Big Sean opened up about the viral moment he gave an impromptu speech about mental health to Justin Bieber on stage at Coachella, and revealed that Justin and Hailey Bieber contacted him days later to say they were still reeling emotionally from his words.
The rapper, 38, spoke to PEOPLE at Mindful Nation’s Mental Health Awareness Month event at Live Nation’s Beverly Hills headquarters on Wednesday, May 20, reflecting on the surprise appearance he made during Coachella Weekend 2 last month.
During their joint set, Sean addressed Bieber directly in front of thousands of fans, telling him in a heartfelt speech: “God has his hands on you.”
The moment went viral almost immediately.
What made it all the more remarkable, Sean said, was that none of this was planned.
“I didn’t know I was going to say what I said on stage. I was just inspired,” he said. PEOPLE.
He described a pre-show ritual that keeps him open to these kinds of moments, morning meditation, journaling and prayer before going out in front of a crowd.
“Before I go on stage, I always pray that God will speak through me,” he said. “I always try to stay open to the word of God or the angels around me, because I am blind behind the miracles I have seen.”
In fact, Sean was so absorbed in the moment that he barely remembered what he said once he left the stage.
“When I came off stage and people were like, ‘What you said was so…’ And I was like, ‘Damn, what did I say?’ I had to go back and listen,” he admitted.
The Biebers, he said, were genuinely moved.
“They both hit me afterward. I kicked them afterward, but they hit me a few days later, like, ‘What you said, we’re still on top and we’re still enjoying it and it’s so awesome what you said.’ And Justin told me, ‘Dude, you drop some big bars, you drop some bars, man.’ I’m like, I didn’t even really do it, it wasn’t my intention.”
The two have been friends since 2011 and Sean has spoken warmly about what Bieber has been through.
“He’s someone who’s dedicated his whole life to music, who’s grown up in the public eye, who’s been through ups and downs and who’s benefited a lot, I feel like, from a lot of people,” he said, adding that Bieber was “not a perfect man, he knows that and he’s learned from all of us.”
The event also included a book signing for Sean’s 2025 bestseller. Go higher: five practices for purpose, success and inner peacewhich includes a foreword by Jay Shetty.
He hinted that a second book might follow, describing writing as both a passion and a purpose.
He also revealed, with a lighter laugh, that skydiving would not be part of his future wellness practices. “When I was in the air, I was like, I don’t need to do this again,” he joked.
