by Russell Simmons

He is leading this new generation of young people that is encouraging the world to be compassionate, more tolerant and more generous.

As most of you know, I have been in the game for a long time.  I have seen artists overnight go from virtual obscurity to having their records played on every radio station around the world.  I have also seen artists whose records are playing on every radio station around the world go into virtual obscurity. 

The music and entertainment business is one long rollercoaster.  A lot has changed over the years, in particular, when I first got in the game, the lives of artists were certainly being watched, but nothing like it is today.  Back then there were “fan clubs” where fans would write to some P.O. Box hoping that the artist would send them back an autograph 8×10 glossy.  Now, if you want the attention of the artist, all you have to do is @ them on Twitter and you got a good chance they will respond or at least see your comment.

Every move they make is being followed by some paparazzi photographer, no matter what corner of the world they find themselves in, so privacy is out of the question.  This has led to a bombardment of judgements on the lifestyles of celebrities, because of the exposure to every detail of their lives. 

Out of all of the super mega-stars, there is no one who is being watched more closely than Justin Bieber.  I would venture to say that Justin is being watched more closely than any other star in the history of entertainment. More than Elvis.  More than the Beatles. More than Michael Jackson. More than Britney Spears.

I got the chance to spend time with Justin when he was hanging out with my nephew, Diggy, a few summers ago in the Hamptons. I invited them over to have lunch on my friend’s boat, which was probably the smallest boat Justin had been on in a long time (even though it was 80 feet), but that didn’t matter to him. Like any regular teenager, he jumped in the ocean, took funny pictures of him and Diggy “planking,” and was extremely respectful to the owners of the boat, even refusing to go inside while he was drying off from a swim, so he didn’t get the carpet wet.  There were a lot of other kids on the boat, and Justin could not have been nicer to them. I have watched him grow since then, and I have been inspired by his development.

The amount of good that this 19-year-old does around the world is remarkable. From his work with the non-profit Pencils Of Promise, that has built over 100 schools globally, to his commitment to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to constantly encouraging many of his fans who are suffering from terminally ill diseases to keep fighting, to denouncing bullying, Justin has shown incredible maturity in his compassion towards the world and his fans. 

Last week, when he tweeted out support for a campaign I helped coordinate to end the “War on Drugs,” I was compelled to do whatever I can to celebrate Justin’s commitment to uplift his generation. He is leading this new generation of young people that is encouraging the world to be compassionate, more tolerant and more generous. A generation where the lines of race, gender, class and ethnicity are becoming more and more blurred and exclusiveness is the north star of the journey.

Surely, as a young, famous pop star, Justin will make a few mistakes along his travels and that is OK. Most of this is just a teenager having a good time as he comes into his own. If you got a hold of my antics when I was nineteen… well, let’s just say I am very lucky to even be alive, even though I don’t remember half of it, as I surely was doing a lot of drugs back then. 

Justin is not John Lennon saying that he “is more popular than Jesus Christ,” or Michael Jackson floating 100 foot gold statues of himself down the river Thames in London, or Muhammad Ali saying he is the “king of the world.”  But, like every great superstar, he definitely has a little bit more swag than the rest of us, which sometimes personifies itself in ego and bravado.  This has also fueled his greatness, because like every rollercoaster, there are times when it slows down and it is the strength of your self-determination to get you back up to full speed.  What’s important is that his transformation, be it big or small, is going on inside his heart.

There is nothing good about fame unless it inspires happiness in others.  That is exactly what Justin Bieber does everyday of his life.  I am a belieber in Bieber.

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Read this piece in Global Grind

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.