Lil Nas X and Nas’s ‘Rodeo’ Music Video Reinvents ‘Thriller’ for Gen Z

Lil Nas X looked to the past for his latest futuristic music video, “Rodeo,” featuring Nas. While walking along a dark, abandoned path that nothing could go wrong on, Nas X is randomly attacked by a vampire, which turns him into a bat-faced human reminiscent of another dancing supernatural creature: Michael Jackson in the “Thriller” video. Plus, they both have sick jackets (don’t tell Kim K.) and an even sicker dance break. The “Rodeo” video is full of pop-culture references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Vampire in Brooklyn, and more. Nas reunites with the 20-year-old breakout artist following their Grammys performance with BTS, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mason Ramsey, and Diplo. But instead of being a sunglasses-wearing vampire like Lil Nas X, Nas is leather-clad, referencing Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus from The Matrix. Lil Nas X chooses the red pill, which apparently removes Cardi B from the song — okay, just kidding, it gives him [checks notes] super powers? Keanu Reeves would’ve made a different choice. Anyway, Cardi B is on the recording of “Rodeo” but was unavailable for the video shoot, Nas Jr. explained on Twitter. Bat Bardi will just have to rise another day.