Rapper Lil Nas X told fans last week he’s entering his “Christian era,” and the internet made it clear we’re still unsure what it means to be queer and Christian.
Despite the rapper’s soulful lyrics like “I’m trying hard to face my pain. Give me hope when I feel less,” some fans and celebrities aren’t buying it. Fellow creators and fans have questioned the validity of his intentions behind the song and accused the rapper of being too flippant about Christianity.
Some fans are celebrating the rapper’s “glow-up” as some fans have called his implied pivot to more spiritual themes in his music.
Could Lil Nas X’s foray into Christian hip hop mark a significant shift in the landscape of mainstream music? A rapper producing songs with Christian themes and even Christian hip hop as a genre has existed for far longer than Lil Nas X. The industry boasts Grammy award-winning and nominated artists like Kirk Franklin, Lecrae and Andy Mineo.
While the genre has existed for decades, it has often been relegated to niche audiences and struggled to gain widespread recognition. However, Lil Nas X’s immense popularity and willingness to explore controversial themes could bring Christian hip hop to the forefront, sparking conversations about faith, sexuality, and the role of religion in contemporary culture.
Lil Nas X’s embrace of Christian hip hop signals a broader trend of artists using their platforms to address spiritual and social issues, and queer Christian fans are celebrating his embrace of his faith and sexuality.
Christian hip hop artists like Lecrae and Mineo have been popular among both religious and secular music fans alike as the appeal of Christian rap has grown since rappers started including Jesus in their lyrics in the late 1980s. (Actor Mr. T even made his own Christian rap album in the 1980s).
Commenters on X compared Lil Nas X to Kanye West, whose “Christian era” included sold-out Sunday Service shows complete with expensive…
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