Black LGBTQ Music History Makers: Lil Nas X Changes the Game
Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story.
Today, we spotlight Lil Nas X, the chart-topping artist who shattered barriers and redefined what visibility looks like in modern music.
He broke records, then broke the rules about who gets to be a superstar. And he did it all out loud.
An Atlanta kid who knew the internet
Montero Lamar Hill was born on April 9, 1999, in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from Lithia Springs High School in 2017. Like a lot of artists of his generation, he understood the internet before the industry did, and he used it to build an audience on his own.
Old Town Road
His country rap single “Old Town Road” took over 2019. It spent a then-record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Diamond by November of that year. A song a lot of radio stations didn't know what to do with became the biggest song in the country.
Coming out at No. 1
On June 30, 2019, the last day of Pride Month, Lil Nas X came out as gay. He became the first artist to come out while holding a No. 1 record. A few months later, at the 2020 Grammys, he won Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. He also became the first openly LGBT Black artist to win a Country Music Association award.
★ Key Moments
2019: “Old Town Road” spends 19 weeks at No. 1
June 30, 2019: Comes out as gay while holding the No. 1 spot
2020: Wins two Grammys
2021: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” debuts at No. 1
2021: Montero is nominated for Album of the Year
MONTERO
In 2021 he doubled down. “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” debuted at No. 1, with a video that put queer desire front and center in a way mainstream pop rarely had. His debut album, Montero, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and earned an Album of the Year nomination.
Why Lil Nas X matters to us
Lil Nas X is from our city, and he never asked permission. He showed young Black queer kids that you can be the biggest artist in the country and still be fully yourself, on your terms, in your own visuals, with no apology.
More History Makers
Kehlani: from Oakland to Grammy gold
Kaytranada: the Grammy-winning producer who made the world dance
Frank Ocean: the open letter that reshaped R&B
Janelle Monáe: reimagining music and identity
Sources: Wikipedia
AmpliPhy | LGBTQ Voices, Black and Out Loud.
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