Big Sean is opening up about an awkward moment that moved thousands of Coachella fans and left them talking about Justin and Hailey Bieber. The 38-year-old rapper and best-selling author gave her an impromptu speech Justin Bieber He quickly went viral during a surprise performance at Coachella Weekend 2, and the response he received from the Biebers in the following days was something he clearly didn’t expect.Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at Mindful Nation’s Mental Health Awareness Month event in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, May 20, the rapper reflected on the viral moment and talked about the routine that keeps him grounded, his new book and what’s next for his music career.
Big Sean told Justin Bieber at Coachella
At the event, Big Sean recalled the impromptu moment that caught everyone off guard, including himself. “He’s a person who’s given his whole life to music, and he’s grown up in the public eye and he’s just been through ups and downs and he’s been taken advantage of, I feel, by a lot of people,” Sean, whose full name is Sean Anderson, told his longtime collaborator and friend. “Anyway, he’s not a perfect man and he knows that and he’s learning with all of us.“The two have been close since 2011, and Sean went viral when he praised Bieber’s resilience during their joint Coachella set, telling him in a heartfelt, “God’s hands are on you.” But as Sean revealed, nothing was planned. “I didn’t know I was going to say what I said on stage. I was inspired,” he said.He also shared the routine that keeps him grounded before every performance. “Before I go on stage, I always pray for God to speak through me. I wake up, I do a morning meditation, I keep a journal. I always try to stay open to the word of God or the angels around me because I’m blind behind the miracles I’ve seen and I know they’re like angels watching over me, not just me, so a lot of us went.”
What Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber had to say to Big Sean afterward
Sean admitted he could barely remember what he said when he walked off stage. “When I walked offstage and people were like, ‘What you said was so…’ And I’m like, ‘Damn, what did I say?’ I had to go back and listen, but he and his wife were so sweet,” he said of Justin and Hailey Bieber, 29.“They both hit me after. I was kicking them after, but a few days later they hit me, like, ‘Whatever you said, we’re still really good and we still appreciate it and it’s great what you said.’ And Justin was like, ‘Man, you throw big bars, you throw some bars, man.’ I really didn’t, it wasn’t my intention,” Sean recalled of the impromptu moment.
Big Sean on his book, new album and finding inner peace
The Mindful Nation event also featured a book signing of Sean’s 2025 release, ‘Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace’, including a foreword by Jay Shetty. Outside of journaling and meditation, Sean also mentioned watching anime as part of his self-care routine, though he drew a line on one particular activity. “I’m not skydiving. Yeah, but it was a little bit,” he joked. “When I was in the air, I said I don’t have to do this again.“With a new album on the horizon, Sean also revealed that he could see a second book in his future. “I’m glad some people are welcoming,” said the bestseller. “It’s a passion of mine, it’s a goal of mine.”For someone who has built a career on words, it’s clear that Big Sean’s significant others are still talking well off stage.
