Lil Nas X rose to fame seemingly overnight with the release of No. 1 hit “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, earlier this summer. He held the top spot for 19 consecutive weeks before being knocked out by another young artist, Billie Eilish.
A few months ago, at the peak of his spotlight, Lil Nas X revealed to the world that he was gay. The rapper tweeted out that he wanted fans to pay closer attention to the lyrics of his song “C7osure,” and added “thought I made it obvious.”
In a new clip, Lil Nas X sits down with some fellow stars on HBO Sports’ The shop: Uninterrupted to discuss what led to his official coming out announcement.
The rapper said that if he’d come out earlier in his career, he would have been accused of seeking attention,. But coming out while at No. 1 on the charts had a different impact. “If you’re doing this while at the top, it’s for real.”