This week Lil Nas X put himself at the center of another enduring social quandary: when will hip-hop and Black institutions finally celebrate queer Black artists? Both Old Town Road and Call Me By Your Name reached No 1 in the US and UK amid, or even because of, all the drama surrounding them. Who gets to make country music? Is a queer pop star “inappropriate” for children? Lil Nas X regularly shoots out viral jokes and memes throughout the scuffles, taking control of the narrative with the PR acuity of a Kardashian and the irreverence of a Very Online Gen-Zer. Following the breakout success of his self-released track Old Town Road, he has masterfully harnessed Fox News segments, Twitter spats, and a cease-and-desist order from a multibillion-dollar shoe company as fuel for a Grammy-winning career.īehind each quarrel, there are frequently questions about identity and representation. He argued that other Black queer rappers, such as Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator, were “more respected when they do less feminine things”.įrom the start of his career, Lil Nas X has been well acquainted with controversy and pushback.

Lil Nas X then emphasized the limitations around self-expression often imposed on queer artists, especially if they want to be taken seriously within hip-hop.