Usher Celebrates 48 With Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, & A Night Of Magic

A room full of entertainers briefly handed the spotlight to people whose entire job is making everyone question what they just saw. That was the setup for Usher’s 48th birthday celebration in New York City, where close-up magicians worked the crowd while the birthday boy enjoyed being the one caught off guard for once.

Video from the night shows Usher watching performers at Speakeasy Magick, an intimate show built around sleight of hand and audience interaction. According to TMZ, Kevin Hart was among the guests visibly stunned by a card trick, while Usher seemed more than happy to let somebody else handle the theatrics.

The guest list was nearly as entertaining as the show. Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Fabolous and Bun B were all spotted at the celebration, turning the birthday gathering into something close to an industry reunion with a magic act running through it. LeBron James and J.R. Smith were also in attendance.

Speakeasy Magick trades the giant stage for something more personal. Performers move through the room and work directly in front of guests, making the appeal less about spectacle from a distance and more about watching somebody pull off something impossible inches away. The production currently runs out of The Overlook Bar in Manhattan.

The celebration landed in the middle of another busy stretch for the singer. He is currently on The R&B Tour with Chris Brown, a stadium run that has kept both artists moving through the second half of the year. They recently announced a bit of a break so that everyone can take a rest before jumping back on the road.

After decades of building a career on knowing exactly when an audience is looking, Usher seemed genuinely amused by performers using those same instincts against him. For one night, he didn't need the entrance, the choreography, or the reveal. He just got to watch the trick.