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“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
That’s pretty much the gist of
Colossians 3:13 — you may have heard it said in a different verbiage. Either way, forgiveness is an act that’s reserved for the best of us, and should be something we all strive to practice in our everyday lives.
However, can all be forgiven? That’s the question that comes to mind in the case of Lil Nas X. The often-controversial pop sensation, known for pushing the boundary with shocking stunts like a blood-filled sneaker collab — aptly called the “Satan shoes,” for added measure — may have went overboard even for his own eclectic tastes with the theme in his new music video and single overall.
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“J CHRIST,” released this past Friday (January 12), is only a few days into its chart run and already has people boycotting what they believe to be blasphemy in the form of Nas depicting God as nonbinary, femme and Black — yep, all at once! In addition, theres also a basketball game with Satan (rocking Satan shoes), recreating Noah’s Ark and basically turning the Bible into an A24 film shot by David LaChapelle.
Lil Nas X had a different take on the whole situation though. Take a look below at the video response he posted on Monday (January 15) on X in reaction to all the debate and controversy surrounding “J CHRIST”:
…and here’s the music video in case you haven’t seen it:
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While not so much an official apology as more of an explanation to his artistry, Lil Nas X did make a valid point; he’s far from the first musician in hip-hop or pop in general to give religion a music video cameo. The original Nas and now-disgraced music mogul Diddy had a run on the charts in 1999 with “Hate Me Now” — of course, it would also lead “Catholic” Diddy to bust music exec Steve Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle after an early version of the video depicting him on a cross leaked to MTV.
Then there was the infamous music video a decade prior for Madonna’s 1989 chart-topping Billboard hit, “Like A Prayer.” From PEPSI to the Vatican, we’d be here forever trying to explain the amount of backlash Madonna faced in wake of her cross-burning video’s release.
Even “the old Kanye” tried bringing Jesus into the conversation for his GRAMMY-winning single, “Jesus Walks.” Three versions of the video later, he finally found one that didn’t, well, get him crucified by the public. Yet.
Maybe it’s safe to say that using religion for the sake of selling records should probably be left to the gospel artists. At the same time though, who are we — who is
anybody for that matter — to dictate how a musician should express themselves? With over 7.4 million views and counting, plus more expected to come when his HBO documentary,
Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, premieres in just over a week, it’s safe to say the 24-year-old hitmaker has a loyal fanbase and will continue to do as he pleases to appease them. Should his “sorry-you-were-offended” approach be given grace, or does his refusal to recall the project altogether make him a lost cause in your eyes?
Take a look below at what some people are saying on social media, and let us know your thoughts as well on Lil Nas X’s latest religious debate:
