Lil Nas X talks becoming a 2-time Grammy winner at 20 years old
Lil Nas X added yet another achievement to his growing list of accolades when he became a two-time Grammy-winning artist.
The 20-year-old, who set the record for the longest-running No. 1 hip-hop song in history with his smash sensation "Old Town Road" in 2019, took home the awards Sunday for best music video and best pop duo/group performance for the hit.
In an interview with "Good Morning America," Lil Nas X, born Montero Lamar Hill, spoke about the recognition and his wild path to superstardom.
"For me, just going out and when people are excited to see me, that's bigger of, I guess, a shock to me than the award part, but I really appreciate them," he shared on his Grammys wins.
He received his first award for best music video before the actual show, in the pre-telecast ceremony.
"I had just gotten there, and I didn't know that one of the ones I was nominated for was going to be given out so early, so I came and then luckily I was in a nice outfit -- because I was going to come in some regular clothes, like from home -- but I walked on the stage to accept my first one," he said, adding that he was "just glad I wasn't looking completely a mess."
At the show, the rapper also performed "Old Town Road" and "Rodeo" with a slew of notable artists: global music sensation BTS, his frequent collaborator Billy Ray Cyrus, Nas, Diplo and Mason Ramsey.
"Being able to bring all of them together and have the performance be so well received is just nice," he said. "I'm super happy about that."
During the performance, Lil Nas X also included a sweet, but subtle, tribute to Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles the morning of the show. He displayed Bryant's Lakers jersey on a sofa onstage.
"It's crazy that it happened that day -- and that it happened at all -- because it was super unexpected," he said.
The Grammys also happened to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the home of the NBA legend's Los Angeles Lakers.
"But also us being in his house, while people were surrounding the Grammys while it was going on to pay tribute to Kobe, I wanted to do something where it didn't look like I was trying to force it but just something simple to show love to him and his family and everybody grieving," he said.
Having gained massive success in such a short time period, the rapper also dished on how he's managed to stay so grounded.
"I guess I remember what got me to where I am in the first place, just doing things my own way and staying humble about everything," he said. "Just knowing that it's not me that makes myself famous, it's everybody else that gets me to where I am right now."
The rapper says he hopes to be remembered someday "as someone who spread love, wherever they went."
Lil Nas X is appreciative to the fans who helped get his music to the top of the charts and says he considers them, as opposed to critical reception and award show recognition, when creating new music.
"I more have in mind: Will my fans like this? Or can I get part of my fan base to like this," he said.
One of his latest releases is a remix of his song "Rodeo" with hip hop legend Nas, which he premiered during their performance together at the Grammys.
"It was incredible," he said on working with the New York rapper. "For him to even be on the song -- to even want to be on the song -- it's dope. And it's a huge look for me because he has so much respect within the hip hop community, and I'm definitely lacking that."
Aside from new music, Lil Nas X also appears alongside Cyrus and Sam Elliott in a new Super Bowl commercial for Doritos.
"Working with Billy is always fun. He always has stories to tell or like just something random and funny or something," the rapper described. "Sam -- well, it was the first time I've met him -- he's a nice guy, too."
He was also a fan of the location of the shoot.
"It was a ride, even shooting it within like, Joshua Tree, California, outside of Palm Springs, was pretty cool," he said. "Long ride to get there and the desert looking atmosphere -- it was dope."
"It was like going back to the Old Town Road set or something," he added, referencing his 2019 music video. The song's official movie has more than 427 million views on YouTube, while its official video has over 280 million views.
After rising to the top of the charts, landing a clothing collaboration with Wrangler and starring in a Super Bowl commercial, among other accomplishments, Lil Nas X has some advice to artists struggling to get noticed, as he once was.
"Try to follow your own formula to get where you feel like you need to be and work your way up the best way you can -- and not, like, try to follow the steps of somebody else, because it almost never works," he said.
He's open about how far he's come. Earlier this month, he shared two videos that were shot one year apart, in 2019 and 2020.
"Alright, um, what day is it? January the 8th, 2019... Just put out 'Old Town Road,' and it's doing pretty f------ good," he said in the 2019 video. "You know, right now? No matter what, [three thousand] on Instagram, [two thousand] on YouTube, not even [one thousand] followers on Spotify yet I don't think. But ... I'm [going to] hit y'all back a year from now and we'll see where I'm at."
The 2020 video is a little different.
"Alright, um, what day is it? January 8th, 2020... A year ago, I put out 'Old Town Road.' It did pretty f------ good. I'm at 5 million on Instagram, 8 million on YouTube and around 30 million Spotify listeners," he said.
"It's been a year, and I just want to give a big thank you to everybody who's helped me get to where I am," he adds. "And I'll be back with you guys ... 10 years from now, and we'll see where I'm at."
Asked why he chooses to showcase his growth in his career so often, Lil Nas X said, "When you know something's about to go from 0 to 100 but not to what extent, you just want to have that record of that to motivate the next person or motivate yourself when you're feeling some kind of way."
Despite breaking records on the chart, the rapper insists he doesn't feel pressure to match the incredible success of "Old Town Road.”
"I feel more like, if nobody else has done it, why should I have to do it every time?" he said.
