“Old Town Road” Rapper Lil Nas X Talks Comg Out as Gay Time Cover – The Hollywood Reporter

Contents:

• 'OLD TOWN ROAD' RAPPER LIL NAS X APPEARS TO E OUT AS GAY
• LIL NAS X TRIED TO EXPLA WHY HE ME OUT AS GAY. THEN KEV HART TERPTED HIM
• LIL NAS X COM OUT AS GAY
• HOW LIL NAS X IS REVOLUTNIZG HIP-HOP AS AN EMPOWERED GAY STAR
• LIL NAS X TRIED TO EXPLA WHY HE ME OUT AS GAY. KEV HART: “SO WHAT?”
• LIL NAS X COM OUT AS GAY WORLD PRI POST: 'I THOUGHT I MA IT OBV'
• LIL NAS X MAK HISTORY AS FIRST OPENLY GAY COUNTRY MIC ASSOCIATN AWARD NOMEE
• LIL NAS X RELLS FAY'S HEARTBREAKG REACTN TO HIM COMG OUT AS GAY
• LIL NAS X WAS 'PHED BY THE UNIVERSE' TO PUBLICLY COME OUT AS GAY AFTER 'OLD TOWN ROAD' SUCCS
• LIL NAS X OPENED UP ABOUT THE MICROAGGRSNS HE EXPERIENCED BEFORE COMG OUT AS GAY AND THE PRSURE HE’S FACED SCE
• “OLD TOWN ROAD” RAPPER LIL NAS X REVEALS WHAT PHED HIM TO COME OUT AS GAY

'OLD TOWN ROAD' RAPPER LIL NAS X APPEARS TO E OUT AS GAY

"After the "Old Town Road" rapper explaed that he grew up "to hate this s---, " reference to beg gay, edian Kev Hart terjected and asked Nas said that "if you're really om the hood, you know, " and add that he wanted to show that "the ol du wh the song on top of everythg" g out meant "don't really matter.

Lil Nas X got ndid about why he chose to e out as gay on an episo of HBO's "The Shop" — and his fans have taken to Twter to fend the talk show, which is executive produced by NBA superstar LeBron Jam, Lil Nas was joed by a few guts cludg actor and edian Kev Hart and the show's -creator Pl Rivera. "Homosexualy, gay people, " Lil Nas said.

LIL NAS X TRIED TO EXPLA WHY HE ME OUT AS GAY. THEN KEV HART TERPTED HIM

—Nicki_Nicki_Nicki (@All_NickiMaj) September 4, 2019—David (@Dreams_on_Paper) September 4, 2019—Commanr Slay (@natayiu) September 4, 2019Hart, who apologized for homophobic jok he ma durg his stand-ups earlier this year, ma a pot to tell Lil Nas that " no way, shape or form" he had to fend who he is (a part that wasn't the clip shared to Twter). However, some people on Twter thought the edian me on too strong, pecially due to his prev homophobic jok. Lil Nas X is gettg praise for how he handled a nversatn about homosexualy wh edian Kev Hart.

LIL NAS X COM OUT AS GAY

Before the rapper uld rpond, Hart – who stepped down om hostg the Osrs 2018 after homophobic tweets he’d ma years earlier rurfaced – terjected.

HOW LIL NAS X IS REVOLUTNIZG HIP-HOP AS AN EMPOWERED GAY STAR

“He said he was gay, ” Hart said. “Homosexualy, gay people, ” Lil Nas said.

LIL NAS X TRIED TO EXPLA WHY HE ME OUT AS GAY. KEV HART: “SO WHAT?”

Lil Nas posted a seri of tweets on the last day of Pri month, where he tend to share wh his followers that he intifi as gay.

A seri of homophobic tweets Hart ma between 2009 and 2011 drew public scty late last year. Today (June 30), Lil Nas X me out as gay, a source close to the suatn tells Pchfork. The rapper and sger me out as gay June 2019 and acknowledged an terview at the time that LGBTQ+ people “aren’t really accepted” eher untry mic or rap muni.

LIL NAS X COM OUT AS GAY WORLD PRI POST: 'I THOUGHT I MA IT OBV'

He also touched on how the mic dtry wants to package gay artists. “It’s always been, ‘OK, if you’re gay, this needs to be sanised.

LIL NAS X MAK HISTORY AS FIRST OPENLY GAY COUNTRY MIC ASSOCIATN AWARD NOMEE

It’s like, ‘Be gay whout beg gay.

LIL NAS X RELLS FAY'S HEARTBREAKG REACTN TO HIM COMG OUT AS GAY

Last year, Lil Nas X said he felt “bad” for DaBaby after the rapper suffered huge backlash for makg homophobic ments onstage. "I know we promised to never e out publicly, I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person, I know we promised to die wh the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist, " he add that g out was difficult for him, and people acced him of "phg an agenda.

He said he was raised to believe that homosexualy "is never gog to be OK, " and he was aaid he would alienate fans. “I know the people who listen to this the most, and they’re not acceptg of homosexualy, ” he said at the, durg Pri Month, he changed his md. What a difference a few trmatic months n make: The Nas who has reemerged is, he says, “a totally different person” — an outspoken and empowered gay man unaaid to exprs tth his art.

LIL NAS X WAS 'PHED BY THE UNIVERSE' TO PUBLICLY COME OUT AS GAY AFTER 'OLD TOWN ROAD' SUCCS

And while he avoids makg grandse statements about beg a pneer or a trailblazer for the LGBTQ muny — “Let’s fuck’ go, gay agenda!

Rap and R&B artists om Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator (both of whom Nas acknowledg as spiratns) to Azealia Banks, Le1f and Janelle Monáe have announced, acknowledged, kd of acknowledged or simply not nied beg gay or bisexual. “Hontly, I believe the panmic helped me get out of the ia of tryg to please everybody, and the ia of ‘He’s a ol gay person; he’s an acceptable gay person, ’” Nas says.

LIL NAS X OPENED UP ABOUT THE MICROAGGRSNS HE EXPERIENCED BEFORE COMG OUT AS GAY AND THE PRSURE HE’S FACED SCE

’ Y’all hate gay ppl and don’t hi .

” On a lighter, more characteristic note, shortly after he me out publicly, he tweeted: “Jt got news that I’m gay and I will no longer be streamg my mic. Intentnally or not, his prence as a proud, succsful gay man has led others to reveal their prejudic.

“OLD TOWN ROAD” RAPPER LIL NAS X REVEALS WHAT PHED HIM TO COME OUT AS GAY

At the time of this story’s publitn, no fewer than five major rappers — none of whom Nas had mentned songs or statements — have publicly and flagrantly displayed their homophobia rponse to his stance, most promently DaBaby. “Historilly, there has been a lot of homophobia the hip-hop world, ” John ntu.