Lil Nas X is once again basking in the divine approval of the Church of Satan – because nothing says holy like a rapper playing basketball with the devil.
The 24-year-old musical maverick dropped his latest track, J Christ, on Friday the 12th, complete with more theological imagery than a Sunday school lesson gone wild. This musical revelation sent shockwaves through the religious realm, with the Church of Satan giving Lil Nas X a celestial high-five for his audacious artistic antics, according to TMZ.
In an interview that must have left angels giggling, the church’s magister David Harris declared the video’s imagery as “fantastic.” He went on to shower praise on Lil Nas X’s marketing wizardry, comparing it to the church’s practice of “lesser magic,” which, as TMZ eloquently puts it, is the ability to “manipulate people into doing what you want.” Move over, divine intervention – it’s all about marketing strategy now.
Among the divine scenes gracing J Christ was Lil Nas X’s portrayal of Noah taking on turbulent waters in his ark and Jesus Christ hanging out on the crucifix – both roles, of course, played by the rapper himself. Because who needs divine actors when you’ve got a two-time Grammy winner who can break the devil’s ankles on the basketball court?
In addition to the visually sacrilegious spectacle, Lil Nas X, aka Montero Lamar Hill, sprinkled some holy humor into his lyrics. “Back up out the gravesite, b****, I’m back like J Christ,” he rapped, as if delivering divine bars from the heavens.
Before unleashing his gospel of humor, Lil Nas X took to Twitter to ensure the faithful that he wasn’t on a mission to offend, urging them not to “gatekeep a religion.” Because, you know, who wouldn’t want a rapper playing basketball with the devil as part of their spiritual journey?
This isn’t Lil Nas X’s first rodeo with religious controversy. His 2021 track Montero raised eyebrows (and probably a few holy hands) for its explicit use of religious imagery. But fear not, for David Harris, the magister of sass, assures us that the Church of Satan “doesn’t actually worship Satan and instead touts being your true self.” Hallelujah!