Lil Nas X’s Dad Shares Emotional Reaction To His Son Coming Out

Lil Nas X’s father is wanting again on one of the defining moments of his son’s life, the evening the chart-topping rapper determined to publicly share his fact. Lengthy earlier than “Previous City Highway” turned a cultural phenomenon, Lil Nas X, born Montero Hill, was only a child rising up in Atlanta. He spent his early years along with his mom, however by the age of 10 his father, Robert Stafford, had taken over full custody amid her struggles with dependancy.

On the peak of “Previous City Highway”’s success in June 2019, Lil Nas X made the daring resolution to come out publicly throughout Pleasure Month. He teased the announcement with a tweet urging followers to hear intently to his monitor “C7osure (You Like),” a track about self-acceptance and embracing change. Hours later, he confirmed his sexuality outright, posting a rainbow emoji alongside a message that he thought had been “apparent.”

The information made headlines all over the world, immediately positioning him as one of the high-profile overtly homosexual artists in hip-hop. His alternative was hailed as groundbreaking, although it additionally drew backlash from critics and conservative voices. Nonetheless, the transfer marked a turning level in his profession, with Lil Nas X leaning absolutely into LGBTQ+ illustration in his music and movies, most famously in “Montero (Name Me By Your Identify).”

Behind the scenes, although, the second was much more private. Earlier than making his announcement public, Montero picked up the cellphone to inform his father. Robert Stafford mentioned he already suspected his son was homosexual, however needed to verify he knew he had unconditional help.

“I advised him, ‘It doesn’t matter what, you’re my youngster. I’ll at all times love you, regardless of your sexual preferences,’” Stafford advised The Times.

Stafford, a gospel performer who additionally dabbles in inspirational music, acknowledged his son’s inventive spark early on. One among his first presents to Montero was a easy MP3 participant full of Usher songs, a small gesture that might assist gas a a lot greater dream.

Academically gifted, Hill enrolled within the College of West Georgia to review laptop science, however the pull of music proved stronger. Towards his father’s preliminary needs, he left college to pursue a profession within the business. In late 2018, he scraped collectively $50, $20 for a studio session and $30 for a beat, to create what would develop into “Previous City Highway.” The genre-bending monitor exploded on social media earlier than dominating the Billboard Scorching 100 for a record-shattering 19 weeks, catapulting him from faculty dropout to worldwide celebrity nearly in a single day.

By January 2020, Lil Nas X was on the prime of the business, scoring six Grammy nominations and successful two, together with Greatest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency. He adopted with the 2021 album “Montero (Name Me By Your Identify),” which debuted at No. 2 within the U.S. and included chart-topping singles.

The music video for the album’s lead single, the place he infamously gave the satan a lap dance, drew criticism from conservatives but in addition underscored his dedication to unapologetic self-expression.

Whereas he hasn’t launched a full undertaking since “Montero,” Lil Nas X’s long-awaited new album, “Dreamboy,” is anticipated this 12 months. For Stafford, the main target has at all times been on his son’s authenticity, each as an artist and as an individual.

“I’ll at all times love him,” Stafford mentioned. “What issues most is that he’s true to himself, and he’s.”