Jermaine Dupri kicked Usher out of the studio, then wrote “U Got It Bad”
Usher brought a girlfriend into a Southside Studios session. After an argument and a phone call, Dupri ended the date and started writing. The ballad became Usher's third Hot 100 No. 1.
"U Got It Bad" was written by Usher, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's third album, 8701. Dupri produced it with Cox as co-producer. Arista and LaFace issued the single to urban radio on August 21, 2001.
The writing story is documented in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits and summarised on Wikipedia. Dupri and Usher were trying to cut tracks at Southside Studios in Atlanta when Usher kept getting pulled away by a girl he had brought into the room. After an argument, she left. Later they were on the phone. Dupri stopped the session.
“We're going to do this [session] later on. You got it completely too bad right now. You got it bad.”
— Jermaine Dupri, as reported in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (via Wikipedia)
Dupri started the lyric once Usher left. When Usher came back, Dupri walked him through the idea. Dupri later told Complex he also wanted another ballad with the reach of Usher's earlier "Nice & Slow".
- Song
- U Got It Bad
- Album
- 8701 · 2001
- Writers
- Usher Raymond · Jermaine Dupri · Bryan-Michael Cox
- Producers
- Jermaine Dupri · Bryan-Michael Cox (co)
- Hot 100
- No. 1 (first peaked Dec 15, 2001; returned Jan 8, 2002 for five weeks)
- Hot R&B/Hip-Hop
- No. 1
- UK Singles
- No. 5
"U Got It Bad" became Usher's third Hot 100 No. 1 and his second from 8701 after "U Remind Me". It also topped Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Little X directed the video with TLC's Chilli as the love interest; the clip continues into "U Don't Have to Call".
The session line Dupri used on Usher is still the song's title. The record did the rest.
