DMX’s Sobriety Stance Resurfaces Thanks to Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber’s most recent Instagram post has the internet — and fans — buzzing about the singer’s views on drugs and sobriety, and religion.

On Sunday, Bieber shared an Instagram post featuring a seven-second-long video clip of rapper DMX, in which he bluntly states his opinions on abstinence and staying clean. Bieber, who did not offer a caption to accompany the video post, shared the video via repost from the Instagram account of Gassy, a Los Angeles cannabis dispensary.

It’s worth noting that the DMX video clip originally aired in 2013 as part of an episode of Iyanla: Fix My Life in which the late rapper was featured. In the video, he has a conversation with the show’s host, Iyanla Vanzant, about whether he wants to live as a “clean” man.

“No weed, no drinking, nothing? Why would I?” DMX asked Vanzant at one point. When the life coach further explained that remaining sober would enable him to be a “clear, pure vessel for the voice of God,” DMX said, “I think I’m exactly where I need to be with God.”

While it is possible that Bieber was simply posting something that resonated with him, the fact that he chose to share the post after a break of a few days may be telling. On top of that, Bieber is known to be a religious man.

Justin Bieber’s Spirituality

Justin Bieber has been open about his spirituality. Since growing into his own as an adult and married man, his strong Christian faith and continued relationship with Churchome pastor Judah Smith have become very public.

Since becoming a husband in 2018 and a father to his son, Jack Blues Bieber, with wife Hailey Bieber, nearly a year ago, Bieber has undergone several lifestyle and image changes. He’s become less focused on his career and more on his family life. Not to mention, he’s publicly moved on from former associates whose actions, he’s made it clear, don’t mesh with his current values.

It should be noted, as reported by the Daily Mail, that many of the Biebers’ social media posts in recent months have led fans to believe he was having some sort of struggle with drugs. A few posts with bongs and smoking did little to stifle rumors about the singer and his health.

In February, Bieber’s rep shot the rumors down in an interview with TMZ, saying, “The recurring narrative that Justin is using hard drugs is not true,” they added. “He’s in one of the best places in his life. He’s focusing on his family, new music, and moving on from people and business relationships that do not serve him.”

In the same article, the rep noted that Justin and Hailey recently spent a week in Malibu with their son “putting in work on the new record,” so rumors of the singer struggling were nothing but false.

California has a recreational marijuana usage law, so his bong photos were likely not illegal. Instead, fans seem to be left with mixed messages. Bieber is currently one of the top gospel singers, which is a shift for many people who followed him growing up, and that is likely contributing to a multi-layered discussion that celebrities often face.

The post has also gotten many wondering if he’s finished working on a new album. Bieber dropped his seventh studio album, Swag, on July 11 to both critical acclaim and immediate commercial success.

Mixing humor with some more serious contemplation, Bieber also included a set of comedic interludes featuring internet personality Druski. The interludes, which sound like the singer going to therapy, poke fun at but also truthfully comment on the ups and downs of Justin Bieber’s life and career.

Songs on the album also focus on his past shortcomings and his need to remain committed to both his wife and their son. Judging by the success of his recent project, Bieber seems to have a good handle on his next step, which could include a tour.

Tour Rumors: Australia?

Bieber is not due on tour, but the singer and his team have not outright denied tour rumors, including one possible Australian tour. Rolling Stone reached out to Frontier Touring for comment on the possibility of a tour and was met with a response that Frontier had “no information” on a potential Australian Bieber tour.

A tour would be a return to the stage for Bieber, as he had to end his Justice World Tour in 2022 after a health scare.

Fans, however, are keeping a close eye on tour announcements after seeing what a beloved Australian music festival faced earlier this year. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were initially dropped from the 2023 lineup for the Falls Festival in early January. After a very public online debate about the band’s removal, as well as a call for gender-based protections for artists, Cave and the band returned to the lineup.

Fans have been chomping at the bit for a new album and tour from Justin Bieber since his last one in 2022. He and his wife Hailey Bieber, welcomed their first child, Jack Blues Bieber, in September 2022. On his song “Hold On,” Bieber wrote, “Baby, you brought me to my knees.” He has since said that fatherhood is changing him.

New priorities, a new relationship with himself and his fans, and a musical catalog that has spanned a wide range of genres over the last 15 years all seem to be converging into Bieber’s next steps. For now, fans will have to wait, but it will be exciting to see where he goes musically next.