NEWS
Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., thanked Justin Bieber for supporting the King Center and its Be Love campaign as part of the singer’s philanthropic efforts around his new album, Justice.
Bieber’s new album, Justice, notably features a handful of MLK audio clips. The opening track, “2 Much,” starts with one of the most famous quotes from King’s 1963 “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” — “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Later, the “MLK Interlude” comprises audio from a sermon MLK delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in November 1967 that begins, “I say to you this morning, if you have never found something so dear and so precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.”
On Twitter, Bieber announced that he would be “supporting organizations that embody what justice looks like in action.” Along with the King Center, those include the Anti Recidivism Coalition, Alexandria House, the Compton Pledge, Baby2Baby, the Equal Justice Initiative, LIFT, Self Help Graphics and Art, This Is About Humanity, and the Poor People’s Campaign.
“Each of us, including artists and entertainers, can do something,” King wrote on Twitter in response to Bieber. “Thank you, @justinbieber, for your support, in honor of #Justice, of @TheKingCenter’s work and of our #BeLove campaign, which is a part of our global movement for justice. #MLK #EndRacism.”
While Bieber’s use of MLK’s speeches has drawn some criticism, it ostensibly has the support of the King estate, which must approve and license any use of King’s papers or speeches. Neither Bernice King nor a representative for Intellectual Properties Management, which handles licensing for the King estate, immediately returned Rolling Stone’s request for comment regarding the use of MLK’s work on Justice.
In a Vogue recap of a recent virtual Justice listening party Bieber hosted with journalists, Bieber explained why he wanted to include the MLK audio on his new album: “What I wanted to do with this was amplify [Dr.] Martin Luther King Jr’s voice to this generation,” Bieber said. “Being Canadian, it wasn’t so much a part of my culture.”
Regarding the “MLK Interlude” specifically, Bieber said: “This speech was actually during the time when [he had] a feeling that he was going to die for the cause, and what he was standing up against was ultimately racism and division. I think his message was that a lot of people can be afraid to stand up for what is right, but if you’re not standing up for justice — for what is right — what are you doing with your life? I’m sorry to get so deep, but these are the times we’re living in. That’s why I wanted to make this album because I think it’s very timely and very necessary.”
Sade will not be attending their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this week.
The English group, made up of Sade Adu, Paul Denman, Stuart Matthewman, and Andrew Hale, are among this year's inductees into the prestigious institution. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this Saturday.
However, a representative for Sade confirmed on Tuesday through the band's official website that none of the members would be attending the event.
"We're sorry that we won't be able to join everyone in person to celebrate alongside the other artists. However, our absence does not lessen how deeply this recognition means to us," they stated. "Being welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a wonderful honour and a meaningful opportunity to express our gratitude, not just to everyone who voted for us, but to every person who has made our music part of their lives."
The representative also acknowledged their manager Roger Davies for his support and paid tribute to the late engineer and co-producer Mike Pela, who passed away in 2022.
"We owe so much to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey," they continued, before signing the message: "Sade, Stuart, Andrew, and Paul. Mike Pela, the fifth member of Sade... This recognition belongs to you just as much as it does to us, Mike. You will always be our soul mate."
Sade will be joining Oasis among the artists missing this year's ceremony. Liam Gallagher previously addressed his absence in a message on X, saying the journey was "too far" for him to make just "for the night".
The other musicians being recognised at this weekend's ceremony include Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, the late Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan.
