Justin Bieber Channels DMX’s Raw Honesty Ahead of Possible Tour

Justin Bieber is known for attracting headlines, but he’s gone in for particularly effective trolling recently by choosing not to say a word. On Sunday, Bieber reposted an intense video to his Instagram Story, one that has his fans and the media trying to speculate what the cryptic post could mean for the Canadian pop star.

In the video clip, which appears to have originally been posted by a Los Angeles cannabis dispensary called Gassy, rapper DMX is seen on a 2013 episode of Iyanla: Fix My Life. On the show, host and motivational speaker Iyanla Vanzant interrogates the late rapper about whether he wants to get clean and sober.

“No weed, no drinking, nothing? Why would I?” says DMX candidly in his signature gravelly voice. The exchange gets intense in a hurry as the two go back-and-forth, Vanzant talking about being a “clear, pure vessel for the voice of God.” DMX, for his part, is unrepentant, responding, “I think I’m exactly where I need to be with God.”

Justin Bieber posted the intense video on his Instagram Story on July 16.

It’s not known why Bieber chose to repost the video from Gassy’s account, which already has over 16,000 likes. His other posts this week have been mundane for the most part. On Wednesday, he shared a glimpse of a seashell in an opaque green liquid. Later that day, he shared a blurry video of a tree, captioned “hear.” On Thursday, he posted a more conventional photo of himself in a T-shirt next to his car.

The rest is history, with many fans and media outlets seeing Bieber’s Instagram Story post as a deliberately pointed take on drug use, and in particular, marijuana use. For some, it was an acknowledgment of Bieber’s personal feelings about marijuana. For others, it’s part of a broader conversation about personal freedom, religion, and sobriety. It’s something that would seem to be consistent with Bieber’s experiences, as well as with his evolving perspective on matters of faith.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber/Instagram

Justin Bieber has long been vocal about his faith and God. For several years now, he has cited his relationship with God as one of the more transformative things to come out of his recent run of hardships. He’s also spoken about being a member of Churchome, a spiritual fellowship led by pastor Judah Smith.

Public perception of Bieber has changed dramatically in the years he’s opened up about his relationship with God and spirituality, though there have also been negative consequences to the more public-facing aspects of his faith journey. Bieber’s recent post could be seen in the context of how relaxed he’s been lately about recreational marijuana use, posting on Instagram previously with a bong in his hands, or at least images of smoke wafting.

Bieber’s wife, Hailey Bieber, captioned one of her husband’s bong photos with the simple hashtag #smokeandmirrors.

As Rolling Stone previously noted, though, Bieber being open about smoking pot isn’t necessarily as controversial as it might seem. For one thing, he lives in California, where recreational cannabis is fully legal. His recent bong and smoke photos have seemed to worry some fans more than necessary.

Despite such social media reactions, a rep for Bieber shot down rumors in February that he was abusing any illegal substances, or that he was spiraling, for that matter. The rep for the 31-year-old star told TMZ in a February statement that the recurring narrative that Justin Bieber is on hard drugs is “absolutely not true” and added, “Justin is in one of the best places in his life. He is focused on being the best dad and continuing to make great music.”

Justin Bieber’s rep added at the time that the singer had entered “a season of change” last year, one in which he “closed some chapters on friendships and business relationships that were no longer serving him or his purpose.” Some of those changes may have also included his creative output.

In a surprise July 11 move, Bieber released his seventh studio album, Swag. The album, as Rolling Stone wrote at the time, is “a no-frills, direct transmission from Justin Bieber on themes that have been central to his evolution over the past several years. This is an album about betterment and growth, about his love for his wife Hailey and his new son Jack Blues Bieber, and his newfound perspective as a father.”

Swag was received warmly and seemed to solidify Bieber’s new approach, which isn’t afraid to lean into controversy and honesty. It’s also full of out-of-character comedy, with Bieber and social media personality Druski doing comedy skits in which Bieber, in a somewhat mocking “therapy session,” bares his soul in several areas.

The entire album is a wide-ranging look at his life, especially his new role as a parent. Bieber hasn’t announced any formal tour in support of the new album yet, though earlier this year, reports had emerged that Bieber could be adding Australia to his tour itinerary. A representative for Frontier Touring did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment on whether any Australian tour had been announced for Bieber. His last full Justice World Tour was shut down partway through due to health concerns in 2022.

Even so, it’s a reasonable guess to say that a return to the stage isn’t out of the question. Bieber certainly has enough positive momentum with a new album and family life. In any case, his Instagram Story post from Sunday has certainly invited some new speculation about a religious awakening or renewed faith. One thing is for sure: Justin Bieber’s life is changing, and he’s not afraid to show it.

Whether or not Bieber intended the DMX video as a statement, or whether he simply liked it and posted it on Instagram without any thought, the fact remains that Justin Bieber has pulled another headline-making move without saying a word — and that may be what he intended all along.