When Montero Lamar Hill saw the light of day on April 9, 1999 in Lithia Springs, USA, nobody was aware that the boy would revolutionize hip-hop almost 22 years later: On Friday, Lil Nas X published, like Hill with artist name is the name of the music video for his single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”.
In it he not only gives the devil a lap dance, but also overcomes any fear of contact with homosexuality in the rap genre. In the video, staged by the Ukrainian director Tanu Muino, Lil Nas X explores his lust and homosexuality, stylized in the Garden of Eden by tasting the forbidden fruit.
Lil Nas X and his dance with the devil
He is convicted in court for this alleged sin and ends up in hell after sliding down an eternally long pole dance pole.
He expects none other than the devil, whom the rapper gives a lap dance without further ado, in eternally high patent leather boots and boxer shorts, shaking his buttocks and wrapping his muscular body around Satan.
He, visibly impressed, hardly notices at the end that Lil Nas X is killing him and putting Satan’s horns on himself. The moral of the story: No matter who condemns Montero for their sexuality and desires, they will always stand by themselves and win.
It was a long way until this emancipation, from Montero Hill to Lil Nas X and now back to Montero. Lil Nas X posted a letter to his 14-year-old self on Twitter: At the time, he had vowed never to make his gayness public: “I know we promised each other that we would take this secret to the grave, but it will open doors for that open many other queer people, ”he writes.
The letter to Montero Hills 14 year old me
With his music he wants to help those who don’t dare to come out and hide, like Lil Nas X himself a few years ago. The truth is I do. The limits that people should mind their own shit and not dictate to anyone who they should be. “
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In the letter, Lil Nas X also reveals that “Montero” is about a man he met last summer. Judging by the lines of the song, this relationship was mostly about sex and drugs: “You’re cute enough to fuck me tonight. Look at the table, all I see is weed and cocaine ”and“ Shoot a child in your mouth while I ride you ”it says in the song.
With the last quote, the rapper alludes to the fact that homosexuality is often portrayed as unnatural because it does not serve the purpose of reproduction. As expected, there was criticism from conservatives in America: Children would be harmed with the content of the music and the video.
The rapper replied without further ado: “Every week there is a mass shooting that our government does nothing about. I who slide down a pole will not destroy society. “
More than 30 million people have already seen the video
In less than three days, over 30 million people clicked the music video for “Montero” on YouTube. So it was a complete success.
Lil Nas X’s music also fulfills an educational mandate: it presents queerness to a mainstream audience as normal. As the center of music and art – not as a niche topic. It seems no coincidence that the song not only bears the rapper’s real first name in the title, but also alludes to the film “Call me by your name”: The focus of Montero’s life and the film is the showing and living of gay desire.
A desire that has long been suppressed and kept secret by social stigmata – also in music. Lil Nas X emancipates herself from the widespread homophobia in rap with “Montero”. There have never been such explicitly homosexual song lines in the genre – especially not by a star of his caliber.
“Old Town Road” was number one for 19 weeks
Lil Nas X is the first queer rapper to have a number one hit in the US. In 2019 he made history when his country rap song “Old Town Road” 19 weeks in first place the US charts. Previously, Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber held the record for the longest number one with 16 weeks each. After this huge success, Lil Nas X came out as gay, after which he liked to appear again and again with a pink cowboy hat.
“Montero” is a liberation for queer people. Lil Nas X thus closes a gap. He is now a queer (sex) role model in music – which was still mainly reserved for heterosexual people. Montero Lamar Hill allows queers to identify themselves – and also to get a little horny while listening, having fantasies and living out their own lust.
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