Justin Bieber apparently made it his “business” to license the viral paparazzi catchphrase that turned him into a meme not too long ago.
On Friday (July 11), the two-time Grammy winner released Swag, his first album in four years. On the track “Standing on Business,” fans can hear Biebs’ “Is it not clocking to you that I’m standing on business?” soundbite, which was caught during a confrontation with paparazzi outside Malibu’s Soho House in June.
Also on the track is Druski, who playfully corrects Bieber’s misuse of African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
According to TMZ, Bieber entered a deal with the photo agency that recorded the incident. Although details of the deal weren’t disclosed, Bieber’s wife, Hailey Bieber, clearly embraced the phrase, which she used in an Instagram Story to promote Swag.
Also sampled on Swag track “Butterflies” is another run-in that Bieber had with the paparazzi, where he chastised them for wanting “money” and alleged that they “don’t care about people or human beings.”
Bieber reportedly made another deal during the album’s release, having settled a debt as high as $26 million owed to his former manager, Scooter Braun.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, sources familiar with the situation said that Bieber and Braun have come to an agreement over the money that the former owed the latter.
Live Nation’s parent company, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), paid out a $40 million advance to the Canadian pop star for his 2022 tour in support of the most recent album, 2021’s Justice. But he decided to end the tour early, which meant that the company asked for him to pay $26 million of the advance back.
Scooter Braun’s company, HYBE, agreed to pay the money owed, with Bieber to repay it back in installments. He reportedly only made one payment, but has since settled the debt.
In May, it was reported that Bieber owed Braun as much as $9 million in unpaid commissions, which he is also said to have paid back.
ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas on October 25–26, 2025, with over 300 brands and live performances by Young Thug, YEAT & Friends, Peso Pluma, Central Cee, Ken Carson, and more. Get your tickets now.
