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Lil Nas X has made headlines time and again over the years, and not just for his music. The 26-year-old American rapper, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, started his music career a decade ago. However, Lil Nas X rose to fame after he collaborated with Billy Ray Cyrus on Old Town Road in 2018. At the same time, Hill also became a gay icon for coming out while his song was at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
As mentioned, Lil Nas X's career has climbed the popularity ladder not only because of his music. Over the years, Hill has been involved in a few controversial situations that put him in the spotlight, starting debates and cementing his name as one of the most daring artists in the music industry at the moment.
On August 21, Lil Nas was arrested on the charge of battery of a police officer. He was roaming the streets of LA semi-naked, wearing a white pair of underpants and white boots. There are suspicions that the singer is also being hospitalized for an overdose. This is just one of Lil Nas X's crazy stunts. Keep reading to know more.
5 controversial Lil Nas X moments
These are some of the most shocking things Montero Lamar Hill has done over the years, catapulting him to viral fame and grabbing the attention of headlines worldwide.
Satan Shoes
In March 2021, Lil Nas X collaborated with MSCHF to create the controversial "satan shoes" that allegedly had human blood. The silhouette of the 'Nike Air Max 97s' was used for the shoes. The design featured a bronze pentagram, an inverted cross, a drop of human blood, and even mentioned a book from the Bible, "Luke 10:18."
Nike has confirmed that it did not collaborate or was in any way involved with the creation of the "satan shoes". There were 666 pairs of the shoes that were sold out minutes after they were released.
The shoes were not widely accepted and sparked outrage from many political and religious leaders. Lil Nas X responded with a YouTube video titled "Lil Nas X Apologizes for Satan Shoe," where he began by saying:
"Okay, guys. I see everybody's been talking about this shoe and I just want to come forward and say," then the clip cuts to a scene from the MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) music video.
MONTERO music video
While Lil Nas X used the Montero (Call Me By Your Name) music video to
"open doors for many other queer people to simply exist"
Many did not see it that way. The music video began in the supposed Garden of Eden, where Montero meets a serpent-like creature. He is then transported to a castle-like building where he is chained, judged, and stoned. The scene cuts to him ascending the heavens, where an angel is waiting for him above the clouds.
All of a sudden, a pole pops out from below, and Lil Nas X starts descending the pole down to the depths of hell. He proceeds to give the devil a lap dance, and later, snaps his neck and puts the horns on his head.
Lil Nas X took to social media to write an open letter to his teenage self. He wrote:
"Dear 14-year-old Montero, I wrote a song with our name in it. It's about a guy I met last summer. I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be 'that' type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist. You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, they will say I'm pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay the f**k out of other people's lives and stop dictating who they should be. Sending you love from the future. — LNX."
Pregnancy photoshoot
Lil Nas X decided to do a controversial photoshoot for his debut album, Montero. The album was released on September 17, 2021. The idea came to Nas X after he listened to Megan Thee Stallion's verse on his song, Dolla Sign Slime.
He told PEOPLE,
"I was like, 'Oh my God, this is amazing,' so I immediately called my stylist... She was like, 'Wow, this all comes together. Your album. Your baby.' I was like, 'Yeah, this is my baby, huh?' As a joke, she was like, 'Yeah, you should do a pregnancy shoot.'"
The photo revealed Hill in an unbuttoned white flowy top with a pair of white pants, holding his bump, and accessorized with a flower crown.
X-rated mic stunt at the Grammys
During the 2022 Grammys, Lil Nas X decided to do an X-rated stunt on stage during his performance that earned him backlash from the public. He was performing with Jack Harlow at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas when he took his mic and placed it at his crotch, swinging it around, acting like it was his genitalia.
While both the performers, Hill and Harlow, performed the act, the majority of the backlash was directed at the Old Town Road singer.
BET feud and diss track
In 2022, Lil Nas X came at the BET Awards after he did not make it to the nominations list. According to the 26-year-old singer, he believed that the reason why he was not nominated was because of a:
"bigger problem of homophobia in the black community."
He went on to release a diss track directed at the BET Awards. The beginning of Late to Da Party started with a chant, "F*ck BET." Additionally, the album art also featured a photo of someone urinating on a BET Award in the toilet.
A BET spokesperson addressed the issue in a statement, saying that the reason behind zero nominations was not intentional. They added that they have showcased Lil Nas X in the past, and said:
"No one cheered louder that night than BET."
However, Hill revealed that his relationship with BET had been shaky even prior to the 2022 BET Awards. He revealed to Rolling Stone, saying:
"My relationship with BET has been painful and strained for quite some time. It didn't start with this year's nominations like most people might think. They did let me perform on their show last year, but only after [I gave] assurances that I was not a satanist or devil worshiper, and that my performance would be appropriate for their audience."
Lil Nas X continues to blur the line between art and controversy, keeping the spotlight firmly on him, whether through music or bold stunts. After his most recent arrest and hospitalization, fans are waiting to hear more about the artist's condition.
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