In the three years since he accidentally shot to fame with the viral “Old Town Road,” X has established himself as pop’s pre-eminent troll, a star with such internet meme literacy he seemed to use his jokes as a shield. A string of songs from his long-awaited debut album Montero dive into his past and pre-fame life for the first time, giving the world a glimpse of who the man under the cowboy hat really is - and who he wants to be.
Outside of interviews and cover stories, it’s a past that the pop star has generally opted not to speak too much about, even trying to cover some of it up - until now.
Before Lil Nas X was Lil Nas X, he was (and still is) Montero Lamar Hall, an internet-raised, Nicki Minaj-worshipping, meme-posting, closeted gay teen who grew up in a small town outside Atlanta, Georgia.
