Lil Nas X responded to Joyner Lucas’ criticism of his new music video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).”
Since the rollout of Lil Nas X’s “Montero” visuals, the rapper has been under constant fire from critics among fans and celebrities alike. The video that surrounds the idea of “worshipping the devil,” as the widespread discourse has primarily suggested, is being unpacked by several sources, and some, like rapper Joyner Lucas, is trending because of it.
Many seem to believe that Lil Nas X‘s latest release is a far cry from his record-breaking debut “Old Town Road,” which on the surface seemed like a song for everybody. While Joyner Lucas lauded X for being a marketing genius and the controversial buzz he has managed to stir up for “Montero,” he says the “biggest problem” is that the rapper broke out with a “kids anthem.”
Taking to Twitter to state the opinion that got him trending and prompted a response from the artist in question, Joyner Lucas wrote, “That @LilNasX video is wild but as a artist he doing everything he supposed to do. Creating viral moments, making people talk, & creating content he already knew you was going to react to. It’s a formula guaranteed to work. I doubt he actually worships the devil.”
On the flip side, Joyner Lucas, who believes Lil Nas X has a kids-centric audience, says a disclaimer was needed for the rapper’s latest drop, which included a pole dancing scene, giving the devil a lap dance, and basking in the pits of hell. “I think the biggest problem for me is the fact he dont understand ‘old town road’ is every kids anthem,” Joyner Lucas continued. “Children love him for that record. They tuned in and subscribed to his channels. So with no disclaimer he just dropped some left field ish & all our kids seen it. Smh.”
Interestingly enough, this skewed view of which artists are tasked with the responsibility of being kid-friendly and who are exempted can be likened to how Christians are often selective of which religious tenets to abide by and which to neglect. Lil Nas was swift in his response to Joyner’s take on the matter and clarified that his breakout single was inaccurately framed as something that the lyrics prove it’s not. “I literally sing about lean & adultery in old town road,” Nas X replied. “U decided to let your child listen. Blame yourself.”
i literally sing about lean & adultery in old town road. u decided to let your child listen. blame yourself. https://t.co/gYmTi49BqB
— nope ? (@LilNasX) March 29, 2021
As the Lil Nas X bashing and “Montero” loathing continue to run its course on such an overwhelmingly grand scale, the music video that premiered two days ago has garnered nearly 34 million views and close to 2 million likes. Meanwhile, Lil Nas X has released two more visuals for the rollout. One in which you can hear the audio from the bathroom of hell, which is obviously less graphic as well as “Satan’s Extended Version.”
Lil Nas X previously showed no regard for any religiously-driven negative feedback over the video, explaining that he has long been told that he is going to hell for being gay. “I spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the sh*t y’all preached would happen to me because i was gay. so i hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves,” the rapper said. Now that he is simulating that it has caused a greater uproar than his sexual orientation ever did.
That @LilNasX video is wild but as a artist he doing everything he supposed to do. Creating viral moments, making people talk, & creating content he already knew you was going to react to. It’s a formula guaranteed to work. I doubt he actually worships the devil.
— Joyner Lucas (@JoynerLucas) March 28, 2021
I think the biggest problem for me is the fact he dont understand “old town road” is every kids anthem. Children love him for that record. They tuned in and subscribed to his channels. So with no disclaimer he just dropped some left field ish & all our kids seen it. Smh
— Joyner Lucas (@JoynerLucas) March 28, 2021
