OUT MAGAZINE
Lil Nas X has finally had his court date -- and we fianlly have our next summer anthem!
After teasing fans with tweets and TikToks about his upcoming court date with Nike, Lil Nas X has released the footage from the trial today and it's not exactly what we expected. Instead, it's so, so, SO much better. Instead of our favorite artist going to prison, we're getting another hot single, "Industry Baby," featuring Jack Harlow!
Earlier this year, Lil Nas X was involved in a legal scandal with athletic brand Nike and some "Satan Shoes" he promoted that featured pentagrams and a little bit of human blood. We thought the matter was settled, but then Nas started talking about his "upcoming court date."
It turns out, it was all a lead-up to a new hilarious two-minute teaser for the artist's next single!
The video opens with text reminiscent of a Law and Order episode, saying "Nike vs. Lil Nas X Supreme Court July 19, 2021." What follows is one of the funniest song promos we've ever seen.
The video shows Lil Nas with an incompetent but flashy lawyer, being confronted by a very skilled, and somewhat homophobic Nike lawyer.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury. This is about much more than shoes. Mr. Nas X, are you gay?" Nike's lawyer asks him when he's on the stand. "What does this have to do with the shoes?" a confused Nas asks.
"Let me rephrase the question," the lawyer restates. "Do your Momma know you gay?" Lil Nas can't say anything other than "yes."
The confession prompts gaps from the jury and those attending the trial. The judge has no patience for the defendant, sending him to jail for five years in Montero State Prison.
Is Lil Nas X the comedic genius of our era? In just two minutes, he plays a cranky judge, a fancy-talking lawyer, a serious lawyer, a member of the jury, and himself! And here's the thing: he nails every single character. Somebody cast Lil Nas X in a movie right now!
The two-minute video served as an announcement of a new song, "Industry Baby," featuring Jack Harlow. The track is produced by Take a Daytrip and Kanye West. The song will be released this Friday, July 23.
Nas' track "Montero (Call Me By Your Name), topped the Billboard charts earlier this year, amassing nearly 47 million streams in its first weekend, giving the singer his first song to debut at number one.
This is all a follow-up to the now-infamous "Satan Shoes" Nike lawsuit. As a part of the promotion for his single "Montero," Nas collaborated with art collective MSCHF and released 666 pairs of red and black custom Nike Air Max 97s, with added pentagrams and the sole of the shoe filled with red ink and "one drop of human blood."
Of course, Nike wasn't having any of that, and sued, ending the release of the shoes. MSCHF was forced to issue a voluntary recall of the shoes, and halt all sales of them. Lil Nas X's legal problems ended there, or so we thought...
The singer also recently teased the release of Montero, his debut full-length album in a Marvel-style promo featuring some of his best looks from several of his instantly iconic music videos.
Lil Nas X continues his takeover of the music industry with the aptly titled "Industry Baby," this Friday, and we can't wait.
RELATED | Meet Yai Ariza, Lil Nas X's Dancer (And Rumored Boyfriend)
Latest Stories
