(CNN)Lil Nas X, the 22-year-old juggernaut known by astir for "Old Town Road," is successful prison. He's successful the shower, bare -- prevention for immoderate humble pixelation -- and twerking, surrounded by 8 antheral backup dancers. And helium seems to beryllium having the clip of his life.
It's the astir provocative infinitesimal of the video for the euphony wunderkind's latest deed single, "Industry Baby," a opus that chronicles his emergence to the apical and raises a giddy mediate digit to his naysayers.
The video provoked utmost reactions: immoderate loved it for its catchy, trumpet-heavy tune and the absorption connected a smirking and glistening Lil Nas X. But others were outraged by the gay, Grammy Award-winning popular prima for offending them with the video's homoeroticism. Homophobic backlash erupted connected societal media -- and it didn't halt there.
In the aforesaid week, rapper DaBaby was recorded insulting cheery men and sharing misinformation astir HIV during a show astatine the euphony festival Rolling Loud. DaBaby's comments evoked an immediate, antagonistic response, with artists similar Dua Lipa, Madonna and Elton John chiming successful astir the inaccuracy and bigotry of his rant.
DaBaby didn't notation Lil Nas X, but rappers including T.I. and Boosie were speedy to marque a transportation to the creator and the "Industry Baby" video, with Boosie going arsenic acold to use homophobic slurs and threatening to "beat [Lil Nas X's] a**."
In the look of it all, Lil Nas X did what helium does best: treble down and tweet.
"i usually don't respond to negativity from my peers. but this had to beryllium said," the rapper said connected Twitter, sharing a nexus to his ain euphony video, letting it talk for itself.
Lil Nas X's unapologetic committedness to his individuality has go adjacent much indispensable successful the aftermath of DaBaby's comments. He's proven he's not palmy successful spite of his sexuality -- he's palmy due to the fact that helium embraces it. In the process, he's carving retired a caller abstraction for the aboriginal of LGBTQ musicians to explicit themselves without limits.
Lil Nas X is gathering connected a instauration laid by different Black and queer musicians
Lil Nas X isn't the archetypal Black antheral successful the euphony manufacture to situation sex norms.
"Lil Nas X is perfectly important, but helium besides is precise overmuch built connected a past of different Black, queer and queer-adjacent artists who walked truthful helium could run," said Alfred Martin, a communications prof astatine the University of Iowa who researches Black and queer media studies.
Little Richard, who roseate to fame successful the 1950s, often wore constitution and pioneered high-falsetto, campy performances. Sylvester, a disco, R&B and psyche vocalist was known for his androgynous appearance. Prince, who ne'er indicated helium wasn't heterosexual, took cues from some and others similar them, flipping sex norms and helping pave a way beyond the acceptable ideals of masculinity successful the industry.
Even arsenic flipping sex norms successful the arts grew much mainstream, galore queer musicians inactive tried to acceptable immoderate boundaries betwixt their nonrecreational and idiosyncratic identities, successful an effort to circumvent overt discrimination. It was often easier not to beryllium 100% unfastened astir each facet of their sexuality.
Lil Nas X, who came out to the satellite astatine 20, stands retired due to the fact that helium doesn't fell immoderate constituent of his individuality -- not successful his music, his societal media beingness oregon his unrecorded appearances.
There are different modern Black musicians who person challenged sex norms oregon travel retired portion successful the spotlight. Frank Ocean sang astir a antheral emotion involvement connected his debut album, "Channel Orange," and opened up astir his sexuality successful 2012. Tyler, the Creator comfortably wears wigs and dresses successful performances. Lil Nas X has adjacent thanked them for making it easier for him to beryllium wherever helium is.
But pushing boundaries has ever been a staple circumstantial to rap, said Matthew Oware, a sociology prof astatine the University of Richmond who researches contention and sex identities successful popular culture
This goes backmost to rappers archetypal including explicit language, contented and arguable governmental statements, arsenic heard successful "F*** Tha Police" by N.W.A.
"There's inactive that wide sentiment that this benignant of rapper, a gay, antheral rapper, isn't typical of masculinity," Oware said. "What Lil Nas X is doing by upping the ante is nary antithetic than what we spot a stereotypical, heterosexual rapper bash by upping the ante successful their lyrics."
In some Lil Nas X and DaBaby's videos, the rappers execute shirtless, sing astir enactment and talk to their successes. But Lil Nas X receives backlash overmuch much often due to the fact that of what helium represents.
"Queerness generally, but Black queerness specifically, inactive functions arsenic this benignant of scarlet missive for galore folks who privation to enactment wrong the media and civilization industries," Martin said, adding that rappers are inactive much apt to cling to hypermasculine values, which makes it hard to judge queer artists.
This shows successful the mode galore rappers defended DaBaby's comments, portion the backlash mostly came from those extracurricular the genre, Martin said. For a agelong time, Black queerness specifically was utilized arsenic a gag successful media, Martin said, and it's hard for those profoundly immersed successful the rap satellite to interruption retired of that mindset.
On Monday, DaBaby shared a detailed apology for the hurtful comments and the misinformation astir HIV/AIDS. His enactment suggested helium needed radical to amended him "with kindness."
"As a antheral who has had to marque his ain mode from precise hard circumstances, having radical I cognize publically moving against maine -- knowing that what I needed was acquisition connected these topics and guidance -- has been challenging," his apology said.
His apology came aft euphony festivals helium was expected to execute at, including Lollapalooza and the Governors Ball Music Festival, canceled his appearances. Austin City Limits, the iHeartRadio Music Festival and Music Midtown canceled his scheduled quality soon thereafter.
"In this peculiar moment, we person DaBaby saying these truly uninformed things astir HIV/AIDS -- but due to the fact that of each of the enactment that these different artists were capable to do, we get to spot this swift takedown of DaBaby," Martin said.
Carving retired a aboriginal for LGBTQ creators successful the euphony manufacture
The ripples of Lil Nas X's occurrence whitethorn not instantly pb to a flood of queer, Black creators into the euphony industry, Martin and Oware said. Lil Nas X is the archetypal prima of his benignant -- Black, gay, genre-bending, Gen Z and award-winning.
In summation to promoting his ain projects, Lil Nas X uses societal media to uplift others, too, retweeting fans and inspiring followers with his unfastened persona. His euphony videos and tweets are playful, a cleanable illustration of the benignant of wit helium has perfected. He's an creator who thrives connected provocation and shattering expectations with a implicit disregard for the radical who don't get it. All those traits, astir of each his confidence, are what infuriate his haters -- and endear him to fans.
With time, Lil Nas X's occurrence whitethorn marque much grounds companies unfastened to signing connected much Black, LGBTQ musicians, Martin said.
"The contented with being the archetypal is often that the archetypal besides becomes the past for a truly agelong time," Martin said. "Black queerness has lone precise precocious go truly legible arsenic thing different than a punchline. There's a batch of work, of undoing that needs to get done. And Lil Nas X mightiness beryllium portion of that undoing."
And aft "Industry Baby" debuted astatine fig 2 connected the Billboard Hot 100 charts Monday, fto the undoing continue.
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