On the eve of BET Awards weekend, Lil Nas X — who shaded the show last month for not nominating him for any awards — went after the show again. On Thursday afternoon he posted the cover image of his next single, “Late to Da Party,” which shows him (presumably it’s him) urinating on a BET Award in a toilet — a clear reference to Kanye West’s 2020 social media video of himself urinating on a Grammy.
LATE TO DA PARTY 🎈
SONG + VIDEO
TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/EnbAvb7eDo— obamas cousin (@LilNasX) June 23, 2022
“Late to Da Party” may well be a diss track against the BET Awards, with the rapper having previewed the opening of the song on social media, which features him chanting “Fuck BET, fuck BET.”
Lil Nas expressed his frustrations about the BET Awards, following the announcement of their nominations on June 1, which saw the rapper receive zero nominations for a second consecutive year. In a since-deleted conversation, Lil Nas spoke about feeling marginalized by the awards body, which honors the achievements of Black artists in various fields of entertainment. Nas, who is openly and outspokenly LGBTQ, tweeted, “i just feel like black gay ppl have to fight to be seen in this world and even when we make it to the top mfs try to pretend we are invisible.”
In tweets following the announcement of the song on June 7, Nas wrote that the song was “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.” He also expressed frustration at being snubbed by the BET Awards, pointing out that while he receives recognition from awards bodies like the Grammys, a ceremony dedicated to Black artists doesn’t recognize him.
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 https://t.co/aE5cCRVsFm
— obamas cousin (@LilNasX) June 7, 2022
BET would later release a statement regarding Lil Nas’ criticisms of the organization, claiming that they “Use all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community.”
“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,” BET’s statement reads. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”
The BET Awards are set to air this Sunday on BET at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. “Late to Da Party” will release on midnight Friday.