Rapper, icon and general man on fire Lil Nas X has taken to Twitter to issue an apology. The reason: the rapper didn’t get artist Jack Harlow to join him in a nude shower scene in his latest video.
The music video for “Industry Baby” dropped July 23 and met with immediate gasps, as it featured Lil Nas X and a troupe of backup dancers grinding naked in a prison shower scene. Jack Harlow appears in the video helping Lil Nas X escape from jail, but doesn’t appear in the shower scene.
Following release of the video, Harlow–who is straight–revealed that he would have gone full frontal if asked.
Related: Lil Nas X dances naked in prison shower scene in his new video
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“Nas wrote the whole treatment for this video and I followed his lead every step of the way,” Harlow tweeted. “If he had asked me to be in that shower scene I woulda been in that shower scene. I just let the mastermind cook. Honored to be a part of it.”
wait!!! i didn’t know! let’s shoot it again! please jack harlow!!! please https://t.co/CJH6v5c8dV
— nope ?? (@LilNasX) July 23, 2021
Not only did Harlow’s tweet amuse fans, but it also got an immediate response from Lil Nas X himself.
“wait!!! i didn’t know! let’s shoot it again! please jack harlow!!! please,” Nas X tweeted.
The exchange sent fans into an uproar.
You really fumbled the bag pic.twitter.com/eii2RE4gi4
— zeph (@notzephb) July 23, 2021
“You really fumbled the bag,” said @notzephb.
You really lost this chance for everyone smh pic.twitter.com/S7ssdqBG5l
— baconeggandcheese (@horchataslore) July 24, 2021
“You really lost this chance for everyone smh,” added @horchataslore.
Amid the backlash–however benign–Lil Nas X issued an apology for missing the chance to show Harlow naked.
to the lgbtq+ community i sincerely apologize. i have failed you. i am embarrassed. i am ashamed. and i will learn from my mistakes. https://t.co/CJH6v5c8dV
— nope ?? (@LilNasX) July 23, 2021
“to the lgbtq+ community i sincerely apologize. i have failed you. i am embarrassed. i am ashamed. and i will learn from my mistakes,” Lil Nas X tweeted.
We have a feeling Lil Nas X’s fandom–and Harlow–will forgive him. Nas X released the video for “Industry Baby” in part to raise awareness of The Bail Project, a nonprofit group aimed at ending cash bail and structural racism within the American prison system. Given that it’s for a good cause, we see no reason why he and Jack Harlow couldn’t get naked together to help boost the charity haul…
Mister P
I’ll forgive him when he releases the version without the blurred bodies.
Kangol2
He’s got such a great sense of humor along with his talent, but Lil Nas X, we’re good on the Jack Harlow thing. Keep the video as is and let him keep cavorting with his ladyfriend(s).
Donston
He’s clearly joking and going along for the sake of fun. But it does make me cringe a tad to see a popular, famous, gay-indentifying, aggressively queer black guy who’s become a sex symbol in his own right seeming to publicly thirst after an overtly “straight presenting” white guy. Especially one that’s not all that good-looking (sorry). It’s not “bad”, and it of course was a joke. It’s just kinda cringe-y.
Hdtex
Neither remotely attractive.
Overplayed. Tedious.
Mack
You probably lust after Donald.
scotty
excuse me? you need to stop looking in that mirror, lil miss thing.
Cato
This is the biggest mistake of Lil Nas X’s career. I don’t know how he’ll be able to survive this.
/s
AZ71
I want the unpixelated version. I’m sure they’re wearing body-colored bikinis…but I still wanna see!