Rapper Lil Nas X recently issued a public apology after he received backlash following the release of his latest song, “J. Christ.” The rapper, whose full name is Montero Lamer Hill, said in an Instagram video, “I know I messed up really bad this time.”
He continued, “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.” Hill released the music video for “J. Christ,” where he plays himself as Christ, implying that his career comeback can be compared to the resurrection. The music video also features biblical imagery like Noah’s Ark and Jacob’s Ladder. It concludes with quoting 2 Corinthians 5:17.
After the music video’s release, Hill received heavy criticism from the Christian community, including Skillet frontman John Cooper, who called Hill to repent, and Christian rapper Bryson Gray, who urged Christians to rebuke the rapper instead of just ignoring his behavior. In his apology video, Hill said he understands that religion is “a very sensitive topic for a lot of people” but contended that he “didn’t mean to mock; this wasn’t like a f— you to you people. It was literally me saying I’m back like Jesus.”
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Hill also recently tweeted a fake acceptance letter from Liberty University in which he claimed that he had been accepted into the evangelical school and would be taking “biblical studies” in the Fall. However, X noted that the letter was “altered” because it was signed by LU founder Jerry Falwell Sr., who passed away in 2007.
Additionally, a Liberty spokesperson confirmed that that letter was not authentic. Hill has faced a number of controversies in recent years, including the release of 666 limited-edition pairs of “Satan shoes” in 2021. At the time, the shoes were released in promotion of his song “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” which the music video showed the rapper giving a lap dance to Satan in Hell.
Last month, Hill tweeted that he was entering his “Christian era” but maintained that it would not change his sexuality as a gay person.