“Late To Da Party”

The Lil Nas X BET conflict is now in musical form. The out hip-hop artist Lil Nas X and TV network BET were already on the outs after he received exactly zero nominations for the 2022 BET Awards despite the success and popularity of his album, “Montero.” And he hasn't been shy about his feelings toward BET in the weeks since, posting a video of him teasing new music by saying “Fuck BET” on social media.

Early Friday morning, just days before the BET Awards take place on June 26, Lil Nas X turned that mantra into a musical statement against the network, releasing his new single “Late To Da Party (F*CK BET)” and its accompanying music video. The video opens with Lil Nas X constructing an image of a BET award being urinated on in a toilet as the “Fuck BET” refrain plays before he and NBA Youngboy rap over stock photos and hilariously poor animations.

The video closes with Lil Nas X crashing a mockup of the BET Awards and reciting the refrain again while dancing with bundles of cash and wearing the LGBTQ Pride flag as a cape.

It Isn't About Awards, It's About “Homophobia”

“Late To Da Party” is the latest statement on the subject which began earlier this month when BET announced the nominees for its annual awards show. After receiving no nominations, Lil Nas X responded in a series of now-deleted tweets criticizing the network. “Thank you BET Awards. An outstanding zero nominations again,” he tweeted. He continued, explaining that his issue wasn't specifically with the award snub but more 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,” Lil Nas X 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,” he added, referencing his 2020 Grammy win.

While the artist didn't receive any BET Award nominations last year, his sharing a same-sex kiss with a male dancer at the close of his performance at the ceremony became a significant moment in both the show's and mainstream hip-hop's history. BET celebrated the moment, sharing it prominently on social media.

Lil Nas X references that moment in the teaser for the video released Thursday on his official YouTube channel. “The Brutal Empire of Terror (BET) has betrayed Lil Nas X, turning their back on him after using him for clout,” read a text crawl straight out of “Star Wars” before the “Fuck BET” refrain from the song comes in.

BET's Response

In a statement to Deadline released shortly after Lil Nas X's comments earlier this month, the network said, “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: he performed “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus at ‘BET Awards' 2019 and his ‘BET Awards' 2021 performance was a highlight of our show. No one cheered louder that night than BET.

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. 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.”