A Wearable Tribute to Kanye By Justin Bieber
There’s a fine line between bad tees and ironically bad tees that are actually good, and this weekend Justin Bieber proved he knows his onions when it comes to which is which.
Heading to the second birthday of wife Hailey’s niece in Los Angeles, Bieber was spotted wearing a retro '90s-style graphic T-shirt. On this occasion, it wasn't adorned with the face of, say, Big L or Tupac, but Bieber's good friend Kanye West.
Paired with a slouchy ensemble of yellow-y painter pants and a long-sleeved base layer, Bieber’s tee — which boasted graphics lifted from the rapper’s 2004 album College Dropout — is the latest in a long list of appreciative nods to Ye
For instance, the "STAY" singer flexed a very baggy West-like makeover for the Grammys earlier this year and is often spotted stepping out in full Balenciaga, reflecting the stylistic sway that Ye holds over Bieber's wardrobe and stylists.
Bieber’s admiration for Ye is no secret.
The duo – who have worked musically together on a number of occasions – have long had each others' backs, with Bieber piping up during the rapper’s Taylor Swift rift some six years ago and encouraging Ye to get back in touch with Kim during one of their 2020 clashes.
The feeling seems to be mutual too, with Ye reportedly Facetiming his pal Bieber to wish him happy birthday earlier this year.
Bieber returned the favor in June, posting a lengthy birthday tribute to Ye.
Among other things, he described Ye as "a leader amongst leaders," though perhaps the truest nugget of wisdom came when Bieber admitted that "No one will ever know how it feels to be Kanye West."
In general, Bieber’s style has risen ten-fold over the last 12 months – not least since he joined the likes of Kim Kardashian and Isabelle Huppert in Balenciaga's first campaign of 2022 – a far-cry from his yellow studded hat and tie-dye basketball shorts days.
Whatever you think of Bieber — his music, those bad Drew House clogs he made with Crocs, or that fact he’s Ye-obsessed — one thing is for certain: he’s looking the business right now.
