(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Justin Bieber has defended Kanye West, insisting the outspoken music star isn't an "a*shole".

Kanye has his critics due to public outbursts like his infamous rant at former US president George Bush at a live benefit for Hurricane Katrina and interrupting Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

However, the teen pop sensation has called for Kanye's critics to back off, conceding that while his new pal can "make bad decisions" he's "generally a good guy".

"I got to be in the studio with [Kanye] and work with him and see how he works and talk to him, and talk to him as a friend, and not like someone [in] business," Bieber told hip hop magazine XXL. "He's not really an a*shole like everyone makes him out to be."

Justin is certainly making a lot of friends at the moment. Lil Twist recently tweeted that the two had collaborated on a single, and that Justin will feature in the video.

"We're gonna get some treatments [written]," wrote Lil Twist. "We're not just gonna pick any treatment because that video could just be out of here. We got a few different ones; I don't mean to name any [directors], but a few different ones. It's going to turn out great." (C) Cover Media