Lil Nas X’s father is wanting again on some of the defining moments of his son’s life, the evening the chart-topping rapper determined to publicly share his reality. Lengthy earlier than “Previous City Highway” grew to become a cultural phenomenon, Lil Nas X, born Montero Hill, was only a child rising up in Atlanta. He spent his early years along with his mom, however by the age of 10 his father, Robert Stafford, had taken over full custody amid her struggles with dependancy.

On the top of “Previous City Highway”’s success in June 2019, Lil Nas X made the daring determination to come out publicly throughout Satisfaction Month. He teased the announcement with a tweet urging followers to pay attention intently to his observe “C7osure (You Like),” a music about self-acceptance and embracing change. Hours later, he confirmed his sexuality outright, posting a rainbow emoji alongside a message that he thought had been “apparent.”

The information made headlines all over the world, immediately positioning him as some of the high-profile brazenly homosexual artists in hip-hop. His selection was hailed as groundbreaking, although it additionally drew backlash from critics and conservative voices. Nonetheless, the transfer marked a turning level in his profession, with Lil Nas X leaning totally into LGBTQ+ illustration in his music and movies, most famously in “Montero (Name Me By Your Title).”

Behind the scenes, although, the second was much more private. Earlier than making his announcement public, Montero picked up the telephone to inform his father. Robert Stafford mentioned he already suspected his son was homosexual, however needed to verify he knew he had unconditional assist.

“I instructed him, ‘It doesn’t matter what, you’re my youngster. I’ll all the time love you, regardless of your sexual preferences,’” Stafford instructed The Occasions.

Stafford, a gospel performer who additionally dabbles in inspirational music, acknowledged his son’s creative spark early on. Certainly one of his first items to Montero was a easy MP3 participant filled with Usher songs, a small gesture that will assist gasoline a a lot larger dream.

Academically gifted, Hill enrolled within the College of West Georgia to review pc science, however the pull of music proved stronger. Towards his father’s preliminary needs, he left faculty to pursue a profession within the trade. In late 2018, he scraped collectively $50, $20 for a studio session and $30 for a beat, to create what would develop into “Previous City Highway.” The genre-bending observe exploded on social media earlier than dominating the Billboard Scorching 100 for a record-shattering 19 weeks, catapulting him from school dropout to worldwide famous person nearly in a single day.

By January 2020, Lil Nas X was on the prime of the trade, scoring six Grammy nominations and successful two, together with Finest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency. He adopted with the 2021 album “Montero (Name Me By Your Title),” which debuted at No. 2 within the U.S. and included chart-topping singles.

The music video for the album’s lead single, the place he infamously gave the satan a lap dance, drew criticism from conservatives but in addition underscored his dedication to unapologetic self-expression.

Whereas he hasn’t launched a full undertaking since “Montero,” Lil Nas X’s long-awaited new album, “Dreamboy,” is predicted this 12 months. For Stafford, the main focus has all the time been on his son’s authenticity, each as an artist and as an individual.

“I’ll all the time love him,” Stafford mentioned. “What issues most is that he’s true to himself, and he’s.”