Lil Nas X’s New ‘Christian’ Music Upsets Tyrese Gibson
Lil Nas X poses in the press room at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.
Is Lil Nas X entering the “Christian era” of his career? Taking to X on Wednesday (November 29), the 24-year-old artist posted a lyric video for a new song. “Father stretch my hands,” the Georgia native lip-syncs, while having a hard time hiding his smile. “The lonely road seems to last the longest. Help me with my plans. Everything seems to go to nowhere.” His t-shirt reads: “If God doesn’t exist, then who’s laughing at us?”
If you didn’t think he was trolling before, his outfit pretty much confirms it is all a joke. At the very end of the music video teaser, Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, runs back to the car with his long flowing hair with a huge smile on his face.
Tyrese Gibson responded to the video, calling out the artist on his “shoes with devil signs,” adding that he “better stop playing with Jesus.” Lil Nas X clapped back: “this really crazy cuz all i did was post a song about asking god for hope when you feel hopeless and yall acting like I posted a video of me burning a church down and peeing on a nativity scene.” He clarified that making Christian music does not mean he is no longer gay. He adds, “the two are not mutually exclusive. i am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.” The following day, he said everything he does is seen as a gimmick, “when in reality im just an artist expressing myself in different ways. whether im a cowboy, gay, satanic, or now christian y’all find a problem! y’all don’t police nobody else art like mine. y’all hate me because im fun cute and petite.”
However, the “Old Town Road” hitmaker is sticking true to his guns on X. On Friday, one hater was saying how glad they were that he “fell off.” In response, Lil Nas X says, “i ain’t fall off i just ain’t release my new s—.”
These Celebrities Don't Go By Their Real Names
In the entertainment industry, every aspect needs to be marketable. Some celebrities have really catchy names, while others have had to get their creative juices flowing to come up with a unique name to be known for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, there are some cases where there are other successful people in media who have the same name, and someone’s got to change their name to follow SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) rules. This guild that represents actors stipulates that no two members can have identical working names. An actor whose name has already been taken must choose a new name. SAG-AFTRA allows any new member to keep their legal name as their stage name, even if another member has the same stage name already, as long as they sign a waiver.
Why Use a Stage Name?
Furthermore, a middle name may be adopted in preference to changing a name to avoid confusion. In some cases, attaching a generational suffix is sufficient for guild rules. A person hoping to become successful as an entertainer who has a name identical to a name already familiar to the public (in any field of endeavor) may change their name to avoid having their name evoke the other person with the same name. When it comes to musicians spanning all genres, artists have come up with some pretty unique stage names. Some artists, like Sean Combs, use several aliases (P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Diddy, Puffy). Other reasons a performer will take a stage name is because their real name is considered unattractive, dull, hard to pronounce or spell, or even to retain anonymity. The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, started releasing his music anonymously on YouTube in 2009.
See which celebrities don’t go by their real name in the entertainment industry.
Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.
