Lil Nas X

Nike Reportedly Sues MSCHF Over The Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’

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Over the weekend, Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth speculated that Nike might have grounds to sue Lil Nas X collaborator MSCHF over its “Satan shoes” — customized Nike Air Max 97s supposedly featuring a drop of blood mixed with red ink in each of the 666 pair’s Air Max units — made to promote Nas’ new single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” Well, it looks like the sneaker giant really has done just that, with New York Times Sports reporter Kevin Draper posting a copy of the first page of a lawsuit filed in New York’s Eastern District for trademark infringement, false designation of origin/unfair competition, and trademark dilution.

It’s not an entirely unusual move for Nike, which jealously guards its trademarks but usually allows for customizers and collaborators to sell limited runs of its sneaker models. Just recently, Nike settled a lawsuit with streetwear brand Warren Lotas, which sold a lookalike sneaker it collaborated with Jeff Staple on. The “Illegal Fake” sneakers toyed with the design of the Nike Dunk, transforming the trademark swoosh into a hockey goalie mask a la Jason Voorhees of the Friday The 13th franchise. However, rather than going to court, Warren Lotas agreed to cease production and sale of its shoe and refrain from creating similar designs in the future.

As MSCHF and Lil Nas used Air Max 97s to create their controversial sneaker and judging from the confusion displayed on Fox News and in other outlets, something similar could happen here, although there are some differences as well. MSCHF didn’t create a new sneaker similar to Nike’s, it simply bought and customized several pairs of the existing shoe. Still, MSCHF may not want to go toe-to-toe in court with the behemoth brand and choose to settle as well. However, they won’t have to pull shoes from any shelves; according to Lil Nas X, all 666 pairs sold out within a minute of availability.

A Fox News Anchor Condemned Nike For Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’ And Got Checked By His Colleague

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Lil Nas X’s collaborator on those controversial “Satan shoes,” MSCHF, is living up to its name. The design collective’s marketing for the customized Air Max 97 has certainly riled up a fair number of commentators, including Fox News’ Pete Hegseth. The Fox & Friends anchor bit the bait hard, censuring Nike over the shoes and making a false equivalence to a planned pair of Air Max 1s that was discontinued and recalled by the shoe giant over its use of the original, 13-star version of the American flag.

Of course, Hegseth missed the part where Nike wasn’t directly involved in the creation of MSCHF’s limited-edition pair and was promptly fact-checked by none other than Adam Klotz, the show’s weekend meteorologist. He pointed out that “they’re not really Nike. They’re Nike shoes, but there’s a middleman who bought Nike shoes and turned them into these.” To save face, Hegseth posited that the manufacturer could file a lawsuit against the customizer, which … no, man. Just, no.

As far as the story behind those Betsy Ross Air Max 1 goes, those were discontinued by the brand itself after Colin Kaepernick, one of Nike’s most prominent spokespeople, reached out to the company’s leadership with concerns about the old flag’s repurposed connotations. He wasn’t the only one; users on social media also called on Nike to reconsider the design, pointing out how its behind appropriated by some white supremacist groups due to its connection to the nation’s early history when slavery was still legal.

Meanwhile, Nike had just taken flak from conservative groups, including Fox News, over partnering with Kaepernick after his protest of the national anthem at football games. In both cases of conservative backlash, the targets of their complaints would appear to be the victors; not only did Nike boast a 4% sales increase in 2019, Lil Nas X’s customized sneakers sold out within a minute of going on sale.

Watch the clip from Fox & Friends above.

Lil Nas X Wants Fans To Troll Chick Fil-A By Playing ‘Call Me By Your Name’ In The Drive Thru

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Lil Nas X is very, very good at trolling his critics on the internet. Whether through direct responses to his detractors like Joyner Lucas and Dave East or more subtly calling out the hypocrisy behind negative commentary against him, Nas X has shown himself to be one of music’s most creative clap-back connoisseurs.

In the wake of his new song “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” those critics are giving him plenty of ammunition. On the day of the song’s release, he gave a measured response to the complaints against the video, joking, “Y’all love saying we going to hell but get upset when I actually go there.” After five days of escalating attacks though, he’s going on the offensive.

“OMG if you roll down your window at Chic Fil A playing ‘Call Me By Your Name’ they give u a free sandwich and a lemonade,” he tweeted, slyly pointing out how the restaurant chain had reportedly spent millions supporting anti-LGBTQ groups such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Paul Anderson Youth Home. Nas, who is gay and pointed out how the “Montero” video was a commentary on anti-gay messaging in pop culture, warned his haters: “I had 9 months to plan this rollout. Y’all are not gonna win bro.”

Some fans are already taking his advice to heart, tweeting their own joking — and polar opposite — results after trying out his tip.

Nas also continued his campaign of mockery against the Satanic Panic by sharing an extended version of “Montero.” You can check that out here.

Lil Nas X’s New ‘Satan’s Extended Version’ Of ‘Montero’ Is His Latest Response To The Video’s Backlash

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Lil Nas X’s video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” has been the talk of the music world since it was released on Friday. Some people love it while others don’t care for some elements of it, like its setting in Hell and Nas giving Satan a lap dance. Nas has spent some time responding to the backlash over the past few days and his latest return-fire is a new longer version of the song, which he has cheekily dubbed the “Satan’s Extended Version.”

The original song runs for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, while the extended version is beefed up to 2 minutes and 50 seconds. The longer version extends the outro with more of the instrumental and some lyrics from earlier in the track repeated.

Nas previously addressed the theme of the video, tweeting shortly after its release, “y’all love saying we going to hell but get upset when i actually go there lmao.” Over the weekend, he also responded to criticism from Joyner Lucas, who raised concerns about the song’s potential impact on children who like “Old Town Road.” Nas replied, “i literally sing about lean & adultery in old town road. u decided to let your child listen. blame yourself.”

Listen to “Montero (Call Me By Your Name) (Satan’s Extended Version)” above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Nas X’s ‘Satan Shoes’ Reportedly Sold Out In Under A Minute

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The old adage that controversy sells has never been more accurate than when it comes to Lil Nas X. He first shot to superstardom thanks to the chilly reception from the country music establishment to his breakout single “Old Town Road” and now, he’s making even more of a fuss with his fantastical video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and its clever cross-marketing gimmick. The “Satan shoes” Lil Nas X collaborated with design company MSCHF on may have drawn plenty of criticism for their wild conceptual execution but they also sold out in under a minute, according to Nas himself.

https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1376551415540195331

The shoes, which are customized Nike Air Max 97s (without Nike’s involvement), were produced in an ultra-limited run of just 666 pairs and reportedly featured one drop of human blood mixed into the ink used to fill the air unit. They retailed at $1,018 a pair, so for them to sell out so quickly is kind of an impressive feat. They haven’t hit StockX just yet, but you can bet when they do the markup will be absolutely insane.

The backlash to both the shoes and the video have “Satanic Panic” trending on Twitter as Gen X users fondly remember the similar fuss over now beloved cultural icons like Ozzy Osbourne, Harry Potter, and Dungeons & Dragons. Their ridicule hasn’t stopped conservative commentator and grumpy hip-hop heads from trying to condemn him, but as usual, he’s had a witty comeback every step of the way — including a funny, Chick Fil-A-inspired take on his shoes that evokes the backlash against the restaurant chain after accusations of homophobia against it prompted boycotts just over a year ago.

Check out the video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” here.

Lil Nas X Claps Back At Joyner Lucas’ ‘Montero’ Criticism: There’s ‘Lean And Adultery In ‘Old Town Road”

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Lil Nas X’s new “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video has become a moment since its release last week, partially because reactions have been mixed. Some admire the clip’s creativity and execution (like Big Sean) while others pushed back against the imagery of Hell and the devil. It turns out Joyner Lucas has a foot in both camps and Nas has shared his thoughts on the criticism from his fellow rapper.

In a pair of tweets, Lucas (who became a trending topic on Twitter after posting about the video) started by praising the clip before noting the video’s potential impact on children: “That @LilNasX video is wild but as a artist he doing everything he supposed to do. Creating viral moments, making people talk, & creating content he already knew you was going to react to. It’s a formula guaranteed to work. I doubt he actually worships the devil. I think the biggest problem for me is the fact he dont understand ‘old town road’ is every kids anthem. Children love him for that record. They tuned in and subscribed to his channels. So with no disclaimer he just dropped some left field ish & all our kids seen it. Smh”

Nas had a response ready, tweeting, “i literally sing about lean & adultery in old town road. u decided to let your child listen. blame yourself.”

Nas has a point. Despite how popular his global hit became with fans of all ages, the song features lyrics that probably won’t be repeated on Sesame Street any time soon. Specifically, Nas was referring to the song’s second verse: “Ridin’ on a tractor / Lean all in my bladder / Cheated on my baby / You can go and ask her / My life is a movie / Bull ridin’ and boobies / Cowboy hat from Gucci / Wrangler on my booty.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nike Denied They Had Any Involvement In Lil Nas X’s Blood-Sporting ‘Satan Shoes’

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Lil Nas X has had a big weekend. First he dropped his new single, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” alongside a barn-burning video, which climaxes with him seducing Satan before snapping his neck and taking his horns. But there was more: He was teaming with the viral company MSCHF to create a line of Nike Air Max 97s that have been dubbed “Satan Shoes” — not only due to their crimson design but because, well, they also contain a drop of blood in them. The shoes have drawn a mixed response. One of the naysayers? Nike itself.

As per The New York Times, the shoe giant put out a statement distancing themselves from the shoe and from the young rapper himself. “We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF,” the statement read. “Nike did not design or release these shoes, and we do not endorse them.”

Though the Consumer Product Safety Commission has yet to weigh in on the line’s legal issues, MSCHF appears to be rolling full steam ahead anyway, with a limited number of the redesigned shoe — 666, of course — being sold for the high, high cost of $1,018.

As for the blood, it’s just a drop, mixed in with the ink that comprises the shoe’s air bubble. And where did it come from? From the MSCHF’s small staff, who each contributed enough to fill the large-ish order. (When asked who procured the blood, one of MSCHF’s founders, Daniel Greenberg told the Times, “Uhhhhhh yeah hahah not medical professionals we did it ourselves lol.”)

As for Lil Nas X, he responded to the controversy with a sarcastic video, in which he begins to apologize for helping create “Satan Shoes,” only for it to abruptly segue into the climax of his new video, right when he’s begun to gyrate in the Devil’s lap.

(Via The New York Times)

Lil Nas X’s Upcoming ‘Satan Shoes’ Have Earned A Divided Reaction From Fans And Confusion From Critics

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Lil Nas X has left the internet in a bit of a frenzy this past weekend thanks to his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video. The images of hell and the singer’s interaction with a devilish character in the visual have left fans with mixed reactions toward it. However, that’s only half of it as a collaboration has made some even more upset because of its satanic inspiration.

Lil Nas also announced an upcoming shoe collaboration with viral company MSCHF. The two have partnered for limited edition customized Nike Air Max 97s that have been dubbed as “Satan Shoes.” Set for a March 29 arrival, the shoes will contain a drop of human blood mixed with ink inside its sole and only 666 pairs will be available at the price of $1,018.

For what it’s worth, the shoe collab is just a flip of Air Max 97s that MSCHF released back in 2019. The “Jesus Shoes” were filled with 60cc of Holy Water from the Jordan River. In addition to that, as some have mistaken, the Satan Shoes are not the result of a partnership with Nike. A spokesperson for the brand denied the existence of a collab with the shoes saying, “Nike did not release nor design these shoes.”

What actually happens here is MSCHF purchases the shoes sold by Nike and adds their own designs and modifications to it before reselling them. MSCHF is also known for these unorthodox releases as a 2020 Business Insider profile credited them for “creating some of the most absurd, cynical, and viral projects and products that have spread across the internet.”

Keeping all of this in mind, some fans are upset with the theme of Lil Nas’ and MSCHF collab while others see no issue with it. As expected, they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

You can read some reactions below and to learn more about the Satan Shoes, click here.

Lil Nas X Celebrates The Early Success Of ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ With A Thank You Video

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While the reaction to Lil Nas X’s new single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” has been mixed, largely because of its music video and the images displayed in it, the singer has landed upon early success with the track itself. On Saturday morning, the rapper learned the video for his new song reached 10 million views on YouTube and rose to the top position on the platform’s Trending section. In addition to that, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” debuted at No. 3 on the US Spotify chart with 1.236 million streams. The great start left Lil Nas X overjoyed and he posted a video on Twitter to thank fans for their support.

“I just woke up so it’s sh*t probably all over my face,” he said in the video. “I just hit No. 1 on YouTube Trending, 10 million views, and we No. 3 on Spotify and I want to say thank you to everybody cause I don’t take none of this sh*t for granted. I appreciate you, I love you, this sh*t took a lot for me to step out of my comfort zone like this. Yeah man, I love y’all.”

This video, which he also posted on Instagram, produced another great moment for Lil Nas X as it brought forth a comment from his fourth grade teacher who said, “Congratulations! So proud of you!”

After posting the video, Lil Nas shared another personal message about the new single. “I spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the sh*t y’all preached would happen to me because I was gay,” he said. “So I hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.”

You can watch Lil Nas’ thank you video above.