FOR THE CULTURE: Usher Roller Skating At Rockefeller Center Was The Littest, Most Blackest Thing Ever

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.

 

@jermainedupri ROLLING!! #Repost @roll_moduls・・・@cece_therealest SKATING WITH THE STARS ?⭐️Rink @rockefellercenter and @flippers.world #rollerskating #rollerskates #lifeoftheskateparty #rollerskater #rollerskate @usher ♬ original sound – Jermaine Dupri

As the video circulated, fans gave Usher props for his roller skating skills. 

 

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.