Goth Rapper Dana Dentata is Suing Lil Nas X Over ‘Montero’ Pregnancy Promotion

The-Pit-Filler-Image
Unsplash/Yvette de Wit
Published on:

Last year saw Dana Dentata, the goth- and metal-oriented rapper who became Roadrunner Records’ first female solo signee, release her new album pantychrist, the videos and promotion for which featured Dentata being crucified as a witch, wearing surgical hardware, and wielding a sledgehammer pretty dangerously. They also included multiple photos of Dentata fully pregnant, one of which adorned the cover of the record. Now, Dentata is claiming that famous rapper Lil Nas X ripped off that concept with his promotion for his album Montero — and she’s suing him for it.

As reported by our friends at HipHopDX, Dentata sent a cease-and-desist notice to Lil Nas X’s management, which claims that both his “Give Birth” video and his pregnancy photo shoot promoting Montero was “essentially identical to the ‘Pantychrist’ music video and clearly used the work as its basis.”

“I demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of all infringing works derived from the works, and all copies, including electronic copies, of same, that you deliver to me, if applicable, all unused, undistributed copies of same, or destroy such copies immediately and that you desist from this or any other infringement of her rights in the future,” the notice states. “It is inconceivable that you would wish to jeopardize your artist’s public image, and reputation by your client falsely claiming he created this copyrighted content.”

Dentata has also publicly noted that Lil Nas X used the same prosthetic artist for his fake baby bump that she did for hers.

This also isn’t Lil Nas X’s first brush with plagiarism — the rapper publicly acknowledged that he ripped off key conceptual imagery for his “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” video from singer FKA Twigs.

For the record, here is Lil Nas X’s pregnancy photo, which was published the day before pantychrist came out.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MONTERO (@lilnasx)

And here is the cover of Dentata’s pantychrist:

Dentata first called the comparison into question when Lil Nas X initially posted his photos, but then took her posts off of Instagram.

How this will play out for Dentata remains to be seen, but we’ll say this: taking on a massively popular queer rapper in 2022 shows some serious stones.

More on this story as it unfolds.

***

Words by Chris Krovatin