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Lil Nas X isn’t done milking the absurdity of the Satan Shoes controversy.
Today, the rapper released a short video depicting him in a courtroom defending himself against Nike, which recently sued New York art collective MSCHF, the company that made the “sacrilegious” custom Nike Air Max 97s in collaboration with Lil Nas X.
Decked out with pentagrams and containing drops of human blood in the sole, the shoes were sold in conjunction with the release of X’s now infamous “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” video. Unsurprisingly, the shoes sparked an immediate online backlash from conservatives, and Nike promptly filed a trademark infringement suit.
The case was settled back in April with a voluntary recall. At the time, an attorney for MSCHF told NBC News that the collective had “already achieved” its artistic goal of commenting “on the absurdity of the collaboration culture practiced by some brands, and about the perniciousness of intolerance.”
Clearly, though, Lil Nas X isn’t as ready to bury his beef with the Beaverton-based sportswear giant.
In the video, X plays himself, the judge, his defense attorney, who can’t remember his client’s name, and a juror who declares the court should “lock him up and throw away the key.” Adding to the absurdity, the only line of questioning is about Lil Nas X’s sexuality.
“This is about much more than shoes: Mr. Nas X, are you gay?,” Nike’s attorney asks the rapper. “Let me rephrase the question: Do your mama know you gay?”
The video is a teaser for X’s upcoming Kanye West-produced album, Industry Baby. The album is due out this Friday. Unless the rapper suddenly decides to change his whole thing, it is likely to stir up some fresh controversy.