Lil Nas X is enjoying all the success and praise from the release of his debut album, Montero, and he’s enjoying making his haters and detractors even more upset over it.
One person that tried to condemn the out rapper and LGBTQ Nation Heroes Award nominee for wearing a dress at the most recent Video Music Awards (VMAs) learned that the hard way.
Related: Vote now for your LGBTQ Nation Hero of the Year
A Twitter account dedicated to spreading a meme comparing “Rappers Then,” with a picture of late rap legend 2Pac in a white suit, to “Rappers Now,” accompanied by a picture of Nas in the red-carpet lavender dress he wore to the VMAs ceremony in Brooklyn last month, where he took home three Moon Person trophies and thanked the “gay agenda” on stage.
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The account posted the image of the meme several times on Twitter to try to get people to see it.
😢😢😢😢 pic.twitter.com/26JcdP6tXt
— Yasso.Art (@YassoArt2) September 27, 2021
Eventually, the tweet came to the attention of Nas himself. Instead of getting mad, he made a simple request in response to the meme.
“can y’all please stop spreading this!” Nas said.
“spread this one instead, it’s a much better angle,” he tweeted, including an updated version of the meme with a different – and better – picture of him in the same dress.
can y’all please stop spreading this! spread this one instead, it’s a much better angle. https://t.co/YMgu7q1J1u pic.twitter.com/ZNdKwgwpOC
— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) September 27, 2021
Of course, Nas’s tweet bought the meme to the attention of several of his fans, who were quick to point out that Nas is far from the first male entertainer to wear a dress on a red carpet.
All the older adults who bash @LilNasX and are so worried about their children… remember Prince? pic.twitter.com/V277J8RUsG
— liv ✍🏾 (@livineuphoria) September 27, 2021
I could add onto this for days pic.twitter.com/UwBKp540pN
— Nope (@Aye_Scotty) September 28, 2021
Also, did they forget what Flavor Flav used to wear?? And Shock G with his random noses?!?
— Meghan (@Ohhh_meghan) September 27, 2021
It's so funny, because I remember back then, the press was obsessed with what outrageous thing Dennis Rodman was going to do, wearing wedding dresses and hanging out with the nWo instead of practicing for the Bulls. The 90's were full out wild and weird celebrities.
— Jeremy Williams 🐯☯️ (@Metalyger) September 27, 2021
Rappers BEEN dressing flamboyantly, learn your history pic.twitter.com/TNJungmnxU
— Ah, to be young and in shorts… (@theManFromDLA) September 27, 2021
Have you ever heard of a guy named prince, who predated TuPac, sir??? pic.twitter.com/dBJfLHJd4k
— Vic Parra (@TheParraHerald) September 27, 2021
Oh im so sorry for you. Go listen to dababy then🤡🤡🤡🙄🙄🙄 pic.twitter.com/QEdwkBSmJa
— SchleimPlay 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@schleimplay) September 27, 2021
I just want to point out that Prince, Young Thug, MJ and several other significantly successful artists did shit way crazier than this. Y’all only care bc he’s gay. It’s literally the only differentiating factor. Be real w yourselves. It’s not a simple comparison, it’s bigotry. https://t.co/3WXYHw9Gba
— Kevin (@whorecules) September 28, 2021
Some pointed out that 2Pac himself had some risqué fashion looks himself, and many other times he didn’t fit the ideal conservative presentation of a “masculine” person.
KKKKK AMOOOOO MUITO pic.twitter.com/DA3jtnYVxg
— andreza (@andrezadelgado) September 28, 2021
They're so clearly trying to get him to recreate the bathtub photoshoot, they're not slick with it at all. pic.twitter.com/fWZlIljr3J
— industry maybe🦋 (@ExtraMediumNasX) September 27, 2021
— EYo_295 (@eyo_295) September 28, 2021
Here's Tupac in a corset. pic.twitter.com/uvTSsJi2KK
— Margot (@JackeeDaytona_) September 27, 2021
Leather daddy pic.twitter.com/YAsdG0jIvh
— Margot (@JackeeDaytona_) September 27, 2021
😮💨 pic.twitter.com/8IQ0GvCLRV
— 🌈 (@Czar_Atl) September 27, 2021
Other Twitter users suggested some more updates to the meme.
this one is better pic.twitter.com/dPafPsHh5X
— Big Latto Ola 🍥 (@LattoOla) September 27, 2021
One even suggested another picture of Nas, taken when he wore all orange to the Variety Hitmaker Brunch in 2019 and often used for memes, as a better substitute.
spread this instead pls pic.twitter.com/egc2tzntiI
— Pranto 💫 (@notpranto) September 27, 2021
Nas quickly agreed.
pranto 💀
— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) September 27, 2021
Editor’s Note: Lil Nas X is a nominee for LGBTQ Nation’s Hero of the Year Award. You can vote now for Nas, or one of the four other nominees — Pete Buttigieg, Elliot Page, Andraya Yearwood, and Dr. Rachel Levine — now until September 30. Vote Here.
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