# Lil Nas X

> Lil Nas X (born Montero Lamar Hill) is an Atlanta-raised rapper, singer, and cultural provocateur who turned a 99-cent beat, a TikTok meme, and sheer internet genius into a record-breaking 19-week #1 hit before he had a major label deal. Since 'Old Town Road,' he has released three #1 Billboard Hot 100 singles, two Grammy wins, a debut album with universal acclaim, a Satan Shoes controversy that sued Nike, and a documentary on Max - all while being one of the most openly gay, openly himself artists in pop music history. Now in his Dreamboy era with a second studio album on deck, Lil Nas X remains the internet's favorite provocateur.

- **Role:** Recording Artist at Columbia Records
- **Organizations:** Columbia Records, Crush Management
- **From:** Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High School Diploma, Lithia Springs High School, Computer Science (dropped out after one year), University of West Georgia
- **Known for:** Three #1 Billboard Hot 100 singles: 'Old Town Road' (19 weeks), 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name),' 'Industry Baby', 2 Grammy Awards: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video ('Old Town Road,' 62nd Grammys 2020), 'Old Town Road' certified 17x Platinum (RIAA) - second highest-certified US song at time of certification

## Career timeline

- **2015-2018** — Built online following managing Nicki Minaj fan accounts and creating viral memes on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Vine
- **2018** — Released debut mixtape Nasarati and EP October 31st independently
- **2018-12** — Released 'Old Town Road' independently for 99 cents on BeatStars
- **2019-03** — Billboard controversially removed 'Old Town Road' from Hot Country Songs chart, igniting national debate about race and genre
- **2019-03** — Signed with Columbia Records
- **2019-04** — Released 'Old Town Road' Billy Ray Cyrus remix, which hit #1 and stayed there for 19 consecutive weeks - a then-record
- **2019-06** — Released debut major-label EP '7', debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200
- **2019-06** — Came out publicly as gay on the last day of Pride Month via Twitter
- **2020** — Won two Grammys (Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Music Video) for 'Old Town Road'; named Forbes 30 Under 30
- **2021-03** — Released 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name)' - debuted at #1; collaborated on Satan Shoes with MSCHF, selling 666 pairs in under a minute before Nike sued
- **2021-07** — Released 'Industry Baby' feat. Jack Harlow (produced by Kanye West), which hit #1
- **2021-09** — Released debut album Montero to universal acclaim (Metacritic 85); peaked at #2, #1 in six countries; Time 100 Most Influential
- **2022** — Released 'Star Walkin'' for League of Legends Worlds; received Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award - youngest ever recipient
- **2022-2023** — Long Live Montero Tour across North America, Europe, Australia (29 shows)
- **2023-09** — Documentary 'Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero' premiered at TIFF; distributed by HBO/Max
- **2024-01** — Released 'J Christ' and documentary aired on Max; began his self-described 'Christian era'
- **2024-05** — Featured on Camila Cabello's 'He Knows'
- **2024-11** — Released Dreamboy lead singles 'Light Again!' (produced by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk) and 'Need Dat Boy'
- **2025-02** — Signed with Crush Management
- **2025-03** — Released four promo singles (Dreamboy, Big Dummy, Swish, Right There!) and EP Days Before Dreamboy
- **2025-08** — Arrested in Los Angeles; charges included felony battery with injury to a police officer
- **2026-04** — Granted mental health diversion by judge who cited bipolar disorder diagnosis; second studio album Dreamboy pending release

## Achievements

- Three #1 Billboard Hot 100 singles: 'Old Town Road' (19 weeks), 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name),' 'Industry Baby'
- 2 Grammy Awards: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video ('Old Town Road,' 62nd Grammys 2020)
- 'Old Town Road' certified 17x Platinum (RIAA) - second highest-certified US song at time of certification
- 5 MTV Video Music Award wins including Video of the Year ('Montero (Call Me by Your Name)')
- Time 100 Most Influential People (2021)
- Forbes 30 Under 30 (2020)
- Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award (2022) - youngest ever recipient
- Debut album Montero scored 85/100 on Metacritic (universal acclaim)
- First openly gay artist to come out while holding a #1 single
- Debut EP '7' nominated for Grammy Album of the Year - shortest album ever nominated in that category

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Granted mental health diversion by Los Angeles judge who cited bipolar disorder; Dreamboy album pending release
- **2025-03** — Released 8-track EP Days Before Dreamboy and multiple promotional singles including Dreamboy, Big Dummy, Swish, Right There!, Hotbox, and Lean on My Body
- **2025-02** — Signed with Crush Management
- **2024-11** — Released Dreamboy lead singles 'Light Again!' (feat. Thomas Bangalter production) and 'Need Dat Boy'
- **2024-05** — Featured on Camila Cabello's 'He Knows'
- **2024-01** — Released 'J Christ' and documentary 'Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero' premiered on Max

## Links

- Website: https://www.lilnasx.com
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/LilNasX
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LilNasX
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilnasx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilNasX
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lilnasx

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/lil-nas-x
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-25