Lil Nas X biography, real name, partner, age, height 2025

Biography of Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X is a new name in the global music scene. This young African American rapper released the country-rap song "Old Town Road" in early 2019. He is called a revolutionary who defied cultural and social norms, overcame conservative attitudes in the music industry, and achieved worldwide recognition.

Childhood

The real name of the singer, who by the age of 20 was called "a powerful and unique cultural phenomenon in the modern American music industry," is Montero Lamar Hill. The musician was born on April 9, 1999, into the municipal area of Lithia Springs, Georgia.

His father, Robert Stafford (born in 1969), was not a professional musician, but among close ones, he was known as such, especially after writing a song specifically for a friend's funeral that made everyone cry. This led to invitations to perform at various events. He was initially against his son's interest in music, particularly rap culture, arguing that the industry already had too many rappers. However, he later changed his mind and now supports Montero in all his endeavors.

The rapper's biological mother, as well as his brothers Lamarco and Trammon, is named Tamika Hill. The rapper carries her last name. After his parents' divorce in 2005, Montero and his brothers stayed with their mother for several years. Her mother helped her raise the children.

The divorce had a serious impact on Montero. He became a troubled child, and his mother struggled to handle his unruly behavior. In 2009, 10-year-old Montero went to live with his father in Austell, a town near Atlanta. By that time, his father had remarried. Montero's stepmother, Mia Stafford, became a second mother to him. She put considerable effort into getting Montero into college, helping him with grant applications.

During his school years, Hill developed an interest in music, attended trumpet classes, and even became the head of the school band. However, he quit because he felt it didn't make him look as cool in front of his classmates as he wanted.

After graduating from high school, Montero enrolled in college but, according to Rolling Stone, he only studied IT for one semester. His interest in the internet, where he found refuge from adult problems and peer misunderstandings, as well as creating his own music, soon became his main focus, pushing aside other activities.

This caused a storm in Montero's family: his stepmother, who had put so much effort into getting him into college, was furious, and his father had little hope that his son would achieve any significant success in an industry already saturated with aspiring rap singers.

Lil Nas X with his father and stepmother

Also, Rolling Stone, the most authoritative music publication in the world, reported that from 2015 to 2018, Hill tried to make money through social media, specifically managing a fan page for Nicki Minaj on Twitter, which was eventually blocked for violating spam policies under American law. However, the singer himself denies this information, calling it a misunderstanding.

Old Town Road

Lil Nas X chose his stage name in honor of Grammy-winning rapper Nas, who tops MTV's list of the greatest MCs of all time.

In December 2018, the young rapper released the single "Old Town Road." He bought the beat anonymously for just thirty dollars on Halloween night and recorded the song for twenty dollars at a budget Atlanta studio offering significant nighttime discounts.

Lil Nas X - Old Town Road (Official Video) ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

Soon after its release on TikTok, the first "Old Town Road" music video, which Lil Nas X said was almost entirely made of memes, went viral. By mid-March 2019, the song became a hit on Billboard Hot Country Songs but was removed for not fitting the country style.

The song had elements of industrial rock and rap, but Lil Nas X called its removal from the chart an act of racial injustice and segregation.

They thought I was too black to be popular.

However, this removal brought unexpected benefits. Country music idol Billy Ray Cyrus, the father of Miley Cyrus and a favorite of many Americans, supported Lil Nas X. In May 2019, he joined Lil Nas X to sing the chorus in a new version of "Old Town Road."

The song returned to the Billboard Hot Country Songs, topped the chart, and made Lil Nas X one of America's most influential internet celebrities.

The phenomenal success of the debut song from this Atlanta musician is easy to explain: the song is catchy, the video is made from memorable memes, and the involvement of top stars in remixes generated significant public interest and strong media support.

The full version of the "Old Town Road" video premiered on YouTube in mid-May 2019. Inspired by Donald Glover's series "Atlanta," the song became the biggest hit of summer 2019.

The video, where the Wild West meets modernity, impressed even seasoned viewers. It had none of the usual rap clichés: drugs, bling, scantily clad women, weapons, or profanity. As a result, in just six months, the video garnered nearly 400 million views and made Lil Nas X a global star.

"Old Town Road" stayed at the top of the chart longer than Mariah Carey's 1995 song "One Sweet Day," which had replaced Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me," and the famous "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi.

Upon learning of the young rapper's record, Mariah Carey personally congratulated him and wished him success. Lil Nas X, or simply X as his fans call him, responded that he would strive to maintain the high standard and not disappoint her.

Rapid Rise

In an interview with Time, X says he feels like an innovator and is ready to fight for his individuality. He compares himself to pioneers of hip-hop and rock 'n' roll. After releasing a remix of "Old Town Road" featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, versions of the song with Diplo and Korean stars from BTS were released, leading to numerous jokes in the media.

Riding the wave of fame, X tried to maximize the scandals that had accompanied him since the start of his music career, and right after releasing the song "Panini," he announced his homosexuality, drawing attention to hints in the song "C7osure."

Lil Nas X - Panini

Sky Jackson, star of the TV series "Jessie," appeared in the music video for the young rapper's second creation. The video contained numerous references to the iconic 1982 film "Blade Runner" and became very popular, but it couldn't break the record set by his debut song. The triumphant march of "Old Town Road" continued until the end of summer 2019, leading to several Grammy nominations for Lil Nas X.

In the summer of 2019, the young rapper released an EP featuring seven songs, including the already famous "Old Town Road" and "Panini." The collection received mixed reviews from critics: some called it "addictive" and praised its balance of seriousness and playfulness, while others noted the project's clear commercial aspect, with songs blending the best features of country, rock, and rap.

Singer Cardi B participated in the recording of the song "Rodeo," and "F9mily" was recorded with Travis Barker. According to Rolling Stone, the collection ranked second on the list of the best albums of the year. It brought the young musician from Atlanta recognition from the Country Music Association and awards from the Teen Choice Awards and MTV.

The song "Old Town Road," included in the singer's debut EP, which was released in June 2019, marked the beginning of a new musical trend dubbed "country rap" by critics.

"Lil Nas X achieved the impossible – he broke cultural barriers and shifted existing perceptions of musical styles," says the executive director of Columbia Records, with whom the musician signed a contract.

The musician fought against stereotypes and earned a reputation as an rapper who prefers to play by his own rules, offering a unique musical product based on his interpretation of musical traditions. Lil Nas X and his songs exist in that unprejudiced space where cultural norms and boundaries, whether genre or identity, don't matter much.

In the fall of 2019, the name of the Atlanta rapper was listed among the youngest and most influential internet celebrities, alongside Billie Eilish and Lizzo. Lil Nas X received six Grammy nominations, competing for the most prestigious awards in the music world with romantic rockers Black Pumas in the Best New Artist category, and in the Record of the Year category, his competitors included rappers Post Malone and Khalid.

Lil Nas X ft. BTS – Old Town Road

At the ceremony, he performed his hit "Old Town Road" with Korean stars BTS and won the award for Best Duo Performance. The music video for this song also earned him the Best Music Video award.

Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)

In the spring of 2021, the rapper released a music video for the song "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" and simultaneously launched a line of Satan Shoes, based on the Nike Air Max 97 (though Nike stated they had no association with the model). A total of 666 pairs were released.

In September of the same year, Lil Nas X released his first full-length solo album titled "Montero." Stars like Kanye West (producer), Doja Cat (they performed the track "Scoop" together), Elton John (One of Me), and Miley Cyrus (Am I Dreaming) participated in its creation.

Lil Nas X - SCOOP ft. Doja Cat

Personal Life of Lil Nas X

Little is known about the private life of the young rap star who illuminated the music world in 2019. The rapper, who turned twenty in the spring of 2019, came out as gay on Twitter.

The 20-year-old artist declared his non-traditional orientation

In 2021, the rapper dated Colombian dancer Yai Ariza. Lil Nas X kissed him on stage during the BET Awards. However, their relationship didn't last a year.

Lil Nas X Now

At the beginning of 2024, Lil Nas X released a song called 'J Christ' to coincide with the premiere of his new HBO documentary 'Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero'

Lil Nas X - J CHRIST

Ethel Pate Journalist