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Lil Nas X’s father is speaking out once again following the rapper’s shocking arrest, calling his son’s public "breakdown" the ultimate price of fame. Just five years after the 26-year-old star shot to superstardom with his record-breaking single "Old Town Road" and two Grammy wins, Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Hill, is now facing serious felony charges after being accused of injuring a police officer during a disturbing incident in Los Angeles.
Once celebrated as one of music’s most exciting new voices, Lil Nas X has seen a stunning fall from grace. In 2019, he was nominated for six Grammys and took home two. By 2022, he became the youngest-ever inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
But last week, the rapper was filmed wandering a Los Angeles street in just cowboy boots and underwear before being arrested and charged with three felony counts of battery on a police officer and one felony count of resisting an executive officer. He was hospitalized with a suspected overdose before being booked, later appearing in court in blue jail scrubs. Hill has denied the charges and was released on a $75,000 bond, conditional on attending drug treatment. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Lil Nas X’s father, gospel singer Robert Stafford, told The Times he believes the overwhelming pressure of fame and personal struggles drove his son to the breaking point.
“I understand how the music business is. It’s like a high,” Stafford explained. “When you get to that level, you want that drug again, you want to hit that high again.”
Stafford said his son has been weighed down by the burden of being the primary provider for his family, the pressure to match his earlier success, and his heartbreak over his mother’s ongoing battle with addiction. “For a 26-year-old to have to deal with what he’s dealing with ... to be a breadwinner for a lot of people, the inability to change his mother’s situation and the pressure he puts on himself…” he said.
Stafford revealed he flew to Los Angeles to support his son and was devastated to see him behind glass in jail clothing. “As soon as I walked through that door, I couldn’t do anything but cry,” he said. “To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. We shed tears with each other for a minute. And I had to tell him that ‘what you’re going through is normal.’”
The gospel singer defended his son, noting the unfair scrutiny celebrities face when their most vulnerable moments are caught on camera. “We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye.”
According to his father, Lil Nas X was remorseful during their visit, apologizing to fans for being seen in such a state. “When I went to visit he asked me to say, ‘tell everybody I’m sorry they saw me like that,’” Stafford said. “Even in that moment, he was apologizing to people for something he was going through.”
Stafford also admitted watching the viral video of his son’s arrest was distressing, saying he recognized immediately that “that’s not even him,” and knew his son was suffering.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, Stafford believes this could be a pivotal moment for his son. “Hopefully, this is a turning point in his mental stability,” he said. “Sometimes God will take you through your worst moment to give you your best moment.”
Lil Nas X, who grew up in Atlanta and lived with his father from the age of 10 due to his mother’s struggles, is now at the center of a story that has shocked fans worldwide. For his father, the focus is on healing and making sure his son’s lowest moment isn’t the end of his story.
