Rappers are becoming increasingly popular in recent years, and their popularity is on the rise just the way it was in the 90s and 80s.
In today’s text we are going to talk about the career and path of a young rapper, who became famous almost instantly and managed to reach great success.
Lil Nas X is only 20 years old and is already number 1 on all the top lists.
We will talk about his career, personal life and all the other interesting subjects that you would like to know, so keep on reading to find out more about this talented young rapper.
Early Years
Montero Lamar Hill was born on April 9th 1999 in Atlanta Georgia. Born in Atlanta, Lil Nas X lived with his parents until he is 6 years old.
When the couple separates, the boy leaves to live with his mother and his grandmother at Bankhead Courts, a district of the city.
At the age of 9, he finally moved with his brother to his father in the small town of Austell. Lil Nas X grew up listening to hip-hop, with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Drake or Kid Cudi. In parallel, he begins to play the trumpet, and is talented. But he gives up after a few years, for fear of seeming lame.
In high school, he gets stuck, and spends most of his time on the Internet. Very active on Twitter, he has the idea to create a base of “followers”, which will be useful when he wants to promote one of his creations.
He begins by posting humorous videos before becoming interested in music.
While studying computer science at the University of West Virginia, he has the idea of writing a first song, “Shame”, which he posts on SoundCloud.
Career Path
In 2018, Lil Nas X decides to stop studying to devote himself to music. He then lives with his sister, and works on odd jobs. A first EP, “October 31st”, is released in October 2018.
One evening, he discovers the piece of a young Dutch on YouTube, and is convinced that he can do something about it.
With its banjo sample from a title of Nine Inch Nails, the piece evokes the world of cowboys. Little by little, the song takes shape, and is entitled “Old Town Road”. Its creator does everything to make it viral on the web: short (1’53 ”), catchy melody and catchy lyrics…
In December 2018, he begins by posting an excerpt from “Old Town Road” on Twitter, while sharing memes of cowboys on social networks. The magic operates, and the title makes its appearance at the 83rd place of the American charts. Managers, artistic directors and concert organizers are quick to come forward. In March 2019, Lil Nas X flew to New York, and signed a contract with Columbia Records. A few weeks later, country star Billy Ray Cyrus recorded a verse for a remix.
Mix of country and rap, “Old Town Road” reached the top of the rankings in April 2019. The song also ranks 19th on the country charts (Hot Country Songs) and 36th in the category R & B / hip-hop. In March 2019, however, the title is removed from the country charts, which creates controversy.
Billboard justifies his decision by explaining that the musical elements of the genre are not enough present in the song. The title also has massive success on YouTube being viewed more than 100 million times in a few weeks.
It reaches the top of the charts in countries like Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and France. In May 2019 the official music video of “Old Town Road” appears, in which we can see alongside Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, artists like Chris Rock, Diplo and Rico Nasty. The song is remixed by DJ Diplo, rapper Young Thug and rapper Cupcakke.
In June 2019 Lil Nas X’s second EP, titled “7”, appears, including the version of “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus.
At only 20 years old, Lil Nas X has already conquered the summits with Old Town Road, his first song. We present the new phenomenon of American rap straight from Atlanta.
This is a journey that may make salivate more than one. At only 20 years old and when he was particularly followed on social networks, Lil Nas X finally launched last year in rap by unveiling the first 2 projects of his career, Nasarati and October 31st EP.
But it is in December 2018 that the native of Atlanta will really start to talk about him by unveiling a very short version of a new single that will become viral immediately on the TikTok application. This title, which he will unveil in full a few days later, is called Old Town Road and mix country and trap, a bet very daring but definitely paying.
Very quickly, the single will be in the rankings of the 2 musical categories, which will create a controversy. The “purists” of the country will thus show their discontent, believing that the title of Lil Nas X had nothing to do in this category. It will then be removed by the Billboard who considered “the lack of elements of the current country”, which some will equate to racism from an environment often singled out for its lack of openness.
Extremely disappointed by this choice as he was able to say in the English newspaper The Time, the young rapper will probably console himself by noting that he was ranked 1st Hot 100 this week, dislodging a certain Ariana Grande. He especially beat a very big record, that of the number of streaming for the same title in a week that held Drake for God’s Plan and its 69 million listening, establishing the new mark to 80 million with Old Town Road.
His current net worth is estimated at around 3$ million. Since he is new to the music scene, we have much more to expect from him in the future, and hopefully his fame won’t fade out quickly just the way he became known.
Personal life
Deciding to exploit the incredible success of the song Old Town Road (and to take revenge on the world of the country), he released last week a 1st remix with Billy Ray Cyrus, father of Miley. A concept that he obviously wants to develop largely since he announced that his first album would contain only remixed versions, one of which will be with Young Thug.
If it is difficult to predict the future of a young artist, Lil Nas X can nevertheless boast of having invented a style and having had his very big hour of glory. He will now have to confirm this new status and the many lusts he is already subject to…
The fact that rappers grow up with memes does not shock anyone anymore. An era that has endured Lil Pump, 6ix9ine, Silento and Bhad Bhabie will no longer roar at the clouds just because Internet humor once again scours an obscure figure up the charts.
But what separates a certain Lil Nas X from his predecessors is how little of a figure he actually gives off. His country-trap song “Old Town Road” established in 2019 as a number one hit. The majority of his listeners do not even know what the boy looks like.
That does not mean that Lil Nas X did not work for his success. He has worked unconventionally, but nonetheless, his efforts cannot be denied. In 2018, the Atlanta-born rapper decides to pull a Kanye, throw the college, and focus on music from now on.
He has been working on this for quite some time: Via Soundcloud, he will be releasing a first EP with “Nasarati” this autumn. The uses a little at the flow of his Atlanta colleagues like Gunna or SahBabii, but can stand alone with catchy sample flips and his uniquely interwoven Internet humor. Internet humor is an important keyword, because honestly it is not the music that gets Lil Nas X’s attention.
Rather, it is his Twitter account that serves as his first stepping stone. Lil Nas X has become prominent before and during the Rappen, all the while leading two of the biggest Nicki Minaj fan pages. There he regularly collects retweet numbers in the five- to six-figure range and gains insight into what really gets attention in American high schools.
That’s one thing in 2019: TikTok. The video platform, where kids can film while singing songs for short, funny clips, draws endless clicks and has already inspired several songs with “Friday (Mia Khalifa)” and “In My Feelings” by Drake. Lil Nas lives with his sister at the time, and parents are increasingly frustrated by their boy’s stagnant situation. So it’s time for an all-in maneuver.
“Old Town Road” is something of the perfect storm of internet hypes. TikTok meme: Check. Musical gimmick: Check. Video with popular pop culture reference (here Red Dead Redemption 2): Check. Only one thing is missing: the senseless controversy. And of course, they will soon be flown too. The Country Trap song, which was actually inspired by Young Thug’s classic “Family Do not Matter”, is being dropped from the country charts for lack of country backing.
Uneasiness stirs because the country charts have not been known for their inclusiveness ever since, and the questionable suspension of a popular black musician who made a song with a country-side flavor leaves an aftertaste. In a wild act of indiscriminate solidarity, but the old guard at the time at Columbia fresh rapper comes to the aid: Billie Ray Cyrus remix the song, which is already at number 16 on the Billboard charts. It should be the one next week.
Whether Lil Nas X is more than a Mayfly, is already discussed before his first hit ever beaten or he had even hinted at a successor. Admittedly, the boy does not rattle in and of itself, but he does not show much self-worth about the memes either.
In addition, for all the hype around “Old Town Road” very little hype around the person Lil Nas X has arisen. In a culture in which with Desiigner and Fetty Wap already much more colorful rapper have slipped into no man’s land within months, perhaps not the best omen. But you can still be curious if Lil Nas X is good for a surprise.
Quick summary
Full name: Montero Lamar Hill
Date of birth: April 9th 1999
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
Age: 20
Profession: Rapper, Singer, Songwriter
Height: 1.85 m
Weight: 80 kg
Net Worth: 3$ million