Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), better known by his stage name Lil Nas X (/nɑːz/ NAHZ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter.

He spent large amounts of time online in hopes of building a following as an internet personality to promote his work, but he was unsure what to focus on creatively.

[13] During this period, he reportedly created and ran Nicki Minaj fan accounts on Twitter, including one called "@NasMaraj", according to a New York Magazine investigation.

[23][24] In 2017, this account gained attention for its flash fiction-style interactive "scenario threads" popularized on Twitter using dashboard app TweetDeck.

[29] The @NasMarai account was later mentioned in a New York Times Magazine article, which described Hill as having spent "every waking hour online, tweeting as @nasmaraj".

[30] It is also referenced in the music video for "Sun Goes Down", which shows Lil Nas X's many struggles growing up as a closeted teen and embracing his sexuality; he is seen tweeting while in high school from an account named "nasmiraj" as the lyrics "I'd be by the phone, stanning Nicki morning into dawn" play.

[59] In response, Sony Music Nashville CEO Randy Goodman told Billboard that his team started testing the song in some country radio markets, adding "it would be negligent not to look at it".

[58] In May 2019, the issues of racism in country music culture came up again when Wrangler announced its Lil Nas X collection, and some consumers threatened a boycott.

[60] Media outlets also noted that the song brings attention to the historic cultural erasure of African-Americans from both country music and the American frontier era.

[67][71] NBC News's Michael Arceneaux wrote, "In the social media age, Lil Nas X is arguably the first micro-platform crossover star.

[84][e] On August 19, 2019, Lil Nas X opened for Katy Perry at a concert Amazon held for its employees to celebrate its Prime Day sale.

The song was seen by many as a valuable expression of queerness, though prominent conservative and Christian figures accused Lil Nas X of sacrilege and devil worship.

[99] Later, he released a prelude video for the song "Industry Baby", which stages a fake "Nike vs. Lil Nas X" trial in the Supreme Court, during which people discuss the Satan Shoes before condemning the singer for being gay.

[100] Following the controversies surrounding his previous song and its promotion, Lil Nas X released the more introspective single "Sun Goes Down" on May 21, 2021,[101] wherein he reflects on his struggles with bullying and coming to terms with his homosexuality in his upbringing.

[102] He performed the song alongside "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" at Saturday Night Live a day later, where he suffered a wardrobe malfunction during a pole dance routine when the seam of his trousers split, leaving him unable to finish it properly.

[106][107] On October 23, 2021, Lil Nas X made a surprise appearance at Diplo's set at Electronic Daisy Carnival Las Vegas.

[115] On his Long Live Montero Tour, Lil Nas X performed his then-unreleased single "Star Walkin'" and the intro to "Down Souf Hoes".

[116] On October 19, 2022, Lil Nas X invited Saucy Santana on his tour to perform the intro of "Down Souf Hoes" with an additional previously unheard verse.

[121] The premiere was delayed by roughly half an hour because of a bomb threat from a caller who supposedly targeted Lil Nas X for being a black queer artist.

"[137] Lil Nas X also cites Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Drake, Miley Cyrus and Doja Cat as some of his biggest influences.

[143][144] Ken Burns, who produced the PBS documentary Country Music, noted,"Well, to me, Lil Nas X is my mic drop moment.

"[145]Following the release of the music video for "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)", several outlets praised Lil Nas X for his "unabashedly queer" visuals.

[154] For the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards Lil Nas X wore several outfits including a head-to-toe couture fuchsia Versace suit with a pink harness that took 700 hours to construct.

[157][158] In 2022, he was criticized for repeatedly grabbing his genitals, and placing his microphone at the center of his crotch and swinging it around, pretending the device was his penis, during his performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

[159][160] In May 2023, Lil Nas X attended the Met Gala wearing only silver body paint, a thong, and high-heeled platform shoes, with his face covered with rhinestones.

[165] The next day he tweeted again, this time highlighting the rainbow-colored building on the cover art of his EP 7, with the caption reading "deadass thought i made it obvious".

[166][167] He was unambiguous in an interview several days later on BBC Breakfast, where he stated that he was gay and understands that his sexuality is not readily accepted in the country or rap music communities.

[168] The response to the news was mostly positive, but also garnered a large amount of homophobic backlash on social media, to which Lil Nas X also reacted.

[67][184] On its 15th week at the top, Lil Nas X became the first openly gay artist to have a song last as long, overtaking Elton John's 1997 Double A-Side—where both sides of the record are promoted as hits, "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight".

[9] On September 1, 2021, The Trevor Project announced that Lil Nas X is the recipient of its inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year award.