Justin Bieber Is Working With Kanye West and Rick Rubin

Justin Bieber has made extensive, deliberate strides to ingratiate himself to the hip-hop community. From tapping Chance the Rapper to contribute to songs to palling around with Tyga and Lil Twist and hanging out in the studio with Chris Brown, the Canadian singer has been trying to make inroads into the genre for some time now. Finally, he's struck gold: In an interview with USA Today, Bieber revealed that he's hard at work finishing his next solo album, and that he's doing it under the watchful eyes of Rick Rubin and Kanye West. "I don't want to say 'It's different,'" said Bieber of the new LP. "That's what everyone says. But it is different, it's a grown-up version of Justin and I think people will be shocked."

The new album will technically be Bieber's first since 2012's Believe, though his 2013 compilation Journals is widely regarded as his most representative body of work for this new phase of his career. That record features not only Chance, but also Lil Wayne, Future and Big Sean. Kanye West and Rick Rubin first worked together on the former's divisive 2013 album, Yeezus.

Last night (March 30), Comedy Central aired its Roast of Justin Bieber, in which a series of comedians, athletes and rappers--Snoop Dogg, Ludacris and Shaquille O'Neal, if you like--playfully tore down the singer's ego before allowing him a chance to retort. Check out some of the highlights below.

Filed Under: Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Rick Rubin

Categories: News