The controversy surrounding Billboard's decision to remove Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" from the country charts may have actually helped the budding rapper's career more than hurt it. He received an outpour of support from the hip-hop community who made it clear they were riding with him. Now, it looks like all of the talk surrounding the song has translated into numbers as Lil Nas X has earned his first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lil Nas X is now the first artist since Cardi B to have their initial Billboard Hot 100 entry climb its way to the top. The song previously sat at number 15 at the chart before leaping to the top spot. It should be noted that it hit number one before the release of the song's remix with Billy Ray Cyrus. With that being said, the strength of the remix should help Lil Nas X hold down a position in the top 10 of the Hot 100 next week as well. The song initially made its way on to the Billboard Hot 100 due to the TikTok meme.
Lil Nas X is poised for success at this point. With the success of "Old Town Road" and its remix with Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as the major label backing, Lil Nas X could end up becoming the next hottest thing in the rap game.
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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