The 50 most intriguing blacks of 2004

THEY are CEOs, leaders in the church, Olympic champions. They are Grammy winners, Tony Award winners, Academy Award winners--and winners in general. Aside from their incredible talents and appeal, they have a unique persona, a persona that raises the level of curiosity among onlookers who agree that the personalities featured on these pages are representative of the most intriguing African-Americans of 2004.

USHER

To say that Usher came into his own this year is an understatement. While the 25-year-old heartthrob was busy breaking virtually every R&B record with his new CD Confessions, he was also busy breaking up--in a very public way--with girlfriend Rozonda (Chilli) Thomas of the group TLC.

The two parted ways amid accusations of infidelity. Some said the breakup was the inspiration behind many of the songs on the Confessions CD, something Usher adamantly denied.

Having been in the public spotlight since he was a little boy, Usher's fans have watched him grow up from a cute crooner singing sugarcoated soul songs to a grown man singing about lovemaking, love lost end found, and the love of finding the right party.

The Chattanooga, Tenn., native now smokes cigars, hangs out at the hottest clubs, and is tight with the likes of rappers Lil' Jon and Ludacris. He owns his own house in Atlanta, complete with a fully stocked bar in the basement and a fully loaded Hummer outside.

Usher's on a mission to restore the face of R&B with a hip-hop urban style of music that pulls from great artists like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson a and Donnie Hathaway. Along the way, he wants to have fun, big fun. If you think you knew Usher Raymond IV, think again.

JANET Jackson

Super Bowl Sunday 2004 will be remembered as the day that Janet Jackson forever changed live television. The pop star's breast-baring incident during a half-time performance with Justin Timberlake continues to reverberate throughout the entertainment industry. The Federal Communications Commission has tightened rules and increased fines for broadcasters. Media conglomerates have been sued and fined. Live entertainment television broadcasts now are tightly monitored and aired with a 5-second delay. All because of a two-second incident during which Jackson's right breast was bared. Jackson hasn't talked about the incident much since EBONY'S exclusive interview shortly afterwards. She said then: "It was not intentional. It was a costume accident." The album she later released, Damita Jo, has sold millions of copies but far below expected sales for the artist Janet is no stranger to controversy in her life and that of her brother Michael, whom to support during his legal battle. And Janet continues to date she continues super producer Jermaine Dupri.

KOBE Bryant

KOBE NEVER IMAGINED that what he did and did not do on that night in a hotel room in Eagle, Colorado, would spark an international debate about consensual sex, date rape, interracial romance and "two justice systems." But the moment the news hit the airwaves--Kobe Bryant, 26-year-old superstar guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, accused of raping a 19-year-old White woman--the NBA's most famous golden boy found himself swept up in a media maelstrom. Kobe supporters publicly stood by him for an entire year as he fought to do his job on the basketball court, clear his name, atone to his family and fans and hold on to the multimillion-dollar endorsement deals. Kobe detractors all but predicted that he would lose his wife, his freedom and his endorsement deals, but the young NBA superstar, not for the first time in his life, came up with a three-point shot that swooshed through the legal nets just before the buzzer sounded. At the last moment, the accuser decided not to press the legal charges and the rape charge was dismissed. But this was not, by any means, the end of Kobe's ordeal. The accuser vowed to pursue a civil suit.

Kenneth I. CHENAULT

WHEN "A FIRST NEGRO" OR AN "ONLY NEGRO" does what he does so well that people stop calling him the first Negro or the only Negro, he enters a new orbit and makes news because he no longer makes news. Kenneth I. Chenault, the chairman and CEO of American Express, has entered that rarefied orbit, and because of his successes people who don't know what color he is, and who don't care, are refusing to leave home without him. Insiders say Chenault's success at the top of the American corporate structure is based on a mastery of American Express corporate culture and a quiet, tough, compelling charm that transcends colors and boxes. A close friend said: "I have watched him at work and at play, and I want you to know that he is always connected to the community."

BEYONCE

Beyonce Knowles, a do-it-all diva who recognizes no boundary to her ambition and accomplishments, continues to make heads spin, tongues wag and eyes sparkle with her many faces, facets, fashions and talents. A singer, record producer and "songwriter of the year," her fluid dance moves have launched the "Beyonce dance," which she credits to Africa. She also is making a name for herself as an actress and will co-star with Steve Martin in The Pink Panther remake next year; again she showcases her comedic side, as she did in the hit movie Austin Powers: Goldmember. On another front, she is returning to her Destiny's Child roots, rejoining Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams to release a new recording and plan a tour. And as if that wasn't enough to keep the 23-year-old beauty busy, she and her mother, fashion stylist/designer Tina Knowles, recently announced the fall 2005 launch of Beyonce's own fashion line, The House of Dereon, named after Beyonce's grandmother, Agnes Dereon, a skilled seamstress. The theme for the line is "Couture. Kick. Soul." Topping off Beyonce's young, exciting and busy life is a hot romance with rap mogul Jay-Z. After almost two years of appearing arm-in-arm but remaining tight-lipped about the relationship, the two lovebirds now acknowledge something wonderful is happening. "We're fine. We're happy," she says.