In this video, Charlamagne from The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 in New York explains Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus’s recent press…and where some of their snags may be coming from. Watch and then read the rest below.
After hearing what he has to say, does Charlamagne make a point? In the beginning, I think definitely. Many people who have discussed Justin’s future, especially, have said that the key to his longevity will be the people around him. Is it time to question that? As a Belieber myself, I have complete faith in my favorite artist. He’s got a great head on his shoulders and he’s as responsible, driven and giving as is possible at his age. Add the fact that he lives his life under the ‘teen idol’ microscope and most of us would’ve thrown in the towel long ago. So I want to commend him for hanging in there with his fans and doing the best he can. He’s doing a pretty good job for anyone, let alone someone in his position.
But the issue with Justin and Miley could be the company they keep. Charlamagne tweeted these also:
https://twitter.com/cthagod/status/355449129821929472
https://twitter.com/cthagod/status/355452555653947392
He makes a point here too, the same one in fact. When he talks about “this n*gga shit” in the video, he’s probably referring to the people who don’t have your profile and don’t know how to handle it. Lil Twist doesn’t match evenly with Justin as it relates to their caliber in Hollywood; the whole world doesn’t know Lil Twist’s name, his every move isn’t watched, he’s not pegged as a role model to millions of children. The only reason he gets as much press as he does is because he’s associated with Justin. This isn’t to say that Lil Twist, Lil Za or anyone else around Justin are bad people. We don’t know them to make that assessment. It just means Justin should consider operating differently than they do simply because they’re not as well known.
When Charlamagne talked about Justin Timberlake and his successful transition, he failed to mention the people JT kept around him. He only said “Timberlake stayed clean” which isn’t 100 percent true because JT has talked about smoking weed. But a lot of JT’s transition period (teens) was spent around his four *NYSNC group members. He dated Britney Spears, another high caliber name. When he dropped his first solo album at 21 years old, he spent a lot of time around N.E.R.D. and Timbaland. He dated Cameron Diaz a few years later. He put his trust in artists with a similar caliber to his. You hardly ever saw JT with anyone the majority didn’t recognize.
Another point Charlamagne missed was JT’s amount of privacy. No child star in history has had to grow up the way Justin Bieber has. When JT was growing up in 1999 there was no Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or smart phones. MySpace was just starting to get hits and we were in the early stages of text messaging. JT didn’t have to deal with instantaneous media sharing ability. In 2013 we’re more connected than ever and any move Justin Bieber makes at any given time could be out there for the world to see within minutes. There’s no time for damage control, there’s no way to stop it. Could you deal with that much pressure while growing up and making mistakes?
Moreover, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber are both household names. You don’t need to say anything else to explain who they are. But even Miley, as talented as she is, came from Disney with ‘Hannah Montana.’ Justin made his multi-million dollar fortune and became an A-list musician with only his voice and a guitar. After Scooter Braun found his YouTube videos, he took Justin to different radio stations around the country to just play his guitar and sing. That alone won people over. No group, no TV show or network…nothing but his voice. He’s in an elite core.
Now back to Charlamagne; where he dropped the ball is when he talked about skin color. How he, personally, feels about skin color isn’t an issue. But I think it’s a bit over-reaching to claim that Justin’s “mishaps” (as he called it) come from the company he keeps just because they’re a certain race. It’s about how people conduct themselves, not what color their skin is.
Justin is a multi-platinum selling artist; Lil Twist is not. You have to think twice about the people you have around you when you’re in that situation. It may not be in your best interest to hang with people who are recognized by the majority because they’re associated with you (Lil Twist is actually signed with Young Money but the concept is still in place). Could it be better for you as a A-lister when the people around you have their own name? While she had albums and did ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’, even Selena Gomez wasn’t a megastar until she dated Justin.
All that being said, one could consider it a bit unfair for Justin to have to limit himself. It’s unfortunate he can’t trust everyone that he wants to. But it might end up better for him; you don’t see Beyoncé or Christina Aguilera hanging out with people you’ve never heard of too often. While they’re adults and have been through their teen transition, it’s pretty much the same thing.
But all this is just theory. Things can change because every celebrity is different…and every person is different. Miley Cyrus has a single out right now called “We Can’t Stop” that’s doing quite well and she’s about to drop an album. Justin is in the studio working on new music, getting ready for some releases himself. They’re doing fine in spite of all the negative headlines. Only time will tell if their momentum will stay on track for years to come. They’ve got the talent and support, if they play their cards right they could rule the industry.
For everyone rooting against them, here’s hoping they prove you wrong.
The LG Blog 