What was Lil Nas X's 'J Christ' controversy? Drama revisited following rapper's recent arrest

Thats What I Want singer and rapper, Lil Nas X, was arrested on Thursday, August 21, 2025, after he was wandering along Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, Los Angeles. As per the authorities, he charged at the police officers, which led to his arrest, according to reports by NBC News.

Lil Nas X, also known as Montero Lamar Hill, has been involved in controversies every now and then. When he released the single J-Christ in 2024, it created a wild controversy on social media. The single featured bold religious imagery, in which Lamar was seen appearing as a Jesus-like figure.

This led to criticism from Christian fans and artists, as they found the single and the references used in the song offensive.

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Lil Nas X has reportedly been hospitalized due to a suspected overdose after being found walking through the streets of Los Angeles at around 4 AM wearing only underwear.

More about Lil Nas X's J-Christ controversy

In the early hours of Thursday, Lamar was found in his underwear and boots wandering the streets. He then charged at police officers, and his behavior led them to suspect him of an overdose. He was then taken to a hospital for evaluation before he was booked and charged.

Lamar had released the track J-Christ back on January 12, 2024. The song featured religious themes in bold ways, including using Jesus, several satanic references, and Bible verses. As per The Post, the music video of the song is full of symbolism about starting over and personal growth.

In it, Lil Nas X has added LGBTQIA+ people, especially Black and other people of color, to the center of the story. He also used biblical imagery to highlight the theme of rebirth. In the music video, he posed as Noah on the Ark and incorporated crucifixion and resurrection references.

At the end of the music video, he even quoted a Bible verse (2 Corinthians 5:17), which talks about rebirth through Christ. Along with using religious references, he has also used pop culture references, which include Windows XP wallpaper and the movie Bring It On. The video also features Ts Madison, a trailblazing Black transgender woman.

Overall, the song and the music video were about Lil Nas X announcing his new era in his music and personal journey. This was, however, not taken well by his audience. Many Christian fans and artists found the imagery used in the music video offensive or blasphemous, while some found the content he made disrespectful to the religion.

Following the backlash, Lamar had accepted that he had gotten overboard and that his content in the track and the music video would have offended people. He then claimed that offending or mocking a religion wasn't his intention.

Currently, he is in custody at the Valley Jail in Van Nuys, and as of yet, there is no public update regarding his bail.

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