The anatomy of Lil Nas X: The enigmatic rapper behind “Star Walkin'”

If you’re lucky enough to catch Lil Nas X live at his Long Live Montero tour, you know the star has fully arrived, and in flawless fashion. Here’s a look back at how he got his start and rose to fame.

Lil Nas X is the stage name of Montero Lamar Hill, an American rapper who rose to prominence after “Old Town Road”, his country rap single, became an overnight sensation. The rapper was born in 1999 in Georgia’s Lithia Springs area and his parents named him after the Mitsubishi Montero.

He was only a 6-year-old when his parents decided to undergo a divorce. Following the divorce, the rapper stayed for some time with his mother, but later moved in with his father, who was a gospel singer.

From 2015 – 2017, the rapper tried to establish himself as an internet personality on various social media platforms. However, in 2018, he changed his direction and started to focus on writing and recording music. For more fun facts about Lil Nas X, read on.

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Lil Nas X at a glance

Before we dive into more details, here are some quick stats about Lil Nas X:

Birthday: April 9, 1999
Height: 6 feet 2 inches (around 1.88 meters)
Nationality: American
Current City: Los Angeles, California
How Lil Nas X was discovered

Lil Nas X was first discovered in 2015, soon after he had started working on establishing himself as an internet personality. However, he lacked creative direction, and tried a variety of content types (mostly comedy) to find success. In 2018, after he had started writing and recording music, he released a mixtape titled Nasarati on the audio streaming platform SoundCloud. Reception to the mixtape was mixed, but his song “Old Town Road”, released in late 2018, went on to become viral on TikTok.

How many albums has Lil Nas X released?

Lil Nas X technically only has one album. His debut album, titled Montero, was released on September 17, 2021. His EP (a shorter body of musical work), titled 7, featured his breakout hit, “Old Town Road,” with Billy Ray Cyrus and was released on June 21, 2019.

Lil Nas X makes waves at award ceremonies

At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, Lil Nas X was the most-nominated male artist. He ended the night having won awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video. “Old Town Road” also earned the rapper an American Music Award and two MTV Video Music Awards.

Lil Nas X has also been awarded by the Country Music Association, the first black artist who is openly LGBT to have achieved the feat. In 2019, Time magazine listed the rapper as one of the internet’s most influential people. The following, he earned a spot in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Lil Nas X is here, and he’s very queer

“Is Lil Nas X gay?” is one of the most frequently asked questions about the country rap superstar, and the answer is a very clear yes – Lil Nas X is gay. The rapper came out publicly in 2019 on the last day of Pride Month on June 30 through a tweet.

Since then, he has been shamelessly open about his sexuality, and is one of the most active representatives of the LGBTQ community in the mainstream.

How did coming out impact Lil Nas X’s public image?

After Lil Nas X came out, the general response was positive. However, on social media platforms, he experienced a homophobic backlash, and he subsequently called out the trolls. The backlash was inclusive of hate coming from the hip-hop community, which reminded everyone that hip-hop culture has its fair share of homophobia.

In 2020, Pastor Troy, a fellow rapper, used homophobic language to criticize Lil Nas X for the outfit he wore during the Grammy Awards ceremony. Lil Nas X responded to the comments through this tweet – “Damn I look good in that pic on god.”

Lil Nas X wasn’t always out and proud

In an interview with The Guardian, Lil Nas X revealed how difficult it was for him to come out given his experiences. In high school, where he had seen others come out, he witnessed copious amounts of bullying and homophobia. “The honest truth is, I planned to die with the secret,” he revealed.

The pain caused to the people who came out served as a reminder to the rapper that perhaps, blending in would be easier than risking being different. He also said that he could only muster the confidence to come out after he became an overnight sensation.

The bottom line

Even though the world is changing, and the LGBTQ community is getting more mainstream representation thanks to the likes of Lil Nas X, homophobia is still very real. The tide of celebrities feeling comfortable to speak their truths can only help to make the community stronger and promote even more cultural evolution.

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