Lil Nas X seemingly comes out as gay on last day of Pride Month: ‘Thought I made it obvious’
Lil Nas X continues to break barriers. After scoring the song of the summer with his country/hip-hop crossover smash “Old Town Road” (which has been stationed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks and has made Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Rhythmic Songs, and Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts), and even performing the tune with Billy Ray Cyrus at both the BET Awards and Stagecoach Festival, the genre-blurring Atlanta rapper has seemingly come out as gay on the last day of Pride Month.
“Some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm [f*** with me] no more. But before this month ends I want y’all to listen closely to ‘C7osure,’” Nas tweeted Sunday, referring to a track on his recently released debut EP, 7. He notably punctuated the tweet with a rainbow emoji.
some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more. but before this month ends i want y’all to listen closely to c7osure. 🌈🤩? pic.twitter.com/O9krBLllqQ
— nope (@LilNasX) June 30, 2019
Key “C7osure” lyrics include “I want and I need to let go/Use my time to be free” and “Pack my past up in the back, oh, let my future take a hold/This is what I gotta do, can't be regretting when I'm old… Embracing this news I behold unfolding/I know, I know, I know it don't feel like it's time/But I look back at this moment, I'll see that I'm fine” — words whose meaning fans are now understanding with fresh ears.
Lil NasX has a message for his fans during #Pride Month 🌈 (Swipe) pic.twitter.com/FxU2us3Oi2
— BallerAlert (@balleralert) June 30, 2019
Nas followed up with a second tweet Sunday afternoon that simply stated, “Deadass thought I made it obvious,” with a closeup shot of rainbow imagery in his EP’s cover art.
deadass thought i made it obvious pic.twitter.com/HFCbVqBkLM
— nope (@LilNasX) June 30, 2019
Lil Nas X’s revelation is especially brave considering that the country and hip-hop fanbases have been historically conservative and sometimes downright reactionary when it comes to homosexuality, and it is very early in Nas’s career for him to take such a risk. But reaction on Twitter has been largely celebratory and encouraging.
Pretty brave tbh considering your fan base is mostly hetero men. Congrats 🌈?
— K E V I N? (@GetawayThrills) June 30, 2019
The only thing bigger for Lil Nas X's career than making a collab with Billy Ray Cyrus is coming out as gay on the last day of #PrideMonth
This dude is a marketing genius— THE SCOOP (@TheScoop_US) July 1, 2019
LGBT or not you're a badass artist and badass person! We all love you no matter what and those who say otherwise are nobodies that have nothing better to do than complain about something they can't change.
— lil dumpsterfire (@sum_dum_fuker) June 30, 2019
be proud of yourself! You already won! you’ll always be accepted by the real. ur about to really make a change.
— Zé TAYLOR (@FATHERBONNET) June 30, 2019
Yes. He's out. Congratulations and much love and happiness for the incredibly talented @LilNasX https://t.co/93u89c59BE
— Gerard Courcy (@hardcorehangout) July 1, 2019
To Lil Nas X
🏳??🌈??🤟 pic.twitter.com/7sG0QaW6l2— Caleb Trent (@gayninja99) July 1, 2019
@lilnasx
I am proud of YOU! No judgement, negative people will always complain. However, positivity will manifest when you live right! Be You! God loves and no one can rob you of your joy and smile if you allow it! #period— MadStyleChica15 (@madstylechica15) July 1, 2019
This is cool as hell. Congrats to you @LilNasX I’ll jam out to your shit no matter what🤙🏻 https://t.co/QhyWaKWnBX
— Buster (@UAU_Buster) July 1, 2019
— Lisa Steinberg (@GoodHumorGrl) July 1, 2019
Nas’s Twitter announcement arrives in a week when mainstream country music artists Miranda Lambert and Jake Owen have both expressed their support for the LGBTQ community.
A source with knowledge of the situation has confirmed to Yahoo Entertainment that Lil Nas X’s tweets and song are his coming-out statement. Yahoo has also reached out to his reps for comment.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
· Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus receive warm welcome during historic BET Awards performance
· Country star Jake Owen shows off surprising rap skills, defends Lil Nas X, mourns Nipsey Hussle
· A ‘progressive twist’: Country star Kelsea Ballerini picks R&B tune on ‘Songland’
· Pop prodigy MNEK on being a black gay role model: 'There's nothing wrong with being myself'
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