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How Justin Bieber Found His Hip-Hop Swag

Following the release of his hip-hop-heavy Believe, MTV News looks at the young pop star’s swaggiest moments. By Rob Markman, with additional reporting by Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: You’d think a 1995 collaboration between the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and rap’s widely recognized G.O.A.T., the Notorious B.I.G., would have made a bigger wave, but when MJ released “This Time Around” with Biggie Smalls 17 years ago, mixing pop with hip-hop was still very taboo. Despite the top billing, the track hit with a relative thud. The truth is it just didn’t feel organic, it’s not like Mike grew up listening to rap in Gary, Indiana, in the 1960s, the art form as we know it today just didn’t exist. Justin Bieber was a 1-year old when the King of Pop snagged the King of Hip-Hop for a feature. And unlike Jackson, he grew up during an era when rap stars like Biggie, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur were just as big as their pop counterparts — sometimes bigger. That’s why Bieber mixes hip-hop so seamlessly on his new album Believe. “One, I think they know it’s authentic and two, you got to remember Justin’s past,” JB’s manager Scooter Braun told MTV News. “I was the vice president of So So Def Records and then I left and Justin was the second artist I found after Asher Roth. So here’s this 13-year-old living in Atlanta, no one knows who he is, and he’s just riding around with me and we’re in the studio with Ludacris. We’re in the studio with T.I. We’re in the studio with Big Boi from OutKast, hanging out and he got exposed to that really early.” Ludacris, Drake, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj all appear on the 13-track Believe, but JB’s hip-hop jones didn’t develop overnight. It’s been years in the making. MTV News takes a look back at seven of Justin’s defining hip-hop moments. “Baby” featuring Ludacris JB didn’t have much rapper swag when he dropped “Baby” with Ludacris at the top of 2010, but the track sounded good, especially when Luda dropped his rapid-fire bars over the feel-good track. When he performed a remixed version of the track with fellow Canadian Drake at the 2010 Juno Awards, Justin further proved that he can rock with rap’s finest. “We Are the World 25 For Haiti” After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Quincy Jones assembled an all-star cast of musicians like Kanye West, Usher, Janet Jackson and Justin Bieber to remake the 1985 classic. During the recording, the Biebs got to kick it with notable MCs like Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes and his long-time friend Nipsey Hussle. “Runaway Love” Remix Featuring Kanye West and Raekwon Justin Biebs proved he “ain’t nothing to f— with” in August 2010 when he linked up with Kanye West and Raekwon for his “Runaway Love” remix. The Chef and Yeezy rapped on the track which sampled Wu-Tang Clan’s dusty underground favorite “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F— Wit.” JB and Nicki Sitting In A Tree So what do Nas and Justin Bieber Have in common? OK, kissing Nicki Minaj on the cheek at the 2010 Video Music Awards doesn’t really give Justin that much rap cred, the voluptuous Nicki could sing country music and we would’ve been just as jealous. “Speaking in Tongues” Freestyle Let’s face it, if you plan on spitting rap bars, the name Justin Bieber just isn’t going to cut it. Enter Shawty Mane: JB’s swagged-out alter-ego. Back in October 2010, Justin showed that singing wasn’t his only talent when he rapped over Vado and Cam’ron’s “Speaking in Tongues.” The freestyles didn’t stop there; Shawty Mane also spit bars over the Throne’s “Otis,” Gang Starr’s “DWYCK” and the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Who Shot Ya?” The Biebs Shuts Up Tyler, the Creator It takes a lot to quiet Odd Future’s resident loud mouth Tyler, the Creator, but when he and JB met in February 2011, the multiplatinum pop star didn’t let Wolf Haley get a word in edge wise. “When I got in there, he was talkin’ about the ‘Yonkers’ video and sh–. It was weird, because I was sitting here starstruck, like, ‘Oh, f—, it’s Bieber. He’s asking me questions.’ I’m like, ‘Shut the f— up so I can talk to you,’ ” Tyler told MTV News. Lil Swaggy Is Born Not only did 2 Chainz bless JB with a killer verse for his “Girlfriend” remix, the ATL hit-maker also blessed Bieber with a new moniker. “I call him Lil Swaggy,” 2 Chainz told MTV News. Sounds like a winner to us. Related Videos ‘Bieber Live’ Related Artists Justin Bieber

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How Justin Bieber Found His Hip-Hop Swag

Justin Bieber MTV Special Will Be A ‘TRL’ Throwback!

‘We have some surprises,’ manager Scooter Braun teases about ‘Bieber Live’ airing tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Peter Wafzig/ Getty Images If you’re wondering what to expect from Tuesday night’s (June 19) MTV special, “Bieber Live,” you need only think back to the days of “Total Request Live.” Justin Bieber ‘s manager, Scooter Braun, has fond memories of the biggest stars visiting “TRL” to promote their latest record or movie back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he wanted to capture some of that flavor tonight’s show, airing at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Bieber is set to sit down with host Sway Calloway and some of his most devoted Beliebers as they celebrate the release of his brand-new album, Believe. And if Bieber talking about his latest LP isn’t enough, know that he’ll also be performing! Braun is keeping the details about the special top secret, but did have a little tease for fans. “So, he’s gonna come in, he’s gonna do ‘Boyfriend’ and he’s probably gonna do something broken-down acoustic — a new version of one of the songs — and we have some surprises,” Scooter told us. “And we’re gonna have some fun. We want to bring it back to the old ‘TRL’ [days]. When we caught up with him last Friday, Braun also opened up about the conversations he had with Bieber as the teen star began recording tracks for his highly anticipated release. He noted that the album’s sound reflects more than just a transition: It shows the 18-year-old’s evolution. “I think a lot of times with big superstars they don’t always deliver on that big album,” he said. “They don’t meet the expectation … sometimes it’s because they’re [already] superstars. Maybe they think they know it all and they don’t want to listen to anyone else’s input, and sometimes that works and sometimes that doesn’t. “He’s growing and so is his music,” Braun later added . “And I don’t think he’s transitioning and losing any fans. I think he’s just growing. We always study Michael Jackson, and the thing I loved about his career is he never lost that 2-year-old that bounced to his music. But at the same time, you’d go to a club and there were adults bouncing also. And I think that’s what we want to do with Justin.” Don’t miss “Bieber Live” tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV! Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Justin Bieber MTV Special Will Be A ‘TRL’ Throwback!

Justin Bieber: A ‘Humble’ Evolution From My World To Believe

Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, opens up to MTV News about the singer before ‘Bieber Live’ airs Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: In the lead-up to the release of Justin Bieber ‘s album Believe , there has been a lot of talk about how much the 18-year-old has grown up since he dropped his first EP, My World, back in 2009. Sure, he is actually older, but the conversation has also been focused on how his music sounds more mature. He no longer seems to be crafting sugary-sweet tracks like “Baby.” The pop star will celebrate his mature new album during “Bieber Live,” airing Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Bieber will join Sway and 100 lucky fans for an interview and a pair of performances. Adding to his growth is the fact that in the two and a half years since that debut release, Bieber has quite literally done it all. He’s toured the world (several times over), topped the charts, won a lot of awards, fallen in love, become a boss to his own artist , owned the box office, befriended some of the biggest MCs in the game, vowed to “Never Say Never” and, yes, became legal. As tiring as it may sound to be Justin Bieber, his manager, Scooter Braun, notes that when the singer sat down to make the album, he didn’t want to rush it or be lazy about it. He wanted it to be perfect. His experiences are not only helping shape him as an artist but also helping him mature as one. “You know, I think a lot of times with big superstars, they don’t always deliver on that big album. They don’t meet the expectation … sometimes it’s because they’re superstars,” Braun explained to MTV News. “Maybe they think they know it all and they don’t want to listen to anyone else’s input, and sometimes that works and sometimes that doesn’t. “Justin was really humble about this,” he continued. “He probably wrote 200 songs and we just kept working and working and narrowing it down. And there were so many records that didn’t even make it that we’ll save for something else. I think when it was all said and done, there wasn’t one person who listened to that album all the whole way through and thought that we didn’t have something special and really great and something that didn’t just reach the teenagers, but everyone — without losing the teenagers.” The album certainly has been teased for quite some time. The buzz began to really pick up around the time of the release of his holiday album in 2011, when he dropped the name Justin Timberlake as his template for career evolution, setting the bar quite high. “I’m proudest of Justin with this album ’cause I think he delivered,” Braun said. “For a superstar to deliver means a lot.” Others who worked with Bieber on the release told MTV News during the recording process that it was important for him to make music that would help expand his brand beyond the tween and teen market. A big part of Bieber’s musical evolution, however, is about making sure no one gets alienated. “The only conversation we’ve had about Justin’s album that we’re about to do is it’s really important that it’s the proper transition because we’ve seen him [with] ‘Baby,’ now we’re watching him grow up,” his vocal producer, Kuk Harrell , told MTV News back in November. “And we can’t just throw him into the adult game right away. It has to be the proper transition. There’s a record in between.” That mission to help Bieber make the right choices as an adult artist was certainly priority number one when Bieber hit the studio with Mike Posner to work on the album’s lead single, “Boyfriend.” “I think our goal was to make something that me and my friends could listen to in the car,” Posner explained in March. “I think we’ve all known Justin since he was 13, and that’s not the kid I was in the studio with anymore. He’s an 18-year-old. He skateboards with Lil Wayne and hangs out with Lil Twist. Those are his homies. And he listens to hip-hop and he’s a really cool kid. He’s not like a corny guy. “So I wanted to make something that reflected who he is now and who he is going to continue to be,” Posner continued. “I think people have been waiting [for] when he’s going to turn that corner, and the time is now.” Listening to his album, it’s clear that Bieber is trying out new sounds, from dance to R&B and everything in between. But he also just plain sounds different. His voice is deeper than it was when he first started making music. That register change is something he commented on in a recent interview with MTV News. “It’s really deep,” he joked. “The thing is, I’d always put out random songs and give it to my fans, and when my voice was changing I was doing that. So they didn’t randomly just hear [it and go], ‘He’s got a deep voice now.’ It was gradual. They didn’t realize it that much. It just kind of happened. The tone is still the same. It’s just deeper and sexier.” In the end, while it may seem like he’s taking a cut from another pop star named Justin , Bieber is actually focused on following yet another megastar’s template for success. “He’s growing and so is his music,” Braun said. “And I don’t think he’s transitioning and losing any fans. I think he’s just growing. We always study Michael Jackson and the thing I loved about his career is he never lost that 2-year-old that bounced to his music. But at the same time, you’d go to a club and there were adults bouncing also. And I think that’s what we want to do with Justin.” Don’t miss “Bieber Live” on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, followed by “MTV First: Katy Perry” at 7:53 p.m., when Katy will debut her “Wide Awake” music video. Related Photos The Evolution Of: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Justin Bieber: A ‘Humble’ Evolution From My World To Believe

Justin Bieber Releases "Die in Your Arms" Single: First Listen!

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Just one day after a paparazzo accused Justin Bieber of battery , the teen heart throb has released his latest single, entitled “Die In Your Arms.” While it’s not a cover of “(I Just) Died In Your Arms” by Cutting Crew (sadly), the new track by the Bieb does have a decidedly retro feel to it. Scooter Braun, Bieber’s manager, described the song on Twitter as having an “Old School Jackson 5 vibe.” Listen… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Hollywood Gossip Discovery Date : 29/05/2012 06:18 Number of articles : 3

Justin Bieber Releases "Die in Your Arms" Single: First Listen!

Justin Bieber "Be Alright" (Believe) Cover + Guitar Chords

www.twitter.com This is a song by Justin Bieber. He and Dan Kanter performed it as far as I know just once yet. So, it´s maybe unknown. It is a pretty typical Justin Bieber lovesong with a beautiful melodie, I think. I hope it will be on the upcoming album “Believe”. http://www.youtube.com/v/uQ5CsxjV_I0?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Read more: Justin Bieber “Be Alright” (Believe) Cover + Guitar Chords

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Justin Bieber "Be Alright" (Believe) Cover + Guitar Chords

Justin Bieber Accepts Award At Tribeca Film Festival

Pop star and manager Scooter Braun were awarded the Disruptive Innovation Award for challenging industry’s traditional gatekeepers. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Steve Mack/ FilmMagic Justin Bieber and his manager Scooter Braun were at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday (April 27) to accept the 2012 Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award for disrupting “the traditional gatekeepers of the music industry.” Sporting a varsity jacket when he took the stage, the 18-year-old noted that a lot of what he does is a reflection of his relationship with his fans. “I don’t think that I would be here without the Internet. The fans feel connected to me,” he said, ABC News reports . According to The Huffington Post , he recalled his early days of posting videos on YouTube under the moniker KidRauhl and how he was skittish of Braun, initially. “He called me, and my mom was like, ‘Why am I going to trust a guy named Scooter?’ ” Bieber said. “So she ignored him, and he started calling all of the places where he saw me sing in my videos. … It was some really creepy stuff. He finally found my great aunt, who I had never met before, to try and get in contact with me.” Of those early days, Braun joked, “Either I was going to be the guy who watches videos of a young boy on the Internet and gets arrested, or I was going to sign him.” The award seems fitting, given how much Bieber’s rise to fame has changed the way talent can be discovered via the internet, and can use technology to spread the word. “Ever since then,” Bieber said, “We’ve been taking the world by storm.” Next up, Bieber plans to storm the charts with his June album release, Believe. He’s expected to drop his “Boyfriend” video soon in the lead-up to the album. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Justin Bieber Accepts Award At Tribeca Film Festival

Justin Bieber honored at Tribeca for being disruptive

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Justin Bieber was honored today at the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards. Justin and his manager Scooter Braun were recognized for breaking the music industry mold. Justin said “I don’t think I would he here today with the internet.” 28 others were honored with disruptive innovator hammers at the ceremony.

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Justin Bieber honored at Tribeca for being disruptive

One Direction Reveal Details Of Justin Bieber Collabo

British boy banders clear the air with MTV News about their studio visit with the teen superstar. By Jocelyn Vena One Direction Photo: MTV News There’s been some chatter about a possible One Direction collaboration with the one-man boy band known as Justin Bieber for some time now. It all started in March when Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, teased that he and the Biebs were thinking about working with the chart-topping boy band . “[A collaboration is] very possible. He likes them and thinks they are good dudes. All people of that generation should be there to help each other.” The chatter had died down for a bit, until this week when the guys of 1D tweeted that they had visited Bieber in the studio . That led fans to speculate that the six guys had recorded something together, though it wasn’t clear what. Tweets like “expect the unexpected” fueled the fire. But when MTV News caught up with the guys in New York City, they were quick to clarify that all they were there to do was listen to some of their pal’s new music. “We actually went down to the studio to listen to some of Justin Bieber’s tracks,” Liam Payne explained. “He invited us down and we had a good listen, but there’s no real collaboration or anything.” With chatter about any big group-sing in the works between the six heartthrobs now over and done, Payne gave us a little critique of Believe , which drops later this year. “We were just having a listen to some of his music and hanging out,” he said, adding, “[It’s a] really good, really good album.” That seems to jibe with some of the tweets the guys sent out on Wednesday, prompting the initial collaboration conjecture. One Direction’s Niall Horan wrote, “In the studio with our boy @justinbieber last night, it’s gona sound great!” Payne later added, “Got a first listen to Justin Bieber’s new album yesterday wowww big songs!!! It’s gunna be a smash … Expect the unexpected :O.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: One Direction

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One Direction Reveal Details Of Justin Bieber Collabo

Justin Bieber Channels Justin Timberlake On ‘Boyfriend’

Lead Believe single dropped at midnight on Monday. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Tween dream swagger is all over Justin Bieber ‘s lead Believe single, “Boyfriend.” Taking several cues from Justin Timberlake’s early post-‘NSYNC work, the track amps up Bieber’s credibility as a teen idol and remixes it with the type of production work longtime pop music fans can appreciate. Lyrically, it sounds a bit silly at times (like when Bieber proposes he and his girl eat fondue by the fire), but Bieber’s delivery of the lines proves that at 18, he’s willing to take the steps to progress forward in the world of pop. Sometimes it seems a little too similar to the way the other Justin delivers lines, but “Boyfriend,” co-produced and co-written by Mike Posner, is light-years beyond the sugary sweet “Baby.” The song opens pretty sparsely, with just a thumping beat, a “woo” noise and Bieber’s sing-songy rap, before a guitar comes in as Bieber makes his plea to win a girl over. The chorus will have girls dancing around thanks to its bumping beat and chugging R&B-influenced instrumentation. He sings, “I could be a gentleman/ Everything you want/ If I was your boyfriend/ I’d never let you go/ I’d never let you go,” before rapping, “Tell me what you like.” Bieber uses some form of the word “swag” no fewer than four times on the track, including the somewhat perplexing line, “Swag, swag, swag on you.” But regardless of what Bieber detractors might have to say, his Beliebers, who have aged right along with their idol, will appreciate his more grown-up sound on the record. The song officially dropped at midnight on Monday. Believe will be released later this year. As for the video, his manager, Scooter Braun, tweeted that it’s already in the works. Related Artists Justin Bieber Justin Timberlake

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Justin Bieber Channels Justin Timberlake On ‘Boyfriend’

Shannon Magrane: The Next Lauryn Hill?!?

Shannon Magrane is a tall, All-American girl. That was how she was portrayed on last night’s American Idol audition show, as Ryan Seacrest once again interviewed her World Series-hurling father and once again brought up a certain awkward incident from a few weeks ago. But can she sing? We think so. While the judges questioned Magrane’s song choice a bit, Randy Jackson delivered very high praise in saying Shannon possesses a “Lauryn Hill vibrato.” That reference may be lost on younger viewers, but trust us. It’s a big compliment. What did you think of Magrane’s performance? Shannon Magrane – “Go Light Your World”

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Shannon Magrane: The Next Lauryn Hill?!?