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Buku says he was having a rough day when his car broke down before Justin Bieber pulled over to help
He tells PEOPLE the singer listened, talked with him and shared what he calls a “deep prayer”
The moment went viral on TikTok, and Buku says the support has deeply moved him
Buku says he’s still trying to process the moment that changed the course of a difficult day and later made him go viral online.
The independent musician tells PEOPLE the encounter with Justin Bieber meant more than he ever expected.
“My car had broken down and I was having a rough day, but Justin approached me with real empathy,” Buku tells PEOPLE. “He spoke to me like someone who understood what it feels like to struggle and still push forward.”
He first shared the encounter on TikTok, where the video quickly took off and captured millions of views. In the clip, he looks up from the side of the road and realizes Bieber is the one pulling over to help.
The singer greets him with a casual “Yeah, what’s up, bro?” after he asks if it’s really him. Buku couldn’t contain his excitement, telling Bieber he loved him, and the superstar replied, “I love you, too.”
He says the day had already felt heavy, especially after moving “to the big city” and seeing rich people “driving by in their Lamborghinis” while he tried to push through his own challenges. Breaking down on the road felt like the final blow before the unexpected happened.
When he opened up about what he was going through, Bieber listened closely. Buku tells PEOPLE that the singer then “said a deep prayer for me,” offering comfort in a moment when he desperately needed it.
He says the prayer and the conversation felt grounding, not just emotionally but artistically. “As an independent artist, that moment hit me on a deeper level — it reminded me to stay grounded and keep going,” he says.
He remembers stepping away from the car still trying to take in what had happened. At one point he told viewers, “I could be tripping, but I think Justin Bieber just stopped to help me,” disbelief still written across his face.
Buku also shared that Bieber encouraged him to play one of his songs during their conversation. He tells PEOPLE they “talked about a lot” and that the two enjoyed the moment together as he played the track.
In a follow-up TikTok, he became emotional as the moment sank in, overwhelmed by what had just unfolded. He called Bieber “one of my favorite singers ever” and “the most genuine personality I’ve probably ever met in my life.”
He says the timing felt like a turning point during a day that had spiraled in the opposite direction. “My car broke down and just when I thought it was all over, I meet Justin Bieber,” he says.
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The viral response added another layer of meaning to the encounter. He tells PEOPLE he never expected the moment to resonate with so many people but is grateful it touched others in the same way it touched him.
Buku calls the entire experience unforgettable, something that still feels almost unreal. “He even said a deep prayer for me,” he says, reflecting on the kindness that made a difficult day unforgettable.
Read the original article on People