Months after stirring up controversy and finding himself tied up in a Nike lawsuit with the release of his chart-topping single “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” Lil Nas X has caused just as much chaos as he did earlier this year, with much less effort. This past Friday, the artist who was once known just for his country-rap single “Old Town Road” returned with his latest single, a Take a Daytrip and Kanye West-produced and Jack Harlow-assisted single titled “Industry Baby.”
In April, HNHH wrote that the Atlanta rapper mastered viral success, and Lil Nas X has undoubtedly proved that article right. After dropping “Industry Baby,” Lil Nas has gotten everyone talking, and even if indirectly, he’s been the main focus of several homophobic rants and controversies over the past several days. In response to the shade and hate that he has received from Hip-Hop gatekeepers such as T.I. and Boosie Badazz, Lil Nas X has responded by releasing the “uncensored” version of his “Industry Baby” music video.
Before you get too excited/upset, relax. Lil Nas X’s “INDUSTRY BABY (Uncensored Video)” is merely another well-calculated prank by the internet’s best troll. Contrary to the almost NSFW thumbnail that he shared while announcing the “uncensored” visuals, the actual video is perhaps more PG than the original one. The newly released video starts like normal, and when it comes time for the shower scene around the 0:33-mark, the video begins to buffer.
In true Lil Nas fashion, however, the buffer is intentional, and while the song continues for another 3.5 minutes or so, the video remains fixated on a frozen shower head and rotating gray ring.
Watch Lil Nas X’s “INDUSTRY BABY (Uncensored Video)” below, and sound off in the comments once you realize you’re being trolled.