Suds Richardson
Staff Reporter
Lil Nas X is breaking grounds in his newest music. As an openly gay, black man, he has centered his newest album MONTERO around this. Lil Nas X has not shied away from any possible controversy he could find himself in either, and his boldness in an industry rooted against him has created a stir. Lil Nas X has found himself in a lot of noise from both supporters and those who dislike him.
Before the album was even released, Nas had released the Satan Shoe. They were made as promotional material for his song MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) and there were only 666 pairs available. This caught the attention of many in opposition, especially that of Governor Kristi Noem, known for her disputes over trans women’s rights in sports. The governor of South Dakota tweeted, “Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it's ‘exclusive.’ But do you know what's more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul. We are in a fight for the soul of our nation. We need to fight hard. And we need to fight smart. We have to win.” Nas shot back telling her to do her job and not stress over shoes, thus creating more noise in his push back. Ultimately, most agreed with Nas, but in his pursuit to make and do what he wants, it creates more noise around him, both for and against.
Upon release of the album, it broke new grounds in the hip-hop industry. Many were coming at Nas with rhetorical statements regarding today’s children or what these music videos show today’s youth, to which he tweeted, “i made the decision to create the music video. I am an adult. I am not gonna spend my entire career trying to cater to your children. that is your job.” He has also found some against him for putting out such explicit and homosexual media, to which he also tweeted, “y’all saying a gay... twerking on a cgi satan is the end of times like slavery and the holocaust didn’t happen.” Of course, being so unapologetic in such a controversial scene is what got him in so much of a stir. According to NPR, “The rap-pop star uses his provocative music, videos and comedic clapbacks to critics to generate conversations about what it means to be Black and queer in the music industry.” Generating conversations like this on both sides is breaking new grounds in the industry, for better as well. CNN states, “Just imagine what the world would be like if it were more like Lil Nas X's videos. If queer people weren't taught to be afraid of Hell or high school. If all this were ours for the taking -- and the dancing.”
This is all to say he is generating much controversy and conversation around him from both sides. He has yet to shy away from what he believes in and what he wishes to do with his art and will continue to be a groundbreaking model of open sexuality and blackness in today’s society.
Image Credit: Kayla Reefer
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