Lil Nas X reveals he had to hire security due to backlash over ‘Montero’ video
The rap star says that even though he's received support from his fans, some of the reactions to his videos have made him feel unsafe
In a candid new interview, Lil Nas X has recently revealed that he’s hesitant when it comes to speaking about homophobia in rap “for his own safety.”
This week the openly gay rapper was featured on the cover of Variety’s Power Of Young Hollywood issue. He confessed that even though he is constantly pushing the envelope in the hip-hop genre, he recognizes he has to be careful when it comes to criticizing other emcees for their anti-gay remarks.
He then dropped the bombshell that he’s had to go as far as to hire extra security due to the backlash his controversial “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” video received after showing him ride a stripper pole to Hell before giving Satan a lap dance.
The interview apparently took place during DaBaby‘s own backlash due to the homophobic remarks he made about HIV/AIDS in late July on stage at Rolling Loud Miami. But when asked what Lil Nas X thought of that incident and the apologies that took place afterward, the 22-year-old was uncharacteristically cautious.
“The honest truth is, I don’t want to speak on a lot of the homophobia within rap because I feel like this is a very dangerous playing field,” he responded. “It’s more for my own safety rather than anything else.”
When pushed on whether the comments made him feel unsafe personally, the star said “absolutely.”
He added, “[There was] literally someone who chased my car a few days after that video came out, yelling,”‘F– you!” or something. And that’s when I actually started getting security.”
The entertainer – whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill – also spoke about how the lockdown affected his mental health but that over time he’s pushed through that is in a much better place now and is committed to being “even more authentic” than before.
“Honestly, I believe the pandemic helped me get out of the idea of trying to please everybody, and the idea of ‘He’s a cool gay person; he’s an acceptable gay person,'” he reflected.
“My music, myself, my sexuality, and things that I believe I stand for,” he concluded.
As we previously reported, in a rare comment, Nas X also opened up about his love life in the past, and who is in his life right now.
“I was 18, I believe,” Nas revealed when discussing his first boyfriend. “Before that, there was a guy who wasn’t my boyfriend, but we met in middle school and we talked, after we both found out that each other were gay. But I didn’t act on anything until high school — well, middle school, but then high school.”
“Once I was 17 or 18, I finally accepted it — like, for sure accepted it, slowly, more and more — and now I’ve grown into a person that is 100% open with it. I’ve had some good boyfriends and some bad ones,” he continued. “A lot of them were emotionally unavailable or had a lot of insecurity and what not…I’ve found someone special now. I think this is the one. I can’t explain it — it’s just a feeling.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
