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Reason responds to ‘Reazus Christ’ criticism: 'Is that an image of Jesus though?'

Rapper Reason has responded to the backlash from social media following the release of his freestyle cover in which he labels himself ‘Reazus Christ’.

The cover shows the famous image of Jesus Christ carrying two naked ladies on his shoulder titled ‘Reazus Christ is coming’.

Reason, real name Sizwe Moeketsi, said that he grew up trying to coin the art of perfection like Jesus Christ did.

“What you are looking at is not an image of Jesus Christ. I never not once said that you are looking at an image of Jesus, never not once did I say that’s what I think of Jesus – that’s not what I think of Jesus. That’s not the point.

"The point is I said, what you are looking at is an image of myself. It’s a metaphor of how I see myself right now as a person who considers himself as a child of God,” explained Reason.

“If people are offended by the image that I have posted then what that tells me is that they are offended by my truth and what I have presented to them as the truth, that I am a child of God like Jesus is but I have so many things around me that paint a picture and make me a bad person,” he added.

He said that he is welcoming the criticism he has been receiving on Twitter because he was trying to talk about one thing (himself) but now there are thousand conversations around Jesus Christ and what he looks like.

“I take the criticism openly because in the middle of all of this I could be wrong and that’s something I should be open minded to as an artist, but at the same time I think people could be wrong as well because I am not speaking about what they think I am speaking about, I’m speaking about myself,” he said.

“Maybe someone could argue that I could be wrong for presenting myself like that and then I argue, ‘Is that an image of Jesus though? Is that what we are saying? Are we completely sure that’s an image of Jesus?,” he asked.

The rapper also addressed accusations that he lacked originality and had copied US rapper Kanye West who calls himself ‘Yeezus’.

“What Kanye West was saying and what I’m saying are two totally different things. Kanye West was saying that he thinks he’s Jesus, I don’t think I’m Jesus. That’s the difference,” explained Reason adding that he said Reazus Christ and not just Reazus.

“I think people basically want to say that I referenced Jesus as well, but like there’s so many of us who reference Jesus,” he said.

The artwork, which Reason says he downloaded off the internet and just added the shades and bums was inspired by his journey of trying to be like Jesus in order to make it to heaven.

“Growing up, Jesus Christ was my biggest superhero, very humble, very great, performs great miracles, always obedient, highly anointed, and he was willing to die for our sins and we were being taught that the best way to get to heaven is be like Christ. My whole life I tried to be like Christ. What people see there is an image that I see of myself that in my mission there to be like him, to be the perfect human being that respected and loved God.

“You are looking at a metaphor of myself, there’s a piece on the song where I say ‘I’m a tainted version of what Jesus is. I hide behind my shades because I am way too much promiscuous’ and that’s why we have two bums there to represent the promiscuity. I also go to say I am ‘obsessed with ass, but I wonder who expected that.

But the question is, now that I have told you what do you take me as?’.”

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