Since coming out as a gay man, Lil Nas X has received both positive and negative reactions. Now, the “Old Town Road” artist has shared why he decided to make his revelation more clear to fans and how he’s dealing with the homophobic backlash on the internet.
In an interview with BBC Breakfast, the 20-year-old admitted that although he receives offensive commentary, he chooses to adopt a noncombative way of dealing with them.
“[While] learning the internet over the past couple of years, I used to be that person being negative,” the Atlanta native said frankly. “So it’s like I’m not angry or anything, I understand how they just want that reaction. I’m just going to [continue to] joke back [with you].”
And joking he has been. In one of many hilarious clapback tweets, X comically wrote, “next ni**a to say something offensive to me getting kissed.” That post not only prompted more, less than happy Twitter replies, but also garnered over one million likes.
“I mean it’s just something that I was considering just like never like doing, like ever—taking to the grave,” he said about his decision to come out. “But it was like, I don’t wanna just live my entire life—especially, you know, how I just got to where I’m at—not just like doing what I wanna do, so…”
Despite the negativity, Lil Nas X believes he’s helping open doors for more LGBTQ+ people and hopes that they “feel more comfortable” standing in their truth, despite not being fully accepted in the country and hip-hop communities. To date, “Old Town Road” has become the longest-running number one hip-hop song in Billboard history and has gone three times platinum.
Watch the clip from Lil Nas X’s sit down interview with BBC Breakfast below.
Old Town Road rapper @LilNasX has seen a backlash since he came out earlier this week – but he tells @BBCBreakfast he’s taking it with a sense of humour. pic.twitter.com/9HT9Y4F8ft
— BBC Entertainment (@BBCNewsEnts) July 5, 2019