When teen superstar Justin Bieber burst onto the music scene in 2009, he was a squeaky-clean 15-year-old from Canada with an adolescent voice and shaggy hair. Four years and millions of albums later, Bieber is one of the most famous people on the planet. Now 19, he no longer resembles the boy he once was. Tattoos, hair gel, and chain necklaces are his current look of choice, and he has been involved in everything from an assault on a photographer to that whole Anne Frank fiasco. And let’s not forget the video that leaked earlier this week showing Bieber peeing in a mop bucket in a restaurant kitchen and insulting Bill Clinton. While some attribute the singer’s change in his look and behavior to growing up, it seems as though many of the Biebs’s problems stem from the company he keeps. Here’s a look at some of the most visible members, both good and bad, of the superstar’s posse.
Lil Twist
Christopher Lynn Moore, commonly known as Lil Twist, is one of Bieber’s best friends and is seen constantly with the singer. Unfortunately, the 20-year-old Dallas rapper, who is signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, is the source of many problems for the Biebs. From marijuana to out-of-control parties, Lil Twist has gotten Bieber into trouble on several occasions. He was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of driving under the influence in Bieber’s luxurious Fisker Karma. In March, he was driving the same car when he crashed it into two cement poles and fled the scene. (Classy!)
Lil Za
Lil Za, real name Xavier Smith, is another of Bieber’s rapper friends who has been blamed for being a bad influence on the singer. In February, Za was pulled over in Bieber’s Ferrari and cited for driving without a license. He has also been photographed multiple times smoking marijuana with the Biebs.
Tyler, the Creator
Does Justin Bieber hang out with anyone who can properly drive? Odd Future rapper Tyler, the Creator is yet another of Bieber’s friends who was involved in a recent incident with his white Ferrari. Last month, former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson, who lives near Bieber, called the cops after he saw the Ferrari speeding through the neighborhood. Johnson thought Bieber was behind the wheel, but “That Was Me Behind The Wheel Of Justins Vehicle. Don’t Blame Him,” Tyler tweeted. Despite the admission, the Biebs and Tyler remain friends, as they were seen hanging out together at a Kanye West listening party a few weeks later.
Ryan Good
A former assistant to Usher, Ryan Good used to act as Bieber’s “swagger coach.” Yes, apparently that’s a job title these days. He was hired early in the Biebs’s career to assist with the singer’s style and overall look. In 2010, Bieber said of Good, “I have a swagger coach that helps me and teaches me different swaggerific things to do.” Good left his position in 2011 to pursue other opportunities, but remains a close friend of Bieber’s and a member of the superstar’s inner circle.
DJ Tay James
Taylor Austin James, known as DJ Tay James, is Bieber’s official DJ. The 26-year-old from Baltimore played his first show with the singer at a water park in 2009 and has since toured the world, acting as DJ and MC for all of Bieber’s concerts. Instead of spending his free time speeding in the singer’s Ferrari, Tay James promotes music education in schools through his We Know the Music Foundation.