A photo showing bare-chested Lil Nas X in a garden filled with colorful flowers.

Who Was Lil Nas X Before The Fame?

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By Favour Adegoke on October 25, 2021 at 12:30 AM PDT

Lil Nas X, the popular musician, is one of America's hottest artists at the moment. He released an album titled "Montero" in September. If anything, he's good at making amazing records.

Aside from his musical feats, he has been able to build a thick skin against online trolls. He doesn't look intimidated by what critics say; instead, he uses those opportunities to push his craft. It is general knowledge that fame comes with other personal and social issues. Part of them is dealing with vile comments from media critics. Lil Nas's replies to such comments show how well he handles criticism.

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He came into the limelight with his 2018 single titled "Old Town Road." Ever since his rise to fame has been one of a kind. He makes music so effortlessly that you can hardly picture him doing something else.

Who was Lil Nas before that 2018 hit? What job was he doing before he got into music? Keep scrolling to learn more about him.

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Lil Nas X's Profile

Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter born on April 9, 1999, in Lithia Springs, Georgia, United States.

He first went by the name 'Lil Nas' before changing it to 'Lil Nas X' because it sounded more fun to him. While growing up, he attended Lithia Springs High School and the University of West Georgia.

The 22-year-old has been active since 2018 and has been releasing amazing tracks all fused in genres of music like pop-rap, hip hop, trap, and country rap through Columbia Records.

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A photo showing Lil Nas X in an over-sized sweater and prop socks.
Instagram | MONTERO
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He rose to fame with his popular single "Old Town Road," which gained popularity in early 2019 after entering various charts, coupled with Gold and Diamond certifications.

Apart from "Old Town Road," he has other successful songs with various certifications and plaques in different countries. As an individual, he has many musical accolades.

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What Was Lil Nas X's Job Before The Musical Fame?

Last year, the American singer/songwriter was on a special edition of Hot Ones, where he gave answers to some questions about himself. Answering the questions allowed him to refer back to earlier days.

Speaking about his life before he rose to fame as a musician, he said he worked at Zaxby's Restaurants. He was working at the time he dropped out from the University of West Georgia to pursue music.

While working at Zaxby's, he was living with his sister. He also worked at Six Flags Over Georgia theme park at the time. He used these jobs to support himself while pursuing his career.

Furthermore, in his statement, he spoke about his preference for spicy foods. He didn't like them at first but later tried one called "kind of sweet" and fell in love.

His Fast Rise To Fame

The American rapper used a series of names before settling with Lil Nas X. Since "Old Town Road," he has released singles, collaborated with other artists, done remixes to former records, and dropped EPs.

He has been in the spotlight ever since his 2018 hit single and has built a successful career from his fame over time. He finally released his debut album in 2021, which is self-titled.

After "Montero" (his debut album), his rise to fame tripled. He has tracks in that album which currently have over 100 million streams on Spotify. Lil Nas' personal life puts him on headlines every time.

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A photo showing Lil Nas X in a multicolored two-piece outfit.
Instagram | MONTERO

Since he rose to prominence, he has been vocal about his sexuality. He makes tweets on social media that imply that he is gay. Critics usually throw vile comments at him, but he doesn't seem to be moved.

Lil Nas X's Social Media Persona

His job at Zaxby's didn't prepare him for life as an aspiring celebrity. However, he had some earlier experiences that helped him prepare for internet controversy.

According to Rolling Stone, his high school days were a challenging time. He buried himself in social media most of the time while trying to separate himself from real-life situations.

Lil Nas X said he didn't know why he was isolating himself, but it felt like he was trying to figure out himself. His social media interactions led him to Twitter, where he made friends while posting memes.

He grew his account by trying to get engaged with tweets from mutuals. He then built a large fan base, knowing fully well that he could use the platform for something bigger in the future.

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