Who is Justice Beaver?---Lil B, Uptake, and Justin Bieber Fever

As news circulated around Justin Bieber’s alleged appearance at Common Grounds last week, Baylor students flooded Twitter and Facebook with posts regarding this information.  This knowledge quickly went viral, and on Friday, November 18^th, practically every Baylor student began the quest to find Justin Bieber on campus.  Ironically enough, this “news” that Common Grounds originally confirmed with web producer Megan Dahle at KCEN-TV was changed after the Baylor vs. OU game last Saturday.  Needless to say, Justin Bieber was never in Waco last week, nor did he order a “Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll” drink from Common Grounds, like they had claimed.  The phenomenon of ‘Bieber Fever,’ the teenage girl obsession with Justin Bieber, has circulated beyond the circle of high schools and has quickly gained popularity among college campuses across the country, including Baylor.  Examining the uptake of Justin Bieber and how this has led to the articulation of Baylor athletes and Justin Bieber paraphernalia allows for a better understanding of this popular phenomenon. 
 So why, all of a sudden, is there an infatuation with Justin Bieber among college students?  Is it because every Baylor girl thinks Justin Bieber is incredibly talented and a great performer?  Well...maybe, but I highly doubt it.  More than likely, this uptake of ‘Bieber Fever’ among college campuses was actually adopted and circulated by popular rapper Lil B.  In February 2011, Lil B released a single titled, “Justin Bieber”, which was quickly taken up by college communities.  This rap launched Justin Bieber’s popularity to new heights among college circles, but in a different context; not because college students are jamming out to Justin Bieber in their cars and know all of his lyrics by heart.  This uptake has even led to the articulation between Baylor football players and Justin Bieber. 

This uptake and articulation has best been described by Baylor football player Glasco Martin, pictured above in a Justin Bieber backpack.  Glasco Martin, who also happens to be a friend of mine, shared with me that Justin Bieber became popular among the football team and at Baylor because of Lil B’s rap.  The rap “Justin Bieber” has lyrics that appeal to what Glasco sees as swag and admires the image and idea of Justin Bieber with the removal of all things actually produced by Justin Bieber; such as Bieber’s music.  Lil B raps, “Bieber on my wrist and them girls straight love it,Girls drop it low cuz you know we want something.

Everybody know Justin Bieber is my cousin... I like them girls that like Justin Bieber.”  Glasco sees Justin Bieber’s swag as something attainable and goal-worthy as a Baylor athlete (all stereotypes implied here).  Glasco Martin loves the idea of having teenage girls idealizing him and having girls around him that would do anything for him, and that is who he sees Justin Bieber as, a womanizer.  If it was not for the uptake of Justin Bieber circulated by Lil B, the articulation between Baylor football players and Justin Bieber would cease to exist.  This articulation is also strong since Lil B holds such a strong reputation among the rap and hip-hop community.  If the idea was not adopted by Lil B, Justin Bieber’s swag could have failed to be taken up in college communities, preventing the coupling of athletes and Bieber swag. 

This uptake of Justin Bieber has really only promoted Bieber as an artist with admirable swag, rather than an admirable artist.  As far as I can see, this uptake has directly contributed to Baylor’s poor fashion taste and has increased sales of Justin Bieber tees and backpacks in the Waco community.  This uptake and articulation does not have enough interest and promotion to extend past college communities, at this point, which means that this really has little significance and impact.  The lack of impact this holds on a larger scale is probably for the best since it would just contribute to more traditional ideologies and thoughts of heteronormativity. 
When initially examining the uptake of Justin Bieber by Lil B, I still wonder how this came about in the first place.  But, after further investigation of how uptake led to the articulation of a Baylor phenomenon, it is much more rewarding to understand how this joining happened.  Looking at the picture of Glasco Martin in a Justin Bieber backpack makes Baylor girls think “swag,” but may make professors question the music selection played in the Baylor locker rooms.   Either way, the more I search, the more I realize that uptake and articulation do not have to make sense, it just has to be popular.