You can count Rico Love, as a solo artist, out. The successful producer has officially put an end to any speculation, saying he's "cool being behind the scenes."

"I'm cool with being behind the scenes. Also, it would be so cliché. You have Sean Garrett, Keri Hilson, The-Dream and Ne-Yo, who were all songwriters and became artists," Love told Billboard. "If I did that, I'd feel like they'd be like, "Oh, there goes another one." I'd rather be myself and original."

In related news, Love says Usher's forthcoming album "Looking 4 Myself" is not a safe project.

"What he wanted to do [on "Looking 4 Myself"] was explore himself musically. He stepped outside of what was safe and normal. He wanted to make an album that expressed where he was going sonically and not just where he's been for the past 12 to 15 years," says Rico Love. "He's growing, developing, moving, shaking, and being something that's new, cultural, and that's affecting people sonically. That's kind of forcing the people to grow and elevate."

Rico Love's credits include "Motivation (Kelly Rowland)" and the new single "Touch 'N You (Rick Ross, Usher),' which debuted on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart earlier this month.

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