Rapper Lil Nas X, who has been promoting his recently released music video for the song, “J Christ,” as part of his “Christian era,” posted a video Monday saying he is sorry for some of his actions and explaining his thinking behind them.
“I wanted to, not necessarily apologize, but I wanted to explain like where my head at and where it’s been for like the last week,” he said at the beginning of his video [Editor’s note: This video contains language some may find offensive].
“When I did the artwork [for my new single], I knew there would be some upset people or whatnot simply cause, you know, religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people,” he explained. “But I also didn’t mean to mock.” The rapper said he is not the only artist to portray himself as Jesus and said he will not be the last, and his intention was not to tell Christians “f*** you.”
“It was not that,” said Lil Nas X. “It was literally me saying, ‘Oh, I’m back, I’m back like Jesus.’”
Lil Nas X Begins His ‘Christian Era’
On Nov. 29, Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Hill, asked, “Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?” The implication of the question was surprising for a few reasons. In 2021, the artist partnered with MSCHF to release “Satan Shoes,” a modified pair of Nike Air Max 97s that supposedly contain a drop of human blood mixed with red ink and featured a pentagram, the verse Luke 10:18, and upside down crosses. The rapper planned to release 666 pairs of the shoes.
RELATED: UPDATE: Judge Orders Lil Nas X’s ‘Satan Shoe’ To Stop Shipment
The 2021 music video for Lil Nas X’s song, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” sexualizes Christian imagery of the serpent and a tree and shows Lil Nas X sliding from heaven to hell on a stripper pole and giving Satan a lap dance.
On Jan. 12, the rapper released the music video to his single, “J Christ.” The video portrays the rapper welcoming celebrity look-alikes into heaven, beating Satan at basketball, and hanging on a cross wearing go-go boots and a crown of thorns. In the song, the artist raps, “Back up out the gravesite b****, I’m back like J Christ.”
Lil Nas X released various videos and images ahead of the music video to promote it. On Jan. 9, he even posted a fake acceptance letter to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Some promotional images show the rapper hanging on crosses. In one, a group of men and women lift him while another shows him in a metallic outfit and transforming into a robotic figure. A short video the rapper published shows him devouring communion wafers and juice.
