Once again, Lil Nas X has his detractors upset. This time, social commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins is blaming the Georgia-raised rap star for supposedly being the cause of people dying from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Lil Nas X recently released his new music video for “Industry Baby” featuring Kentucky-bred rhymer Jack Harlow. The Christian Breslauer-directed visuals include LNX appearing nude and sexually dancing with other men inside a penitentiary.
As of press time, “Industry Baby” has amassed more than 29 million views and 1.8 million likes on YouTube since its premiere on July 23. In addition, the song’s rollout was paired with Lil Nas X partnering with The Bail Project in order to raise funds for Black Americans and LGBTQ individuals in need of cash bail.
Apparently, Boyce Watkins believes Lil Nas X is causing a serious problem in society. The supporter of former right-wing President Donald Trump took to Twitter to air his grievances about the openly gay entertainer.
“#LilNasX isn’t fighting for gay rights. He’s marketing the sexual irresponsibility that’s causing young men to die from AIDS. Being gay is one thing, but being a super spreader is another. There’s nothing healthy or helpful about that video. Especially for children,” tweeted Boyce Watkins.
Watkins went on to write, “A video with Black men twerking in prison is like doing a video with Jewish men twerking in a concentration camp.” He also suggested fictional imprisoned Black men twerking in a music video was a reminder of prison rape.
There is NOTHING liberating about #LilNasX!
BLACK MEN TWERKING in prison is TRAUMATIC and reminds us of PRISON RAPE!
Prison rape is NOT FUNNY!
They don’t do that shyt to white people!
Stop it. NOW.
— Dr Boyce Watkins (@drboycewatkins1) July 24, 2021
A video with black men twerking in prison is like doing a video with Jewish men twerking in a concentration camp.
— Dr Boyce Watkins (@drboycewatkins1) July 26, 2021
Lil Nas X responded to Boyce Watkins’s criticism about the “Industry Baby” music video with a quote-tweet. The 22-year-old Columbia recording artists essentially accused Watkins of being homophobic and a hypocrite when it comes to the images perpetuated by straight men in Hip Hop culture.
“Y’all be silent as hell when n##### dedicate their entire music [catalog] to rapping about sleeping with multiple women. But when I do anything remotely sexual I’m ‘being sexually irresponsible’ and ‘causing more men to die from AIDS.’ Y’all hate gay [people] and don’t hide it,” tweeted Lil Nas X on Sunday.
Lil Nas X’s response tweet to Boyce Watkin has collected over 211,000 likes, so far. In comparison, Watkins’s “super spreader” tweet was only liked around 1,000 times. It was “ratio’d” on the social media platform by receiving more replies (2,300) than likes.
y’all be silent as hell when n##### dedicate their entire music catalogue to rapping about sleeping with multiple women. but when i do anything remotely sexual i’m “being sexually irresponsible” & “causing more men to die from aids” y’all hate gay ppl and don’t hide it. https://t.co/ZiwbYcIH5l
— nope 👶🏾 (@LilNasX) July 25, 2021