When Lil Nas X released his 2021 song and video “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)," some people lost their minds over the queer-themed lyrics and Nas giving Satan a lap dance, among other provocative images. But Nas says if he released that today, his life would be in danger.
During an interview with PAPER magazine, the interviewer brought up the rapper's "MONTERO" era, which also saw him selling 666 pairs of shoes that included drops of human blood inside them. "I feel if you did that today, with where the world's at, it wouldn’t be very fun. It would be really dangerous," the interviewer noted of his music and actions at that time.
Nas agreed, saying, "They’d actually try to kill me, like I’m not kidding." But while he acknowledged the challenges that LGBTQ+ people are facing right now, he added, "Maybe this is super optimistic of me, [but] I think it's going to work itself out. I think things are going to be fine."
"I’m not trying to minimize what's happening. I just think s*** is going to work itself out, especially in the generation where everything is a trend," he continues. "The second the next thing comes along, it will be like, 'Hey, we don't hate women and gay people anymore. Let's do something else now.'"
Meanwhile, Nas has recently released a slew of tracks from his upcoming DREAMBOY project, including the single "HOTBOX." He says the project, which still doesn't have a release date, "is a collection of everything and anything I've ever loved or hated. It's just me going out there and doing me in whichever form I feel. I'll say that much."