WAS BETTER THAN HIS SECOND ONE (MY WAY). IF YOUR A USHER FAN AND HAVEN'T GOT IT YET U BETTER GO GET IT!

Think....BET Live, Usher- The many ways...... Produced by Al B Sure! What else needs to be said? For a 14 year old, a helluva voice and with the right people in the background...... he was not going to be denied.

Usher did an excelent job, for his first cd. Everyone that doesn't have it should get it. It is the best cd in the whole world. I could not live with out it, I would die. I'm listening to it now.

Usher Raymond burst onto the seen a year earlier on the Poetic Justice soundtrack with "Call Me A Mack" and now at the age of 15, he comes back with a great core of producers in the Untouchables(Eddie F, Dave "Jam" Hall, & Nevelle Hodge), Al B. Sure(Underrated for his producing skills), Devante Swing(Dopper than dope), and Puff Daddy(Overrated). This to me is the best Usher CD because it is just Usher doing his thing without a lot of other personnel on the CD. The best track on here is by far "Can U Get Wit It" where Devante do what he do with the talkbox and lays down phat gangsta beat. Another song that is very underrated is "The Many Ways" in which Al B. Sure laces up and is compared to Tevin Campbell's "Alone With You" in which Sure using great keyboarding sounds on this track. Other songs of note are "Whispers"(Another dope gangsta beat by Devante), "Took My Heart"(Great track by the Untouchables with Faith singing the background vocals), "Crazy", "Final Goodbye", "Smile Again", & "Think of You". Overall, a very good piece of work by the forementioned producers even though I did say that Puff Daddy is overrated. This was a great piece of work by Usher who really was flexing his vocals back in '94.