Massachusetts

Rapper Joyner Lucas Under Fire for Controversial Music Video Filmed at Worcester Church

If you're from central Massachusetts, you may recognize the setting of Grammy-nominated rapper Joyner Lucas' newest video "Devil's Work." It's inside St. Peter's Catholic Church in Lucas' hometown of Worcester.

"This young man in the video comes from our community, his parents come from our community, his brother played basketball here, and people in this community look up to him as a role model, as a young man that's made it," said Monsignor Francis Scollen.

In "Devil's Work," Lucas laments the deaths of rappers like Nipsey Hustle and Tupac, and asks God why they had to die but others convicted of crimes and misdeeds are allowed to live.

But the contents of that video have come under fire since it was released. It shows prominent people like President Donald Trump on a funeral easel. Lucas has also been criticized for asking God to teach conservative commentators "a lesson."

Fox News host Tomi Lahren responded on Twitter, calling it "truly disgusting."

"I don't agree with the calling out certain people. I could see why they would be really offended by that. But that's — this was his vision and his words to say it, they don't represent our thoughts," said Amie Neville, an administrator at St. Peter's.

"Maybe if we had known more what was happening here, we would have put more controls on it, more balance or something," said Scollen.

The monsignor says he tries to preach that social change will not come about through violent rhetoric, but he thinks people are missing the bigger message.

"In the world filled with violence, good people and bad people, it's confusing," Scollen said. "When is good going to triumph over evil? I think that was his point."

NBC10 Boston reached out to Lucas and his team for a response and has not heard back.

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