Social media went up for R&B great Usher after Jermaine Dupri shared a video of himself and the crooner busting a move on roller skates at the grand opening of Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace at The Rink at Rockefeller Center last week.
In the video, the 43-year-old singer led Dupri and an unidentified woman in a skate line to his hit single “Daddy’s Home.” The trio glided to the smooth tune hitting scissors and front crosses in unison.
As the video circulated, fans gave Usher props for his roller skating skills.
First of all it’s the fact that usher can skate like that that gets my gears goin??? https://t.co/72Tf7KVHpE
— Soft Butch Queen?
? (@Idh8me2) April 21, 2022
Usher and Jermaine Dupri rollerskating is reason #19246i824647u33w028334661223327 I love Black people! We used to live at Northland Skating Rink! Shout to all my rollers!https://t.co/drk6HY08kf
— Keka Araújo (@KAraujoNWT) April 22, 2022
Watching @Usher skate…. pic.twitter.com/CV7uzmOa91
— ? (@agnesreaux) April 20, 2022
I love that usher can skate ? https://t.co/zliSliZBsS
— Jams ?? (@JamieJams101) April 21, 2022
Aside from Usher always being fine. Something about a black man that can skate will always have me weak in the knees!! https://t.co/VAlmpXlZyl
— K. (@kaihaze) April 20, 2022
Watching Usher and crew skate was the Blackest and littest thing to see.
Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace at Rockefeller Center is essentially a reboot of a renowned 1970s roller skating rink based in Los Angeles. Ian Ross founded the original rink. His daughter, Liberty Ross, is the co-founder and creative director at the Manhattan location.
Usher is a partner in the new venture.
Roller skating has been a popular pastime for Black people in America since the 1950s, but the civil rights movement caused the recreational activity to explode within the community. Roller skating rinks were segregated. However, one night per week, Black folks came together on specific nights to partake in the inexpensive hobby. Black skating styles derived from the discrimination and policing of Black bodies.
