UPDATED 6/7, 11:08 p.m. ET:BET has responded to Lil Nas X’s criticism after he was not nominated for any awards at the organization’s 2022 ceremony.
“We love Lil Nas X. He was nominated for a best new artist BET Award in 2020 and we proudly showcased his extraordinary talent and creativity on the show twice,” the statement from BET reads, perVariety. “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.”
It continues, “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… We are committed to using all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community.”
In an post made to Instagram featuring videos and photos of Lil Nas X, BET wrote, “This is bigger than the #BETAwards. This is real life and we will always rock with Lil’ Nas X and stand for our people.”
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Just a week after he blasted BET for not receiving any nominations this year, Lil Nas X took to social media on Tuesday to tease a song that contains a diss aimed at the annual awards show.
In a one-minute clip, the “Industry Baby” artist is seen sitting shirtless in his car as he lip-syncs along to the track.
“Fuck BET, fuck BET/Lick it on up, slurp it/ Make it sloppy, ok, ok, ok, ok/ Look at how I top shit/I just put like three up in the top 10/And I don’t need nobody/I just need these ccs on my body/Everything I do be tryna run, go make a profit/Read about it,” he raps.
The song is titled “Late to da Party” and will feature YoungBoy Never Broke Again, a track that Lil Nas X teased earlier this year alongside another record called “Down Souf Hoes” with Saucy Santana. Nas X also shared a short clip featuring a snippet of NBA’s verse.
Minutes after posting the “Fuck BET” clip from “Late to da Party,” Lil Nas X told followers that his feelings towards BET are not about getting snubbed of any nominations.
“This not over no BET award,” he wrote on Twitter. “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.”
After a Twitter user reminded Nas X that he shouldn’t worry about the snub, as he’s already won a Grammy award, the artist replied, “This is my point exactly. How can i get acknowledged by the most acclaimed award show in the world and then not even [have] just one nomination from my own people? is that not crazy? am i really tripping?”
Another Twitter user urged Nas X to “talk to your team,” claiming that he should’ve dropped “Scoop” as a single to ensure a BET nomination.
“Talk to my team about what?” Nas X responded. “‘Industry Baby’ is the second-longest running #1 song on the Billboard Rap charts of all time, and I didn’t get a single nomination.”
The artist also sent out a series tweets in which he engaged with a few people on the issue of homophobia.
Lil Nas X previously performed his track “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” at the 2021 BET Awards, which provoked a homophobic response from some. In 2020, he was nominated for Best New Artist.
