22 September 2019
Newsdesk
The 'Old Town Road' hitmaker announced he was gay on World Pride Day in June but admits he would have struggled to tell his family if he was living with them and was grateful for the "independence" he has.
He told Billboard magazine: "It was nerve-wracking [coming out to my father]. It’s something I never probably would have did if I was still living with my parents. I have that independence to do it, you know?"
Meanwhile, Lil Nas previously revealed he grew up being taught to "hate" gay people and he admitted it felt like he would be coming out "for attention" if he hadn't chosen a point where he was enjoying huge success in his career.
Appearing on 'The Shop: Uninterrupted', marketing executive Paul Rivera asked: "With all that early success you felt it was important to make an announcement..."
Nas explained: "It's not that, like, it's like being forced. It's knowing growing up, I'm growing up to hate this s**t."
And asked by Kevin Hart what he grew up to hate, he replied: "Homosexuality, gay people. Come on, now. If you really from the hood, you know. For me, the cool dude with the song on the top of everything to say this any other time, I'm doing this for attention in my eyes. But if you're doing this while you're at the top, you know it's for real. It's showing it doesn't really matter I guess."
Later in the episode, Kevin insisted the 20-year-old star had nothing to explain to the world or any need to defend himself.
He said: "What I want to say to Lil Nas X in no way shape or form should you ever have to defend, 'But guys this is what I am.' That's not it.
"'It's guys this is what I'm going to do. My reason for doing this is because I know I do this well.' When you have a voice and you simply say this there is no back and forth about what this is."
