Usher delivers inspirational commencement address at Emory University, receives honorary doctorate

Usher receives an honorary doctorate during Emory University’s 180th commencement ceremony on Monday, May 12.

Usher Raymond IV is officially a doctor—an honorary one, at least!

Dressed in the school’s blue and gold garb, the 46-year-old R&B icon received an honorary doctorate during Emory University’s graduation ceremony on Monday, May 12, at the Atlanta-based school’s Woodruff Physical Education Center, where he also delivered the commencement address, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 

The “Yeah” singer addressed the class of 2025 and their loved ones for roughly 20 minutes with jokes about mimosas, stories from his childhood growing up in the Georgia capital, and inspired the newly minted graduates to chase after their biggest dreams. 

When thanking the school for the honor, the Grammy-winner admitted he thought they needed another performer when the school first reached out. He was shocked that they wanted him to give the commencement address and receive the honorary doctorate. He also thanked his wife, mother, and children, who were in attendance. 

“I want to thank my family for being here. My wife, Jennifer G. Raymond, my kids, who are here, who got up super early this morning and who were really mad at me,” he teased as he received a huge laugh from the crowd. “But it was worth it because I’m a doctor.” 

During his remarks, he recalled receiving a “rude awakening” when he first arrived in Atlanta and went to school. 

“Academically, I was so far behind that I wasn’t able to keep up, and staff at the school I attended didn’t have the resources to help me,” he said, adding that being put in remedial classes “felt like a judgment on my ability as a Black man or kid at the time.”

However, the “OMG” singer credited his “passion” with how he was able to overcome becoming “misunderstood” and become the Usher we all know today. 

“Before I could sing, before I could dance and before I was a doctor, I had passion,” Usher said. “The system didn’t know what to do with a student like me.”

This experience, he said, ultimately led him to give back to underserved children through his Usher’s New Look nonprofit, which has helped more than 50,000 students over the last 25 years, per Fox 5.

Usher gave examples of both the value of education and figures who have risen without it, like producer and Usher collaborator Scooter Braun, a former Emory student who never graduated.

“In a world where credentials can feel overshadowed by clicks, followers, and algorithms, does a diploma still matter?” he asked. “Yes, of course it does. But it’s not the paper that gives power. It’s you.”

Usher addressed a crowd of some 5,500 graduates and their loved ones during what marked the school’s 180th commencement ceremony. The ceremony was initially set to take place outside but was moved indoors due to extreme weather, Fox 5 reported. While addressing the crowd, Usher gave the students a reality check about what awaits them. 

“You’re graduating into a world very different from the one that I stepped into at that age. I know I don’t look it, but I’m 46,” he joked. 

All jokes aside, he noted that while some things are “beautiful,” like technological advancements, there are also some changes that are “deeply troubling.” One area of major concern is education which he said is a “fundamental right” that is being “politicized and minimized and in some places, erased.” 

Before he wrapped, he empowered the graduates with the knowledge that they are the architects of the future, encouraging them to “Be a little unrealistic, be a little delusional, even in your pursuit of happiness and fulfillment.” 

He added, “At the same time, be patient, be respectful of the process, because life is filled with challenges, and they would either make you or break you.”