Lil Nas X disses BET in new song, calls out homophobia in Black community
Lil Nas X took aim at BET in a new song this week, after receiving zero nominations for the upcoming 2022 BET Awards.
Taking to social media on Tuesday, the "Industry Baby" rapper released a minute-long teaser of his new track titled "Late to Da Party" and captioned his post, "F--- BET!"
The song's lyrics include a similar callout of the network.
In a follow up tweet, Lil Nas X responded to a user who questioned why he appeared so upset about the BET Awards when he's won a Grammy.
"This is my point exactly," he said. "How can i get acknowledged by the most acclaimed award show in the world and then not even just 1 nomination from my own people? is that not crazy? am i really tripping."
Lil Nas X won two Grammys in 2020 for his song "Old Town Road." He won zero BET Awards out of one nomination for Best New Artist that same year.
Elaborating on his original post Tuesday, the 23-year-old wrote, "this not over no bet award this is about the bigger problem of homophobia in the black community, y'all can sit and pretend all u want but imma risk it all for us."
"We love Lil Nas X," BET responded in a statement, obtained by ABC News, making note of his past nomination and adding that they have "proudly showcased his extraordinary talent and creativity" during his two performances, one in 2019 and the other in 2021.
"Unfortunately, this year, he was not nominated by BET's Voting Academy, which is comprised of an esteemed group of nearly 500 entertainment professionals in the fields of music, television, film, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, influencers, and creative arts," the network continued. "No one from BET serves as a member of the Voting Academy."
"At BET, we are passionate advocates for the wonderful diversity that exists within our community," the statement concluded. "We are committed to using all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community."
