Lil Nas X's father sat down with The Sunday Times to discuss his son's arrest. Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, is one of the most successful artists in recent years. Of course, "Old Town Road" went hugely viral in 2019, which continued with a remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. The track went on to spend a record 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2020, he received six Grammy nominations and won two. His brand of pop music, combined his subversive music videos and big personality, suggested that he'd be one of the artists leading the mainstream music industry into a new generation. Instead, a fan recently spotted him wandering around Los Angeles in nothing but his underwear and a pair of cowboy boots, being hospitalized in the process.
His father, Robert Stafford, spoke on what may have caused the breakdown. “I understand how the music business is,” he said. “It’s like a high. When you get to that level, you want that drug again, you want to hit that high again.”
He also discussed flying across the country to see his son in jail. “To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. We shed tears with each other for a minute. And I had to tell him that ‘what you’re going through is normal,'" he said. “We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye.”
Is Lil Nas X Still In Jail?
Lil Nas X's mother has dealt with addiction for much of her life. Despite his best efforts, he has not been able to offer the help he hoped to. She's rejected him multiple times, according to Stafford. “For a 26-year-old to have to deal with what he’s dealing with — to be a breadwinner for a lot of people, the inability to change his mother’s situation and the pressure he puts on himself, that can weigh heavily on your heart,” he told the Times.
Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty to three counts of battery with industry on a police officer and another count of resisting an executive officer. He posted bail on August 26, and his next pre-trial hearing takes place on September 15.
