Lil Nas X On Finding Success As A Queer Artist

Lil Nas X’s critics had labeled him as a “one-hit wonder” after the release of Old Town Road. In a new interview, Nas is having the last laugh.

The singer discussed his success and the backlash received by his latest single, Montero (Call Me By Your Name). He is appearing on the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s 2021 Pride issue. The musician recently earned his second No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Montero. He shared that the single’s success felt like a contradiction of those who did not believe in him.

The rapper shared he is thankful and also feels good to prove people wrong. He said it is one of his driving forces. Nas then spoke about his initial rise to fame as he shared he got only 1000 plays on a song in SoundCloud. However, he says he knew for a fact that something huge was coming and it did happen.

Lil Nas X continued to share that at first, he was skeptical about releasing a song about gay sex and romance. But eventually, he said he wanted to make it clear to his fans that backing him meant supporting an artist who was openly, undeniably queer. He said, “At first I was really afraid of alienating any of my straight fans. But then it was kind of like if they feel offended, they were never really here for me. They were here for whatever version of myself they made up in their head.”

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“I try to never throw stones, but if somebody throws one at me, I’m throwing an entire house.”

The singer shared how it was important for him to step away from the “country-trap” sound. He said he wants to do what he wants and wants people to stop trying to make him give them the next Old Town Road. The rapper further shared his thought process of creating his upcoming album. Nas shared that he found himself being able to grow lyrically and express more of himself when he wrote his own songs.

The musician further talked about his presence on Twitter as he tends to clap back at anybody who tweets hateful comments at him. This comes especially after the release of his latest single. He described himself as a “chaotic good person”.

The rapper said, “I almost never want to start shooting at somebody who didn’t bring it to my doorstep, you know? But I kind of live for when somebody tries to get me and I’m ready to throw it back at them tenfold. Do I feel bad about it sometimes? Every now and then, but I feel less bad knowing that I didn’t start it. I try to never throw stones, but if somebody throws one at me, I’m throwing an entire house.”

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