The star explained in a new interview why he made a video apologizing for some of the imagery used in marketing the song. “…it was me trying to dunk on Christians or something, and that was never what it was. Never,” Lil Nas X said on a podcast.
By Stephen Daw, BILLBOARD magazine
It’s been a few weeks since Lil Nas X made headlines for his controversial comeback single “J Christ,” and the singer is ready to talk frankly about the public’s reception of his latest track.
During his appearance on the podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty, the rapper explained that he felt the messaging of his song was taken out of context.
“[‘J Christ’] was this thing that artistically was just supposed to be like, ‘I’m returning … I’m back like Him, you know what I mean?’” he said. “It turned into this whole thing where it was me trying to dunk on Christians or something, and that was never what it was. Never.”
On the podcast, Lil Nas agreed with some of the backlash, saying that the anger over a video of him eating communion wafers “looks really bad on paper,” adding that he did properly apologize for releasing that video.
“This [was a] thing that I thought was just like a little jokey fun video,” he said. “I also had to think about how many of my family members are Christian, like my grandmothers and stuff, and like aunties and things like that.”
“And I’m like, ‘WOW, do they see this as that too?’ If they do, you know, that’s really messed up. And it makes me sad.”
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The rapper said that he did not apologize for the song or the music video because he stood by his intended messaging.
“That message turned around and I didn’t know how to do anything with it,” he said. “It wasn’t my chaos anymore. It was the world’s and anything anybody said was true because that’s who I am as a person. I’m this troll and I want to make these people mad. And so, everybody can run with that. And there’s nothing I can do about that. I can say as many things as I want, but knowing my history, they look right, I look wrong.”
The interview comes after Lil Nas X spoke publicly about the release of “’J Christ in a video posted to his Instagram. In the original clip, the rapper explained that those online claiming that he was insulting Christianity with his song were mistaken. He talked about the Instagram post on January 5 with BILLBOARD’s interviewer Mitchell Peters.
In one string of TikTok’s, he joked that he was releasing new gospel music independently. Another Instagram post showed him sharing a fake acceptance letter to Christian college Liberty University. A university representative later said the school did not admit him to the fall 2024 semester. The rapper also drew intense criticism for his use of religious iconography, with commentators claiming that he was “mocking” and “disrespecting” Christianity. Many bristled when he portrayed himself as Jesus Christ on the crucifix.
In the Instagram clip, he said “I know I messed up really bad this time. I can act unbothered all I want, but it’s definitely taken a mental toll on me. I’m not some evil demon guy trying to destroy everybody’s values and stuff like that. That’s not me.”
On the podcast, he said “I knew there would be some upset people simply because religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people,” he said. “But I also didn’t mean to mock – this wasn’t a f – you to the Christians. It was literally me saying ‘I’m back like Jesus.’”
Elsewhere in his interview with On Purpose, Lil Nas said that he’s now reflecting on what his future releases will look like, and where his music will go in the future.
“You’ve been so focused and zoned in on what you’re doing, and you push your art out into the world and it’s kind of received negatively by the majority … but then also understanding why, you know, and having to see it through,” he said.
“So, I guess that’s where I’m at right now and my next move,you know, the things that I’m planning right now, I feel like somewhere in here that’s gonna be this magical moment that I can’t even take credit for.”
First published January 29, 2024; Mitchell Peters Interview about the Instagram clip was published January 15.
