In the early 2010s, you couldn't scroll through a gossip blog without seeing them together. Justin Bieber and Lil Twist were the ultimate "ride or die" duo. They shared Ferraris, high-end hotel suites, and a seemingly endless stream of headlines.
But things went south. Fast.
If you look back at that era now, it feels like a fever dream of drop-crotch pants and Fisker Karmas. Honestly, it was more than just two teenagers having fun. It was a collision of two massive machines—Bieber’s pop juggernaut and Lil Wayne’s Young Money empire—and the fallout left one of them holding the bag for years.
The Bromance and the Bizzle Era
They met before the world really knew who they were. Twist, born Christopher Moore, was a Dallas kid signed to Young Money at just 12 years old. Bieber was the YouTube sensation from Canada. When they clicked, they clicked hard.
By 2012, they were inseparable. Twist was living at Justin’s Calabasas mansion. They were making music together, like the track "Twerk" (which featured Miley Cyrus, because of course it did). Justin even started going by "Bizzle" for a minute, a nickname heavily influenced by his rap-heavy circle.
People saw it as a brotherhood. Justin called Twist his "best friend" in Teen Vogue.
But the media? They saw a target.
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Whenever Justin messed up—speeding tickets, noise complaints, the infamous "blunt" photos—the narrative was always the same. Twist was the "bad influence." He was the one leading the golden boy astray.
Lil Twist and Justin Bieber: Taking the Fall?
Here is where the story gets heavy. For a long time, we all just assumed Twist was a wild kid. But in 2020, Twist sat down for an interview on the Mina’s House podcast and dropped a bombshell that changed how people view that entire timeline.
He claimed he was the designated "fall guy."
According to Twist, Bieber’s management team basically asked him to take the heat for drug charges. He recalls being told, "Twist, do you really love this kid?" When he said yes, the response was basically: Cool, then take this weed charge for him because you're a rapper and it won't hurt your career as much.
Think about that for a second.
Twist was 19. He was trying to protect his friend. But while Bieber’s image remained (relatively) protected by a team of high-powered publicists, Twist became the face of the "bad crowd." He says it got so bad that even when he wasn't there, the press would say, "Twist did it."
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The 2013 DUI Incident
In July 2013, Twist was pulled over in Justin’s rare Fisker Karma. He was arrested for DUI. Twist now says that was a prime example of him "taking the L" to keep Justin’s record clean during a high-stakes point in his career.
He wasn't just a guest in Justin's house; he was a shield.
Why the Friendship Eventually Crumbled
The tension wasn't just coming from the police. Scooter Braun, Justin’s longtime manager, reportedly wasn't a fan. There were stories leaked that Twist and another friend, Lil Za, were being evicted from Justin’s house.
Lil Wayne even got involved. The rap legend went on camera to blast Scooter for "talking s***" about his artist.
It was a mess.
By 2014, the public sightings stopped. The collaborations dried up. While there wasn't one specific "big fight" caught on camera, the weight of the legal drama and the management pressure seemingly snapped the bond.
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Justin was trying to "rebrand" as a mature, soulful artist. Twist was facing his own legal battles, including a 2016 sentence for an unrelated incident involving a Nickelodeon star. They were moving in opposite directions.
Where They Stand Today
Do they still talk? Surprisingly, yeah.
Twist has mentioned that Justin still reaches out. There’s no beef, at least not on Twist’s end. He’s gone on record saying he still has "nothing but love" for Justin. He just wanted the truth out there about what happened behind the scenes.
It's a classic Hollywood story, really. A young Black artist gets labeled the "troublemaker" while the white superstar gets the "growing pains" narrative.
Twist eventually found his own lane on reality TV with Growing Up Hip Hop. He’s not living in anyone’s shadow anymore.
What You Can Learn From This
If you're looking for a takeaway, it's about the "company you keep"—but not in the way your parents meant it. It’s about who has your back when things get legal.
- Document your own wins. Don't let someone else's PR team write your history.
- Loyalty has limits. Taking a "charge" for a friend might feel noble at 19, but it can haunt a career for a decade.
- Watch the management. Often, the "drama" between friends is actually being stirred by the adults in the room trying to protect an asset.
The "Bizzle" era is over, but the lesson about how the industry uses and discards people is still very much alive. If you're interested in more music history, look into the production credits on Bieber's Journals album—you'll see the fingerprints of that era all over the R&B sound he still uses today.