The Emmy winner has been behind the scenes of several amazing performances, but tells ET he isn't ready to headline his own.
It's been five years since JAY-Z's Roc Nation partnered up with the NFL to produce their Super Bowl halftime shows, and the selections keep getting better.
After helping spearhead performers like Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in 2020, The Weeknd in 2021, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar in 2022, and Rihanna in 2023, the long-term partnership came together for this year's big show with Usher as the headliner.
"I think that he's going to take his rightful place," the iconic rapper and businessman, 54, told ET's Nischelle Turner at the red carpet premiere of The Book of Clarence. "He's one of the greatest performers we've seen in our time and I think he'll take his rightful place."
The "My Way" singer was confirmed as the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show headliner back in September 2023, and will perform inside Allegiant Stadium in Nevada on Feb. 11.
When ET spoke with the 45-year-old singer on the heels of the news that he'll be headlining the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, he teased what fans can expect from the high-profile performance.
"This is a celebration of my legacy. It's a celebration of my music. It's a celebration of my passion," Usher shared. "Thirty years ago, that journey started, and now it's landed me at this point in my life at the Super Bowl. Lot of songs, lot of moments, lot of dance, lot of energy."
The hardest part of Super Bowl prep has been choosing the set list, he explained. "You've got 13 minutes in order to get through an entire legacy of music," he noted before sharing how he was feeling ahead of the performance.
"The fact that I have my friends and new people to celebrate with is ultimately what's driving me and building my anticipation and excitement," he said. "... I don't take it for granted. My mother talked about this moment many years ago actually and there was the thought that maybe it wouldn't come. It was just a matter of time and making certain that the moment was right."
Usher noted that he's "absolutely" fielding phone calls from past collaborators about a potential Super Bowl appearance, something he's been "considering a lot."
"It's magic time," he noted of the performance before playing coy about possible special guests by saying, "Who knows?"
As for JAY-Z, despite helping the NFL bring amazing shows to the stage, the Brooklyn-born rapper has never stepped up to that particular spotlight, despite having the extensive discography to put on an amazing show.
When asked if he'll take the stage for himself one day, the rapper confessed that he wasn't sure. "I don't know. I thought it would be selfish to pick myself too early," he admitted.
But never fear, JAY-Z fans, that doesn't mean you should lose hope! Despite his trepidations, the father of three told ET he's still thinking about it.
"Maybe one year," he teased.
Meanwhile, the "Empire State of Mind" rapper -- who is notoriously selective when it comes to accepting new projects -- is staying busy with his work in the film world. His latest project is serving as an executive producer on The Book of Clarence.
The film stars Lakeith Stanfield as the streetwise but down-on-his-luck title character, who is just a regular guy living in Jerusalem in 33 AD and struggling to find a better life for his family while fighting to free himself of debt. When he crosses paths with the one-and-only Jesus Christ himself, he decides to forgo devoting himself to the higher cause of the rising Messiah and His apostles. Instead, Clarence risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life by becoming a messiah himself.
The rapper explained to ET what made him sign onto the film and why he believes it's a hit.
"It's Jeymes," he said, referencing the movie's writer and director, Jeymes Samuel. "Jeymes is just a genius. We did The Harder They Fall together and we are gonna do a bunch of projects. We got a bunch of projects in the pipeline as well -- he's just fearless. He's fearless and he's creative. We went from Old West to the New Testament."
The film features a star-studded cast, including Omar Sy, Anna Diop, RJ Cyler, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, with James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Book of Clarence premieres in theaters nationwide on Jan 12.