From Doja Cat To Big L, Here Are 11 Rappers Who Were Accused Of Being Devil Worshippers

From Doja Cat to Lil Uzi Vert, here are 11 times the internet thought rappers were devil worshippers.

Sep 29, 2023
Complex Original

If you’ve been on the internet recently, you’d think that the devil’s chosen earthly vessel this year is Doja Cat. Leading up to the long-awaited Scarlet, the “Attention” rapper trolled her fans, haters, and everyone in between after rumors of her being a devil worshiper started swirling online earlier this year. She “confirmed” her Illuminati affiliation on Instagram. She embodied an evil spirit for her “Demons” music video.  And, she got a tattoo of a bat skeleton. The rollout, despite the actual contents of the rest of the album, led to “Satanist” labeling before and after its release.


While it may seem like there’s a newfound urgency for religious redemption, there’s a long history of faith-based fear-mongering in music. Ever since a wave of Satanic Panic swept the country in the 1980s, with the rise of music genres like heavy metal and punk, the hysteria it conjured up has had lingering effects on the industry. Rapper Big L was the first hip-hop star to face the consequences of misplaced religious rage in the mid-’90s, when his song “Devil’s Son” was banned from the radio for its hardcore lyrics. Now, Doja Cat is the latest rapper to be accused of devil worship. Additionally, a slew of other artists like Three 6 Mafia, Lil Uzi Vert, and Playboi Carti, have been high on the list of rappers that may have dabbled in the demonic arts. Although these artists have denied the rumors in one way or another, their music has historically been more suggestive of their interest in the occult than Doja’s ever has. And of course, they haven’t faced nearly as much backlash from the media as she has. I mean, Crunchy Black even detailed his “deal with the devil” in an interview with DJ Vlad. 


Unfortunately, there’s a long catalog of artists who have been portrayed as evil based on their artistic choices. Here are 11 times the internet thought rappers were devil worshippers. 

Complex Original

If you’ve been on the internet recently, you’d think that the devil’s chosen earthly vessel this year is Doja Cat. Leading up to the long-awaited Scarlet, the “Attention” rapper trolled her fans, haters, and everyone in between after rumors of her being a devil worshiper started swirling online earlier this year. She “confirmed” her Illuminati affiliation on Instagram. She embodied an evil spirit for her “Demons” music video.  And, she got a tattoo of a bat skeleton. The rollout, despite the actual contents of the rest of the album, led to “Satanist” labeling before and after its release.


While it may seem like there’s a newfound urgency for religious redemption, there’s a long history of faith-based fear-mongering in music. Ever since a wave of Satanic Panic swept the country in the 1980s, with the rise of music genres like heavy metal and punk, the hysteria it conjured up has had lingering effects on the industry. Rapper Big L was the first hip-hop star to face the consequences of misplaced religious rage in the mid-’90s, when his song “Devil’s Son” was banned from the radio for its hardcore lyrics. Now, Doja Cat is the latest rapper to be accused of devil worship. Additionally, a slew of other artists like Three 6 Mafia, Lil Uzi Vert, and Playboi Carti, have been high on the list of rappers that may have dabbled in the demonic arts. Although these artists have denied the rumors in one way or another, their music has historically been more suggestive of their interest in the occult than Doja’s ever has. And of course, they haven’t faced nearly as much backlash from the media as she has. I mean, Crunchy Black even detailed his “deal with the devil” in an interview with DJ Vlad. 


Unfortunately, there’s a long catalog of artists who have been portrayed as evil based on their artistic choices. Here are 11 times the internet thought rappers were devil worshippers. 

Big L

In the ‘90s, Harlem native Big L solidified himself as a lyrical legend by dropping what would become the first horrorcore song, and his first single under Columbia Records, “Devil’s Son.” On the track, he rapped with vivid imagery, spitting bars like “On my skull the 666, no tricks / When I catch fits, my mom picks up the crucifix” and “I pistol whip the priest every Sunday.” It wasn’t long before “Devil’s Son” was banned from the radio. Contrary to some theorists’ beliefs, the rapper wasn’t trying to conjure the devil or allude to his affinity for hellish behavior. Responding to the backlash from faith-based groups, Big L told The Source, “I’ve always been a fan of horror flicks. Plus the things I see in Harlem everyday is scary. So I just put it all together in a rhyme.”

Three 6 Mafia

In 1995, Memphis trio Three 6 Mafia brought Big L’s horrorcore style and otherworldly, occult themes to Tennessee when they dropped their first album, Mystic Stylez. With lyrics referencing Satan, murder, and “666,” the group planted their feet firmly on top of the paranormal paranoia already plaguing the genre, and it became a topic of discussion they’d have to speak on throughout their entire career. “We do not worship no devil, man,” said Juicy J in 2010. “People ask me that shit every day. There’s no way you could have had our success worshiping the devil.”

The group was asked to denounce Satanism as recently as 2021, when just hours before the group’s Verzuz battle against Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, rapper Bizzy Bone went on an Instagram rant calling the trio “Devil worshippers.” Bizzy Bone’s remarks ultimately led to the first physical altercation in the Verzuz show’s short history. 

Tech N9ne

Even though Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne was the genre’s indie darling throughout the late 2000s, he wasn’t safe from widespread, mainstream criticism over his witchy vibe. With wild red hair and a face that was always painted (with a skull, the anarchy symbol, or tribal imagery), he was faced with theories of being a cult leader and acting as one of the devil’s henchmen. "They were talking about me being a cult leader,” the rapper told Boombox back in 2011. “Can you imagine being in a place early on where outside of Strangeland everybody calls you a Devil worshiper or a cult leader and your own people, black people, are not even coming to your shows?" 

Tyler the Creator

Before Tyler, the Creator became a flower boy, he was in his Goblin era, both literally and figuratively. When his second solo album, Goblin, dropped in 2011, it was bleak and uncomfortable, but most of all, it served as an honest look into the mind of the rapper. He explored themes of mental health, fame, and living under public scrutiny with graphic lyrics accompanied by dark visuals. In his music video for the dark, twisted track “Yonkers,” we saw the rapper donning blackened demon-like eyes while eating a roach and hanging himself. On his bleak, self-reflecting track, “Goblin,” Tyler rapped, “The devil doesn’t wear Prada, I’m clearly in a fucking white tee.” The rapper and his fans were immediately labeled as devil worshippers. It also didn’t help that his earlier solo music addressed similar themes, and his Odd Future cohort dropped merch adorned with occult references like “666.” When Frank Ocean’s dad sued the Blonde rapper for defamation in 2017 over a Tumblr post, he labeled Tyler a “Devil worshiper” who “only cares about selling records” in the suit. “I had ideas, an unmeasurable amount of energy and wanted to piss off/get a reaction from anyone who had ears.” Tyler said of his early career in an Instagram post. “I was 18, although a lot of these songs were made when I was 16/17.” 

Travis Scott

When eight concertgoers tragically died at the Astroworld Festival in 2021, the religiously paranoid spread rumors that Travis Scott orchestrated a colossal satanic ritual where the deceased were his sacrifices to…the devil? The Illuminati? Annabelle the doll? All of the above? It’s unclear, but it seems like every conspiracist has different theories. One said there were demonic souls floating among the crowd, another said Travis was “bringing the devil into the concert” via a “demonic portal ritual.” Everything from the rapper’s behavior to the event’s lighting and stage design was placed under scrutiny and used as “evidence” for fringe conspiracy theories spread on TikTok. Earlier this year, Travis denied rumors of devil worship after the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate canceled his Utopia concert in Egypt because of “peculiar rituals performed by the star during his performance.” In response, the rapper said “Nothing could be further from the truth. My only intent with live performances is to unite people around the world over a shared bond in music.”

Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert’s outlandish style and occult-laden lyrics have always been a target for criticism. From their diamond forehead piercing to their use of inverted crosses and bars like, “I can feel the demons (yeah) / Comin' out of me” on his 2021 single “Demon High,” Reddit conspiracists think there’s an abundance of evidence for their beliefs. It’s clear the rapper is influenced by artists outside of rap like Ozzy Osbourne, GG Allin, and Rob Zombie who have used dark stories and occult imagery to describe their pain. And, when Uzi was asked if they believe in the devil earlier this year, they said “no.” “I just say whatever I want in my songs. It’s just like my freedom of speech,” they told TMZ. “I come from a real religious household.

Lil Nas X

When Lil Nas X dropped the video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” in 2021, people with a penchant for moral panic and anti-gay stances lost their minds. Although it was a clear metaphor for the complexity of living as a closeted gay man, I can understand how seeing the rapper descending into Hell on a stripper pole and giving the devil a lap dance might have confused some people. Lil Nas X fueled the backlash from his music video  by collaborating with the Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF on their “Satan Shoes.” The unofficial release reimagined the Air Max ‘97 to feature a bronze pentagram-shaped charm on the laces, a 60cc mixture of ink and human blood injected into the cushioned soles, and an inscription that says “Luke 10:18,” which refers to the Bible verse, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” In an all too predictable response, conservative media attempted to maim the rapper’s character. When Republican Governor Kristi Noem took to X to respond to the release of these shoes by saying, “We are in a fight for the soul of our nation,” Lil Nas X responded, “ur a whole governor and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. do ur job!”

Doja Cat

Doja Cat’s career has long been plagued by rumors of devil worship. Her edgy makeup looks and rebellious, fuck you attitude have made her an easy target for devilish devotion allegations. However, all of the rumors came to a head early this year during Paris Fashion Week when she wore two controversial ‘fits: a fire red head-to-toe rhinestone look to the Schiaparelli show and a long, black gown paired with black eye-inspired makeup to the Balenciaga presentation. Some people on TikTok assumed the look was a humiliation ritual necessary for her induction into the Illuminati, while others have assumed she peddled her soul off to Satan for fame. It seems like none of them considered Doja’s devotion to getting a ‘fit off. As the reigning celebrity troll, Doja has only fueled the rumors since then with the creative direction for her latest album, Scarlet. To promote the album, she posted a photo series of a naked mannequin of Doja drenched in blood, a la DMX. The music video for the track “Demons” features her dressed as, you guessed it, a demon! Although most can tell this is the persona she’s embodying for this album drop (and also a tease to her newfound haters), her Instagram comments feel like a battle between the delusional and the sane. 

XXXtentacion

The late rapper XXXtentacion spent his short career struggling to find the balance between darkness and light in his music. His struggles were apparent as the topic of his yoyo-ing mental health was at the forefront of his music. Like many artists, X approached discussing the topics by evoking images of the devil as the culprit for his suffering, pulling him deeper into his vices, which, of course, influenced his aesthetic. His use of “666,” upside down crosses, and frequent mentions of the devil in music led many to believe he sold his soul to the entity, he was possessed, or even worse, he was the antichrist himself. And unfortunately, those peddling these theories used his early death as support for their beliefs. 

Trippie Redd

Trippie Redd’s use of “666” has caused internet conspiracists to believe he’s in league with Satan, and working to bring Hell to the rap game. His response? It’s “Black power shit.” In 2017, the rapper took to Instagram to debunk the bizarre theories popping up about his religious affiliation. "A lot of y'all are blind to reality," he said. "Six protons, six neutrons, six electrons. Melanin in Black people's skin. Do your research. Now, why I say TR666? Because Trippie Redd is Black, but Trippie Redd is also dark. I make dark music, but I'm black, so I use it as a metaphor. Make sure you do your research, man, because these people could be telling you, like, 666 is the mark of the beast."

Playboi Carti

Out of all the troubling accusations that have been raised against Playboi Carti, being a devil worshiper should certainly fall below all of the domestic abuse claims he’s faced. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Like Lil Uzi Vert, his use of inverted crosses, pentagrams, and other occult imagery has led people to believe he is a dangerous Satanist. And, his onstage performances have only added fuel to the fire. Carti’s onstage warbling, reminiscent of the punk scene he’s inspired by, caused fans to leave his Rolling Loud set, calling the sound “demonic screaming.” Or more appropriately, screaming. Regular, normal screaming. But unlike Lil Uzi Vert, his physical abuse allegations have allowed internet theorists to double down on the hellish conjecture. Over the years, the rapper has been vocal on how he really feels about the most feared religious entity, writing: “Da Devil is wack !! +:)” in an Instagram comment. Well, case closed!

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