Rapper Joyner Lucas Criticized For Controversial Music Video Inside Worcester Church
WORCESTER (CBS) – Joyner Lucas, a Grammy nominated rapper from Worcester, is being criticized after producing a controversial music video inside a Catholic church.
The head of St. Peter's in Worcester says he never would have given permission to shoot the video if he knew the message involved.
"I don't know anything about rap music, so I guess it offended some people," Monsignor Frank Scollen said.
The song is called "Devil's Work" and was shot inside St. Peter's Catholic Church. The video shows Lucas drinking out of a liquor bottle and appearing somewhat inebriated.
"Drinking was an act of destruction on his part," Scollen explained. "He left the bottle in the church looked at the crucifix and said 'Lord it is not you that causes this, it is the devil, the power of evil.'"
He also curses in the song, however the big controversy is when he questions his faith about why great leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have to die but others like President Trump and political commentators like Tomi Lahren and Laura Ingraham get to live.
"That's not right, we don't agree with that obviously," Scollen said.
Lahren later tweeted, "Truly disgusting. You don't have to like me or respect me but this is too far. This isn't "art" it's sick."
Church Administrator Amie Neville says they were not there when the video was being filmed. "That's their artistic vision," Neville said.
Joyner Lucas grew up in Worcester and has shot many music videos in the city in the past. His family has attended services at the church, so when Lucas asked to film there, church officials were not concerned.
Now they wish they had asked for more details about the nature of the video.
"Maybe if we had known more about what was happening here, we would have probably put more controls on it," Scollen said. "We need to bring about social change but we need to do it in a non-violent way."
Scollen says there will not be another video shot inside the church.