On the rapper's birthday, L'OFFICIEL shares Lil Nas X's most viral and controversial moments to date.

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 Atlanta rapper Montero Lamar Hill, known by his stage name <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/lil-nas-x-satanic-shoes-launch-human-blood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lil Nas X</a>, quickly rose to fame thanks to the social media app TikTok. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">The 22-year-old singer topped the music charts in 2019 with his ubiquitous hit "Old Town Road" featuring Billy Ray Cyrus after it first went viral on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/high-fashion-designers-tiktok-gen-z-charli-damelio" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="letter-spacing: 0px;">TikTok</a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">in the form of a challenge. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">The now coined "country trap" song was initially met with a lot of controversies after it reached the top of Billboard's Hot Country chart and was subsequently removed for not being deemed country enough outside of the heavy cowboy imagery in the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/fashion-music-videos-britney-spears-beyonce-miley-cyrus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">music video</a>.
 Back in 2021, the young <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/travis-scott-rapper-cars-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rapper</a> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">somehow managed to become the most <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/nike-launches-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-lil-nas-x-satan-shoe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controversial</a> figure on social media in the span of just a few weeks. His provocative music video for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" and his Satan-themed <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/spring-shoe-trend-sneakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shoes</a> containing human blood received a lot of attention and created quite a lot of controversy.
 <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">From showy red carpet looks to frenzied music video drops and fashion launches, L'OFFICIEL rounds up some of Lil Nas X's most <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/viral-food-trends-tiktok-feta-pasta-dalonga-coffee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viral</a> moments up to date on the artist's birthday.
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After first gaining popularity on TikTok, Lil Nas X's persona blew up after his "country trap" hit "Old Town Road" reached the top of Billboard's Hot Country chart and created a debate over whether the song should be classified as country music.

 Lil Nas X officially won the night at 2019 MTV Video Music Awards thanks not only to his Song of the Year win for "Old Town Road," but also for the props he brought with him to his acceptance speech. He pulled out an actual scroll from his pocket, joking that he had prepared "a little speech." His scroll moment turned of course into a gif and a meme.

For the 2020 Grammy Awards, the rapper wore a studded hot pink Versace suit, quickly becoming one of music's coolest young fashion stars thanks to his love for vibrant interpretation of the classic cowboy look. 

Lil Nas X was called out by fans after footage of him at an alleged "COVID party" thrown by Austin Mahomes at the Wish Mansion recently surfaced online, days after mocking church gatherings during the pandemic on his social media.

The rapper’s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” hit debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart following a social media backlash over the song’s video, in which the artist dances suggestively with a satan-like figure, and a lawsuit from Nike.

Dropping only days after rapper Lil Nas X's latest controversial music video for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," the customized pair of Nike Air Max 97s Satan Shoes made in collaboration with clothing brand Mschf reportedly sold out in under a minute and created a lot of online turmoil.

Lil Nas X tops the charts again with "Industry Baby" featuring Jack Harlow.

After breaking the charts with their song "Industry Baby," Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow made headlines for their "graphic" performance at the 2022 Grammys. The singers suggestively swung their microphones during the performance which garnered mixed reviews on social media.

Lil Nas X's Most Viral Moments

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