Lil Nas X on controversial 'J Christ' single: 'I didn’t mean to mock'
The rapper says he wasn't trying to mock any religion or upset Christians.
Lil Nas X has recently received backlash over his latest single, 'J Christ', which he released last week.
The rapper received criticism from Christians who believed his new single mocked Jesus Christ. The cover of the single shows Lil Nas X on the cross, a symbol of great significance in the Christian community.
The 24-year-old took to Instagram live to set the record straight.
He posted a four-minute video which he captioned: "Wanted to get something off of my chest".
The rapper started off his video by explaining that he is not necessarily apologising, but just clearing the air.
"I wanted to not necessarily apologise, but I wanted to explain where my head is at and where it's been for the last week," he said.
He continued to say he knew his artwork would upset religious people.
"First of all, when I did the artwork, I knew there would be some upset people simply because religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people," he said.
However, he went on to explain that he didn't mean to mock anyone.
“I didn’t mean to mock. This wasn’t a ‘F**k you to you people. F**k you to the Christians.’ It was not that. It was ‘I’m back like Jesus',” Nas said.
“I did not mean it as a cannibalism thing or whatever the freak. But I do apologize for that. I will say I’m sorry for that. That was overboard.”
He went on to explain that he isn't the first person to do what he did.
“I’m not the first person to dress up as Jesus. I’m not the first rapper, I’m not the first artist, and I won’t be the last.
“And I know given my history, with the ‘Call Me By Your Name’ video, anything I do related to religion could be seen as mockery, and that was not the case with this.”
However, the musician said the criticism has taken a mental toll on him.
“This is not to try to get everybody on my good side or whatnot,” he said. “This is more so to clear my head about my own decisions. I know I messed up really bad this time. And I can act unbothered all I want but it’s definitely taking a mental toll on me.”
READ: Lil Nas X celebrates 'Old Town Road' milestone
He added that he is not out to destroy anyone's values, but wants to promote love.
“I was put on this Earth to bring people closer together and promote love.
“That’s who I am. I’m not an evil demon guy trying to destroy someone’s values. That’s not me,” he said.
READ: Refentse, Elandré, and Kwesta cover Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road'
Below is the video.
WARNING: The video contains strong language and views that might be upsetting to sensitive viewers.
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Image courtesy of Instagram.