Christian rapper defends criticism of Lil Nas X, calls for 'pure rebuke'
Christian rapper Bryson Gray has defended his criticism of Lil Nas X, urging Christians to rebuke the 24-year-old openly gay rapper for what he considers to be the mockery of Jesus Christ.
Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill and is best known for the hit "Old Town Road," has received scrutiny in recent weeks as he teased the beginning of his "Christian era" and was accused of mocking Jesus with the promotion of his new single "J Christ," which was released last Friday.
Last Monday, Lil Nas X tweeted an image of himself being lifted on a cross to promote his new song.
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Among Christian rappers who have been most critical of Lil Nas X is 32-year-old Gray, best known for his 2021 anti-Joe Biden song "Let's Go Brandon." Gray expressed distaste with the images in Nas X's video, saying he is "blaspheming" and "mocking Christians."
In an Instagram post last Thursday, Gray responded to "Christians and conservatives who say Christians shouldn't give Lil Nas X any attention" because he is only mocking Christ "to promote his album and get clout." He disagreed with this approach, saying Christians should be "rallying behind each other to rebuke Nas X by calling out sin."
"I'm seeing many Christians and conservatives saying that 'Christians shouldn't give Lil Nas X any attention because he's only blaspheming and mocking Christ to promote his album and to get clout. They're right about what Lil Nas X is trying to do. But, they are completely wrong about how Christians should respond," Gray said.
"All biblical Christians, we should be using Lil Nas X in two ways. One: Lil Nas X should be used for us to rally Christians up. Because if you're a Christian and you're not calling out the clear blasphemy. And I'm tired of people calling out stuff in the weak ways: 'I will pray for you brother.' Lil Nas X is not a brother. In biblical times, he would've got smoked instantly," he continued.
"Lil Nas X needs pure rebuke right now. And Christians need to be rebuking him. So we should be using Lil Nas X to bring the body of Christ that is so fractured and separated and all over the place [together]. We should be rallying behind each other to call out sin and to defend our Lord and Savior."
Gray questioned Christian conservatives who won't rebuke Lil Nas X for blaspheming Jesus but will criticize celebrities who oppose former President Donald Trump.
"If you are a Christian rapper and not calling out Lil Nas X blaspheming, what are you doing? You all talking about everything else. You all talking about racism. … Y'all conservatives, you all talk about liberals all day," Gray said.
"If somebody says something bad about Donald Trump, you will be right on their head. If a music artist publicly said they don't like Donald Trump, you all would stop listening to their music. You all talk about it on Twitter. But, you telling me when Lil Nas X is blaspheming Jesus Christ, you telling me we should ignore him?"
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Gray said he believes Lil Nas X is potentially a "reprobate" as described in Romans 1.
"I think that he is mocking Christianity. He is mocking Christ. That's why he uses Christian imagery to do it. He's doing it with the goal to mock us because that's how he gets his clicks," Gray said. "I don't care if he gets the clicks about Christians reacting. I want to see more Christians reacting," Gray said.
Gray doubts the music video is Lil Nas X's unique way of finding and discovering the Christian faith.
"If he was serious, he would apologize for the things he's done in the past like everybody else. You apologize for that. You acknowledge that. And him, he's done all this damage to children in the public sphere," Gray told Fox News. "So come out and say, 'I apologize. My label forced me to do these things, but I truly give my life to Christ. I'm going to apologize. That's not how I actually feel.'"
Another Christian rapper, Holy Gabbana, told Fox News Digital that if someone truly accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, they would profess their faith and renounce their sins.
"Confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, not putting yourself on the cross, especially as a public figure with millions of followers. It's as simple as clicking on the camera, recording yourself, saying, 'Jesus Christ is Lord. I repent of my sins. I'm no longer gay. I'm no longer whatever he was doing in the world. And now I'm taking this time to confess Christ is Lord, and I want to live the rest of my life following after Him.' As simple as that," Gabbana told Fox News.
On his podcast in December, Christian rapper Lecrae criticized how Christians responded when Lil Nas X posted a teaser for his new music with the caption, "Y'all mind if I enter my Christian era?" Lil Nas X was seen in a video clip wearing a long denim skirt, sporting a hairdo with straight black hair past his shoulders and wearing a T-shirt that reads: "If God doesn't exist, then who's laughing at us?"
Lecrae urged Christians to show people like Lil Nas X "forgiveness and love," stating he doesn't know what the rapper's experience was like growing up in a religious movement as a gay male. He said too many Christians have "a problem with grace."
"It's our job to show them where forgiveness and love … just permeates and transforms everything," Lecrae said. "It's almost as if people forgot they were ever folks who made poor choices."
"If someone would have approached me when I didn't know Jesus with the attitude of 'what a dumb ignorant sinner you are … God's going to get you,'" Lecrae said he might not have ever come to faith.
On Friday, Lecrae tweeted that Lil Nas X is "playing with fire mocking Jesus."
"[H]e’s getting the attention he wants from folks at the risk of searing his conscious," Lecrae wrote. "Still if God can transform King Neb, murders, slave masters, sex workers, etc. he can add another Blasphemer to the list."
Nicole Alcindor is a reporter for The Christian Post.
