Rapper Lil Nas X was taken to a Los Angeles hospital early Thursday(August 21) following a bizarre street encounter that led to his arrest, police confirmed.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to calls around 5:50 am reporting a nude man walking on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. Police said the man charged at officers when they arrived. He was subdued, transported to a local hospital for a possible overdose, and later arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer.
Video shows a man in white underwear and cowboy boots walking in the street and placing a traffic cone on his head. Local outlets identified the individual as Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill. His representatives have not commented.
The artist remains under medical supervision as the investigation continues.
Early life and family
Montero Lamar Hill was born on April 9, 1999, in Lithia Springs, Georgia. His parents divorced when he was six, and he split his childhood between his mother’s home in Atlanta and his father Robert Stafford’s household in Austell, Georgia. His father is a gospel singer, and his stepmother, Mia Stafford, has also appeared in public with the family. He has three brothers: Lamarco Hill, Tramon Hill, and Robert Sleepy.
His HBO documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, released in 2023, provided rare insight into his family life, featuring his father and siblings.
Career and rise to fame
Lil Nas X gained worldwide attention in 2019 with his genre-blending single Old Town Road. The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 consecutive weeks, tying the record for the longest-running No. 1 hit in chart history.
His career has been marked by Grammy wins, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video, and he has become one of the most recognized young artists in music.
Personal life and relationships
Lil Nas X publicly came out as gay in 2019, becoming one of the most prominent openly queer stars in hip-hop. He has spoken openly about the challenges of navigating fame, sexuality, and personal struggles.
He was previously linked to dancer Yai Ariza, who appeared in his music video for That’s What I Want. He has also been rumored to have dated Australian singer Cody Jon.
In interviews, he has said that before music, he considered becoming a cardiovascular surgeon because of a history of heart disease in his family.
Net worth
Lil Nas X has emerged as a major figure in the country rap scene in recent years. Since the breakout success of his 2018 track Old Town Road, he has built significant wealth. Celebrity Net Worth estimates his fortune at around $9 million.
The Atlanta-born rapper signed with Columbia Records and gained even more attention with the 2019 remix of Old Town Road featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. According to Forbes, the song’s 1.8 billion streams in the United States alone generated roughly $14 million in pretax earnings for the artist.
