Ne-Yo has revealed that Usher is an incredibly important figure in the music industry and without his success, his own career wouldn't have flourished. 

Speaking about the R&B superstar after he was presented with the BET Honors Musical Arts Award, the 'Closer' hitmaker confessed that he truly 'paved the way' for other artists in the same genre:

"I feel that without Usher, there would be no me, there would be no Chris Brown, there would be no Trey Songz. He paved the way for us, so for him to get that honour was kind of special for me. I feel that he actually deserved it."

Ne-Yo, meanwhile, recently told London's Metro newspaper that his mother is his biggest inspiration: "My mum was and still is the biggest influence on me, she's my absolute hero. As far as I'm concerned, she's the strongest person on the planet. She's really been through the wringer, from not being appreciated to guys who weren't there for her. She's been through a lot and came out the other side."

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Watch Ne-Yo's music video for 'Coming With You' below: