‘Looking Exactly Like His Daddy’: Usher’s Son Naviyd Ely Is All Grown Up

Naviyd Ely Raymond really had no choice but to be fly. With his father being superstar R&B singer Usher and his mother being fashion stylist to the stars Tameka Foster Raymond, the young man had to have great style.

The world got a chance to peep his swag at the AMIRI Autumn-Winter 2022 Runway Show in Los Angeles. 

(From left) Evan Ross, Usher and Naviyd Ely Raymond attend the AMIRI Autumn-Winter 2022 Runway Show on Feb, 8 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

The 13-year-old tagged along with his dad to the fashion show, where event coordinators sat the “Burn” chart-topper next to Evan Ross, front row of the runway. 

Naviyd gave his dad a run for his money when it came down to his gear. He wore a pair of black-and-white plaid pants with a black T-shirt. He topped the outfit off with a black cardigan with gold trimming. Top of his head, the young king rocked white sunglasses and a modest chain around his neck. He not only stole the show from his show-stopping father but stole the man’s whole face.

Fans notice the youngster is moving into those teenage years nicely.

One fan tweeted, “These babies that are no longer babies. GOODNESS.” Another fan tweeted, “Omg I can’t believe his son is 13 looking exactly like his Daddy. These celebrity babies grow up too fast.”

According to “Entertainment Tonight,” Usher said his son wasn’t impressed by the night — at least not as much as the paparazzi and media outlets snapping away.

He said, “He didn’t act like he wanted to be there most of the time.”

“He was acting super cool,” the 43-year-old singer said. “But I mean, wouldn’t you at 13? I don’t want to be around all these older people!”

The singer should know what it is like to have to act “super cool” around “older people.” The former child star has been doing that his whole life.

Usher got signed to LaFace Records at the tender age of 14, just one year older than Naviyd is now. After performing on the now-defunct “Star Search,” where he held the record for the child that held a singing note the longest in the history of the show, he caught the ear of Bryant Reid, the brother of L.A. Reid. 

The teen was brought to Reid and his partner Babyface, and the two signed him. Shortly after signing his deal, he, a young teen, was sent to live with Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs in the mid-90s, to record his debut album. His very first project, “Usher,” dropped when he was 15. 

The father of four, Usher V, 14; Nayvid Ely, 13; Sovereign Bo, 21 months; and 4-month new infant Sire Castrello, just finished his first Las Vegas residency and is headed for a summer return. 


‘Shame On Usher’: T-Pain Said It’s a ‘Big Lie’ That He and Usher Had a Conversation Following His Comments About T-Pain Ruining Music

“We’re Going At It The Wrong Way”| Deion Sanders Believes NFL Should Give Three Expansion Teams To Black Owners

Sashi Brown Becomes Just the Second Black Team President in NFL History With Baltimore Ravens Hire

The ABS Newsletter — Stories that matter, in your inbox.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Latest from Atlanta Black Star

Back to top