The two rappers who turned down Lil Nas X collaborations
Lil Nas X first gained recognition in hip-hop with the release of his 2018 country-rap hit ‘Old Town Road’. The anthem saw a previously unknown Atlanta rapper top the charts, and soon, he was collaborating with all kinds of artists.
He was receiving acknowledgement from the likes of Jack Harlow and Nas to Billy Ray Cyrus and Camila Cabello across various genres. However, in a 2021 interview, Lil Nas X revealed that he had reached out to several artists and received no reply.
Prior to becoming a famous emcee, Lil Nas X was a massive fan of Queens icon Nicki Minaj and even operated a stan account on X dedicated to the Pink Friday creator under the name “Nas Maraj”.
After he was thrust into the limelight, fans unearthed this fact, and he confirmed he was behind the account. However, in a 2019 interview with NPR, the Atlanta star told the radio hosts he didn’t want to dwell on the past and was looking forward to his next career moves, stating, “It’s like a big misunderstanding, and it’s not one that I even want to give the time because I’m never putting someone as the face of my career. So I don’t even speak on it.”
In 2021, Lil Nas X released his debut album, Montero, which featured hit singles such as ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ and ‘Industry Baby’ featuring Jack Harlow. The latter became his third number-one hit in only two short years. However, before the album’s release, he had suggested on X that Nicki Minaj may appear on the project. Still, when Montero was released, and listeners noticed her absence, questions were asked.
As such, in an interview with the radio show The Breakfast Club, when questioned about his former idol, he simply stated, “No reply from Nicki.” Minaj rejected the emcee and instead appeared on Jesy Nelson’s debut single ‘Boyz’.
Although Minaj picked Nelson over Lil Nas X, ‘Boyz’ didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at 113. Meanwhile, ‘Industry Baby’ shot up to number one upon its release. However, Minaj wasn’t the only prominent lyricist to decline a hit from Lil Nas X.
While speaking with hosts DJ Envy, Angela Yee and Charlemagne Tha God, the ‘Panini’ rhymer unveiled that he contacted Drake but was rejected, disclosing, “Drake was still working on [Certified Lover Boy] and whatnot; he was one hundred percent focused on that. He was down to do something, but not the right time. I wanted him on ‘Dolla Sign Slime.'” However, Houston native Megan Thee Stallion ended up on the final cut.
Lil Nas worked with the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, and even Elton John on Montero. Despite all of this, many male hip-hop artists with street credibility still hesitate to work with the openly gay Montero creator.