Many fans of rap music have wondered if there is any family connection between Nas, the legendary rapper who rose to fame in the 1990s, and Lil Nas X, the young star who broke records with his viral hit “Old Town Road”. The two artists share a similar name, but are they related in any way? Here is what we found out.
No Blood Relation
The short answer is no, Nas and Lil Nas X are not related by blood. They do not share any common ancestry or background. Nas was born as Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones in Brooklyn, New York, to a jazz musician father and a postal worker mother. He has one brother, Jabari Fret, who raps under the name Jungle. Nas also has two children, a daughter named Destiny and a son named Knight, from his previous relationships with Carmen Bryan and Kelis, respectively.
Lil Nas X was born as Montero Lamar Hill in Lithia Springs, Georgia, to a gospel singer mother and a church deacon father. He has six siblings, four brothers and two sisters. His parents divorced when he was six years old, and he moved with his mother and grandmother. He later moved in with his father at the age of nine. Lil Nas X has not revealed much about his personal life or family, but he has said that he is gay and proud of his identity.
No Name Inspiration
Another common question is whether Lil Nas X’s stage name was inspired by Nas. The answer is also no, but there is a funny story behind it. Lil Nas X explained in an interview with Jimmy Fallon that he chose his name as a joke when he started making music online. He said:
> “When I started doing music, I was like, ‘I want to have fun with this.’ And every new rapper’s name is Lil, Lil, Lil. ‘What if I was Lil Nas? That’d be funny.’ So I was like, ‘All right, bet. I’ll be Lil Nas.’ And I added the X later on.”
The X stands for the unknown variable, as well as the Roman numeral for 10, which represents his goal of lasting for 10 years in the industry. Lil Nas X also admitted that he might change his name in the future to avoid confusion or disrespect to Nas. He tweeted in April 2019:
> “nas is a legend and i never meant any disrespect by my stage name. i actually might change it in the future.”
Yes Collaboration
Despite having no relation or name inspiration, Nas and Lil Nas X did collaborate on a song together. A remix of Lil Nas X’s “Rodeo”, featuring Nas, was released on January 27, 2020. The day before, Nas joined Lil Nas X on stage at the 62nd Grammy Awards to perform the song live for the first time. The performance was a surprise for many fans and critics, who praised the duo for their chemistry and charisma.
Nas also offered some words of wisdom and encouragement to Lil Nas X after their collaboration. He said in an interview with Billboard:
> “He’s a great artist. He’s gonna be around for a long time because he knows what he’s doing. He’s very smart and he’s not afraid to be himself.”
Nas also said that he was impressed by Lil Nas X’s versatility and creativity, especially with his debut album “Montero”, which features different genres and styles of music.
Conclusion
Nas and Lil Nas X are two different artists with different backgrounds and stories. They are not related by blood or by name inspiration. However, they do share a mutual respect and admiration for each other’s work and achievements. They also collaborated on a song that showcased their talents and personalities. They are both legends in their own right, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
