Once you get past Lil Nas X's controversial video for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," you might have noticed that the song's lyrics feature some explicit references to gay sex. Now Nas reveals that at first, he wasn't going to go there, but then decided it was the right thing to do.
In a cover story for Entertainment Weekly's Pride Issue, the openly gay rapper explains, "At first I was really afraid of alienating any of my straight fans. But then it was kind of like, if they feel offended, they were never really here for me. They were here for whatever version of myself they made up in their head."
Now, Nas is glad he didn't shy away from either the lyrics or the video's imagery, which infamously shows him giving Satan a lap dance. Even though he's been condemned by some conservative and religious groups, he tells EW, "Once you show the world more of yourself, they can relate more."
"Looking back on history, the biggest icons, the biggest artists, are the ones who aren't trying to always make everybody happy and who were doing themselves. I hope to do that at all times," he adds. Plus, he knows he's setting an example for his young queer fans, many of whom tell him that he's inspired them to come out.
As he puts it, "I want to be a voice for those who pretend to be themselves, but aren't quite there yet."
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