Diplo on Bieber: He’s a Naturally Talented Rich Kid Jerk

Justin Bieber probably owes Skrillex and Diplo a bit of credit for the fact that he hasn’t disappeared from the limelight. The shelf-life of a child pop star these days just isn’t what it used to be. Beyond that, his offstage antics have received tons of negative ink that could sink any young man’s career, especially one whose millions of fans have entered puberty and beyond since his pre-teen adoration glory days. So, when Skrillex and Diplo took the flailing icon under their wing, they introduced him to a different set of fans–a more forgiving and party-loving crowd who, though skeptical, have united in their love for the #Skriplo Jack Ü project, catapulting its latest Bieber-infused single to the #1 dance spot on the charts as a certified platinum record.

That said, EDM’s elder statesman still has some loving constructive criticism for Young Bieber. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Diplo talked up his talent while confirming that some of his “spoiled brat” reputation has been well-earned:

“[Bieber had] been stuck in a rut where he has to do a certain thing because of his fan base…Bieber’s personal life is whatever it is — he’s a rich kid and he’s pretty much gonna have to be a jerk. But he’s respectful to me, and he has that weird gene where he’s good at everything: better at basketball than me, better at drums. For us it’s more like an art project where you utilize his voice.”

Diplo said that even the highly respected duo Disclosure has love for the new Bieber-Jack Ü collab, to their surprise:

“Guy from Disclosure texted me, ‘Yo, man, that Bieber record is amazing,’ and I’m like, ‘Man, you would’ve never written that a year ago,’ and he’s like, ‘I know, this is very difficult for me to text right now.”

Diplo had some other interesting things to say about working with Madonna, aging in the music biz, and his own social media persona. Head on over to Rolling Stone to read the entire piece.

Image Source: Billboard