History of Lil Nas X in Timeline
Lil Nas X, born Montero Lamar Hill, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his breakthrough hit "Old Town Road" in 2018. The song achieved unprecedented success, becoming the longest-running number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Lil Nas X also made a significant cultural impact by coming out as gay while having a number-one record, making him a trailblazer in the music industry.
1958: Billboard Hot 100 Inception
In 1958, the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 was established.
1966: Reference to John Lennon's comment
In a discussion about the reception to "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)", reference was made to John Lennon's 1966 comment that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus".
April 9, 1999: Montero Lamar Hill's Birth
On April 9, 1999, Montero Lamar Hill, who is better known as Lil Nas X, was born.
2008: Release of Ghosts I-IV
In 2008, Nine Inch Nails released their sixth studio album Ghosts I–IV, which contains the track "34 Ghosts IV" that was sampled in "Old Town Road".
2017: High School Graduation
In 2017, Lil Nas X graduated from Lithia Springs High School.
2017: Running Nicki Minaj Fan Accounts
In 2017, Lil Nas X reportedly created and ran Nicki Minaj fan accounts on Twitter, including "@NasMaraj", which gained attention for its flash fiction-style interactive threads. This account was later suspended by Twitter for violating spam policies.
July 2018: Drake's Streaming Record
In July 2018, Drake's "In My Feelings" had 116.2 million streams in one week.
July 24, 2018: Release of 'Nasarati' Mixtape
On July 24, 2018, Lil Nas X released his first mixtape 'Nasarati' on SoundCloud.
October 2018: Discovery of 'Old Town Road' Beat
In late October 2018, Lil Nas X discovered the beat that would become his hit song "Old Town Road".
December 3, 2018: Release of "Old Town Road"
On December 3, 2018, Lil Nas X released the country rap song "Old Town Road". He bought the beat on BeatStars from YoungKio and recorded it in an Atlanta studio.
2018: Rise to Prominence with "Old Town Road"
In 2018, Lil Nas X rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single "Old Town Road".
March 2019: Signing with Columbia Records and Controversy Over Billboard Chart Removal
In March 2019, Lil Nas X signed with Columbia Records after an intense bidding war. Also in March 2019, Billboard controversially removed "Old Town Road" from the Hot Country Songs chart.
April 2019: "Old Town Road" Remix and Streaming Records
In April 2019, Billy Ray Cyrus was featured on a remix of "Old Town Road". That same month, Lil Nas X broke Drake's record for the most U.S. streams from one song in one week with 143 million streams, surpassing Drake's "In My Feelings".
May 2019: Racism Accusations and Boycott Threats
In May 2019, issues of racism in country music culture arose when Wrangler announced its Lil Nas X collection, leading to boycott threats. Media outlets also highlighted the cultural erasure of African-Americans from country music and the American frontier era.
June 2019: Coming out to family
In early June 2019, Lil Nas X came out to his sister and father.
June 20, 2019: Release of "Panini"
On June 20, 2019, "Panini" was released as Lil Nas X's second single through Columbia Records.
June 21, 2019: Release of '7' EP
On June 21, 2019, Lil Nas X released his second extended play, titled 7. The EP debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart.
June 23, 2019: Performance at the 2019 BET Awards
On June 23, 2019, Lil Nas X performed with Billy Ray Cyrus at the 2019 BET Awards.
June 30, 2019: Public coming out as gay
On June 30, 2019, Lil Nas X publicly came out as gay, confirming earlier suggestions, particularly in his track "c7osure".
July 2019: "Old Town Road" on TikTok
As of July 2019, videos associated with the #yeehaw challenge meme on TikTok using "Old Town Road" had been viewed more than 67 million times.
July 2019: "Old Town Road" Dominates Billboard Charts
In early July 2019, "Old Town Road" reached its 13th week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first hip hop song to achieve this milestone. It also became the first song to sell 10 million copies while holding the top spot. During its 15th week at number one in July 2019, Lil Nas X became the first openly gay artist to have a song last that long.
August 2019: "Old Town Road" Streams
As of August 2019, "Old Town Road" has streamed over a billion plays on Spotify alone. The music video has over 370 million views.
August 2019: "Old Town Road" Charts for 19 Weeks
As of August 2019, "Old Town Road" had charted for 19 weeks atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, breaking a three-way tie record. The song also topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for 19 weeks, surpassing another three-way tie, marking a significant achievement in August 2019.
August 19, 2019: Opening for Katy Perry at Amazon Concert
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.
September 2019: "Panini" Remix
In September 2019, "Panini" had its first remix released with rapper DaBaby.
September 2019: Surprise High School Concert
In September 2019, Lil Nas X revisited his high school to perform a surprise concert.
November 2019: "Old Town Road" Achieves Diamond Certification
By November 2019, "Old Town Road" had been Diamond Certified, having moved a combined sales and streaming total of 10 million units, marking a major milestone.
2019: Lil Nas X discusses his influences
In 2019, Lil Nas X mentioned LGBTQ artists Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator as inspirations, and also cited Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Drake, Miley Cyrus and Doja Cat as some of his biggest influences. He noted that he grew up listening to hip hop artists such as Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, and Lil Uzi Vert.
2019: Signing with Columbia Records and releasing '7'
In 2019, following the success of "Old Town Road", Lil Nas X signed with Columbia Records and released his debut extended play (EP) 7, which spawned singles like "Panini" and "Rodeo".
January 2020: Response to Homophobic Comments
In January 2020, Lil Nas X responded to homophobic comments made by rapper Pastor Troy regarding his outfit at the Grammy Awards with "Damn I look good in that pic on god."
May 2020: Admission of Being a Nicki Minaj Fan
In May 2020, Lil Nas X admitted to being a fan of Nicki Minaj, explaining that he initially denied it because he feared being perceived as gay, which he thought would negatively impact his career in the rap/music industry.
June 17, 2020: Nicki Minaj's Response and Lil Nas X's Apology
On June 17, 2020, Nicki Minaj responded to Lil Nas X's admission, acknowledging his initial denial but congratulating him on building the confidence to speak his truth. Lil Nas X apologized to Minaj for the denial.
July 7, 2020: Album Update and Mixtape Announcement
On July 7, 2020, Lil Nas X revealed that his debut album was "almost finished" and announced that he was working on a mixtape.
November 8, 2020: Announcement of New Single "Holiday"
On November 8, 2020, Lil Nas X announced a new single, "Holiday".
2020: Forbes 30 Under 30
In 2020, Lil Nas X was placed on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.
2020: Included in Forbes 30 Under 30 List
Lil Nas X was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020, recognizing his achievements and influence.
January 2021: Release of Children's Book
In January 2021, Lil Nas X released a children's book, 'C Is for Country'.
March 26, 2021: Release of 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name)' and Album Announcement
On March 26, 2021, Lil Nas X released his song, "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)", along with an accompanying music video. He also revealed that his debut album would be named Montero and released in mid-2021.
March 29, 2021: Release of Satan Shoes and Nike Lawsuit
On March 29, 2021, Lil Nas X partnered with MSCHF to release modified Nike Air Max 97s called Satan Shoes, which led to a trademark lawsuit filed by Nike against MSCHF.
May 21, 2021: Release of "Sun Goes Down"
On May 21, 2021, Lil Nas X released "Sun Goes Down", a single where he reflects on his experiences with bullying and coming to terms with his homosexuality during his upbringing.
September 1, 2021: Receives Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award
On September 1, 2021, The Trevor Project announced that Lil Nas X would receive its inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year award, recognizing his contributions to mental health advocacy.
September 2021: Lil Nas X discusses his spirituality
In September 2021, Lil Nas X stated that he was an atheist "at one point," but is now "a very spiritual person in terms of the Universe, how everything works."
September 17, 2021: Release of Montero and "Thats What I Want"
On September 17, 2021, Lil Nas X released his album Montero along with its fourth single, "Thats What I Want".
October 23, 2021: "Industry Baby" reached number one
On the week ending October 23, 2021, "Industry Baby", featuring Jack Harlow, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Lil Nas X's third number one and fourth top-ten single.
2021: MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
In 2021, Lil Nas X became the third artist to win an MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year for a video he co-directed – "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)".
2021: Release of 'Montero'
In 2021, Lil Nas X released his debut studio album, Montero, which was supported by hit singles such as "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" and "Industry Baby".
2021: Featured on Time 100 List
In 2021, Lil Nas X was featured on the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
March 2022: Fundraiser for AIDS/HIV Prevention
By March 2022, Lil Nas X's fundraiser for AIDS/HIV prevention charities in the Southern US had raised nearly half a million dollars.
March 16, 2022: Teasing of New Songs
On March 16, 2022, Lil Nas X teased two songs from his upcoming album: "Late to da Party" featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and "Down Souf Hoes" featuring Saucy Santana, and also previewed "Lean on My Body".
April 26, 2022: Announcement of Long Live Montero Tour
On April 26, 2022, Lil Nas X announced his first concert tour, named the Long Live Montero Tour, in support of his album Montero.
June 24, 2022: Release of "Late to da Party"
On June 24, 2022, Lil Nas X released "Late to da Party" featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again as a single.
September 15, 2022: Collaboration Announcement with League of Legends
On September 15, 2022, Riot Games announced a collaboration with Lil Nas X for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship and declared him "President of League of Legends".
September 2022: Start of Long Live Montero Tour
In September 2022, Lil Nas X's Long Live Montero Tour commenced.
October 19, 2022: Saucy Santana joins tour
On October 19, 2022, Lil Nas X invited Saucy Santana on his tour to perform the intro of "Down Souf Hoes" with an additional verse.
2022: Criticism for Grammy performance
In 2022, Lil Nas X was criticized for his on-stage behavior during his performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
2022: Hal David Starlight Award
In May 2022, Lil Nas X became the youngest honoree in the Songwriters Hall of Fame upon receiving the Hal David Starlight Award.
January 2023: Tweet about bisexuality
In January 2023, Lil Nas X tweeted a statement suggesting he was "a little bisexual," followed by a tweet saying "that was my last time coming out the closet i promise".
January 2023: End of Long Live Montero Tour
In January 2023, Lil Nas X's Long Live Montero Tour concluded.
March 17, 2023: Lollapalooza Chile performance
On March 17, 2023, Lil Nas X performed an extended play of the intro of "Down Souf Hoes" during his Lollapalooza Chile performance.
November 2023: Statement about being "still gay"
In November 2023, Lil Nas X tweeted that he was "still gay."
December 2023: Entering his "Christian era"
In December 2023, Lil Nas X wrote that he was entering his "Christian era".
2023: Premiere of "Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero" at TIFF
In 2023, the documentary film "Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero", premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The premiere was briefly delayed due to a bomb threat targeting Lil Nas X.
January 3, 2024: Announcement of "J Christ"
On January 3, 2024, Lil Nas X announced the single "J Christ".
January 26, 2024: Release of "Where Do We Go Now"
On January 26, 2024, Lil Nas X released the single "Where Do We Go Now" to accompany the streaming release of the documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero.
May 10, 2024: Featured on Camila Cabello's "He Knows"
On May 10, 2024, Lil Nas X was featured on Camila Cabello's single "He Knows".
November 11, 2024: Announcement of Dreamboy album cycle
On November 11, 2024, Lil Nas X announced the beginning of his new album cycle titled Dreamboy through a visual teaser on his social media accounts, also announcing the release of "Light Again" as a single.
November 15, 2024: Release of "Light Again" as official single
On November 15, 2024, Lil Nas X released "Light Again" as an official single.
2024: Endorsement of Kamala Harris
In 2024, Lil Nas X endorsed Kamala Harris for the US presidential election.
March 14, 2025: Release of "Hotbox"
On March 14, 2025, Lil Nas X released "Hotbox".
March 2025: Release of Promotional Singles
In March 2025, Lil Nas X released four promotional singles everyday in the lead up to its release. Those singles were "Dreamboy", "Big Dummy", "Swish", "Right There!".
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