Bieber starts performance with ‘Baby’ and footage from ‘Never Say Never,’ with mentor Usher by his side. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber performs during the Grammy Awards on Sunday Photo: The Recording Academy/CBS When Eva Longoria hit the Grammy stage to introduce Justin Bieber ‘s performance, she reminded the world that only a few years ago, Bieber was hustling just to get his music heard. She then introduced a clip from his just-released movie, “Never Say Never,” that gave an inside look at a 2007 meeting between Bieber and his mentor, Usher, during which Bieber sang for him. As the clip played out, Bieber sat on the stage, an acoustic guitar on his lap, and Usher came out to chat with the star. “Yeah, that was four years ago. That’s how it started,” Usher said. “You told me if it was meant to be, we would meet again,” a leather-clad Bieber responded when Usher explained that he didn’t listen to him sing until their second encounter. “That’s right, and now it’s your time,” Usher said, before Bieber, who was singing in a much lower octave than fans are used to, started playing an acoustic version of “Baby.” Check out photos of Justin Bieber and all the 2011 Grammy performances . Soon ninjas playing drums came down the aisles pounding out the beat to “Never Say Never” as Bieber was joined onstage by acrobats. Jaden Smith then popped up from the stage and rapped his part of the song. When Smith left the stage, Usher came on, singing a bit of “OMG,” wearing sleek military-type garb surrounded by similarly attired dancers performing pop-and-lock moves. Justin then joined him toward the end of the song to display some of his own dancing skills, and sang the final bars of the song with his mentor. “I am going to [perform and] I’m gonna have some surprises there,” Bieber recently told MTV News about the performance. “We got some other performers that are going to be there with me, Jaden and Usher, so I’m really excited about it. Jaden’s cool. He’s gonna kick it. He’s gonna kill it. I’m excited.” Usher also gave us a preview the big performance, noting that it was just about having a good time. “The performance will be fun,” Usher explained. “We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. … This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn’t believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He’s going to play acoustically, and also, we’ll get down a little bit.” For Grammy Awards winners list, analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News during the big show and beyond. Related Videos 53rd Annual Grammy Awards Performances Related Photos The 2011 Grammy Awards Show Related Artists Justin Bieber
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Justin Bieber Goes Back In Time For Grammy Performance
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