Former hip-hop/country rapper Lil Nas X hopes his new core audience — children — will make his new career choice a big success.
After the success of his one hit song, “Old Town Road,” the Grammy-winning country/hip-hop singer released his first children’s book, “C is for Country.”
The cover illustration features a little Black boy wearing a pink rhinestone cowboy outfit with matching cowboy hat and boots. The boy holds a guitar in one hand while straddling a pony.
The concept of the new book is “just be yourself.” The book takes young readers on a tour of a mythical farm and the things Lil Nas X loves.
“A is for adventure.” “B is for boots.” “C is for country” are examples Lil Nas X uses to teach minor children their ABCs.
It doesn’t take long for the Alphabet to take a detour off the farm.
“F” is for fringe, feathers and fake fur, according to Lil Nas X, who dabbled in his mother’s makeup, shoes, and fake furs as a child.
“I love that for me,” he says, before adding that the “be yourself” message is missing from children’s books.
“It was never truly enforced. It was kind of like ‘do what you want, be who you want, but be who I want you to be.'”
The Atlanta rapper, real name Montero Lamar Hill, came out of the closet in 2019.
Lil Nas X, 21, said his young nieces and nephews, to whom the book is dedicated, helped influence his message in the book.
He clapped back at fans on social media who accused him of being a pedophile after a young male fan unfounded leveled accusations at him.
Lil Nas X doesn’t regret leaving his gimmicky rap career behind to help LGBT+ children discover their truth.
“I’m well aware that life and careers and everything goes in chapters,” he said. “That’s the chapter I’m in right now and I’m OK with that.”
