VMA host’s brutally honest reaction to Lil Nas X’s red carpet look divides fans
Lil Nas X (R) and MTV’s red carpet host Jamila Mustafa. (Screen capture via Twitter)
Lil Nas X channelled Lil Kim with a stunning half-gown, half-suit for the MTV VMAs – but not everyone was impressed.
The star put his own spin on Lil Kim’s often referenced but never matched 1999 VMA look – her iconic one-shouldered, breast-baring jumpsuit with matching nipple pasty.
Wearing his own crystal-covered, lilac Atelier Versace ensemble, Lil Nas X told MTV’s red carpet host Jamila Mustafa: “I’m happy, I look good,” before asking her if she felt the same.
“Listen,” she said, “I’m not gonna say I’m hating on the fit, but let’s move on, OK?”
Mustafa’s honesty left some fans stunned, with one Twitter user simply asking: “Where was the lying? You’re supposed to lie.”
Where was the lying you’re supposed to lie
— paul (@paulswhtn) September 12, 2021
“I was shocked when she said that,” added another user. One similarly said: “Interview really said, ‘anywaaaay,’ when Lil Nas X asked if his fit looked good.”
Big props to Lil Nas X for pushing through that god awful interview— bxlly (@Bxlly20) September 12, 2021
A third user joked, “That interviewer working for DaBaby,” the embattled rapper whose homophobic rant in August led to a raft of music festivals dropping him.
As countless users sought to stress, Mustafa is not today’s Twitter villain. She was simply doing her job and providing her personal opinion when asked.
I took this completely different than y’all are. To me it was like she was trying to say “I’m not gone say I’m hating, but I’m hating” but instead she said let’s move on lmao.— kennedy. (@HelloKennedi) September 12, 2021
He asked her opinion and she had nothing nice to say so she moved on why are y’all mad ?
— natalia (@_wheredrakego) September 13, 2021
Off the red carpet, and Lil Nas X delivered an awe-inspiring performance of his songs “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and “Industry Baby”, before winning the night’s top gong, Best Video.
During his performance, Nas made a subtle but powerful statement about the startling uptick in HIV transmission in America’s southern states.
Mardrequs Harris from the Southern AIDS Coalition joined him on-stage wearing a tee with the number 433,816 printed on its back – a reference to the number of people living with HIV in the south.
