Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), better known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( NAHZ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his 2018 country rap single "Old Town Road", which spent a then-record 19 weeks atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Simultaneously, he came out as gay, the first artist to do so while having a number-one record.
Following the success of "Old Town Road", Lil Nas X signed with Columbia Records to release his debut extended play (EP) 7 (2019), which spawned two follow-up singles: "Panini" and "Rodeo" (remixed featuring Nas); the former peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, while the latter peaked at number 22. His debut studio album, Montero (2021), peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and earned a nomination for Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. It was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-number one singles "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" and "Industry Baby" (featuring Jack Harlow), along with the top-ten single "Thats What I Want".
Known for his queer visuals and social media presence, Lil Nas X has received numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, two BET Hip Hop Awards, two iHeartRadio Music Awards and two American Music Awards. "Old Town Road" ranks as the second highest-certified song in the United States—with 17 platinum certifications. He was placed on Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2020, and Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world the following year. He became the youngest honoree in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022 upon receiving the Hal David Starlight Award in May of that year.
