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.
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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.
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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.”