Rapper Lil Nas X is very upset he wasn’t nominated for a BET Award this year, and he’s not ashamed who knows it.
The 23-year-old performer expressed his displeasure earlier in June after nominations were announced, The Daily Wire previously reported, blaming the snub on “homophobia.” Now the “Old Towne Road” composer is doubling down on the sentiment with the release of a video dissing BET for not nominating him in 2022.
“F*** BET! F*** BET! F** BET!” the rapper sang in a new song and video he shared on Twitter this week, continuing his campaign against the network. The video clip for “Late to the Party” had 1.8 million views as of Thursday.
FUCK BET! FUCK BET! 🤧 pic.twitter.com/bnG2UP7Hlo
— MONTERO (@LilNasX) June 7, 2022
Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Hill, expanded on his feelings in a series of tweets.
“‘industry baby is the 2nd longest running #1 song on the billboard rap charts of all time and didn’t get a single nomination,” Nas tweeted about his single featuring rapper Jack Harlow, one of the tracks the rapper expected to be nominated for. “Industry Baby” was released in 2021.
“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,” Nas wrote in another tweet.
One commenter said Lil Nas X already has two Grammys and should be happy with that. But the rapper shot back, saying, “this is my point exactly 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.”
The rapper also pointed out how collaborator Jack Harlow was nominated, but he wasn’t. “funny thing is industry baby was the biggest song me & jack released last year in the eligibility period but only one of us got a nomination,” he wrote.
These are a follow-up to tweets Lil Nas X sent earlier this month. At first, he was sarcastic. “Thank you bet awards. an outstanding zero nominations again. black excellence!” he shared with the prayer hands emoji and a heart emoji.
He also replied to a fan asking why he thought he deserved the nomination.
“idk maybe 3 of the biggest songs of last year & a critically acclaimed album… i feel like that should’ve helped me a bit,” the rapper replied. He was referring to “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” “Industry Baby,” and “That’s What I Want,” which were all released in 2021.
BET Network responded to Lil Nas X with a statement.
“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,” they wrote.
“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.”
Doja Cat had the most BET Awards nominations this year with six total, followed by Drake and Ari Lennox with four each. The awards show is scheduled for June 26.