Lil Nas X has revealed in a new interview, that artists like Frank Ocean and Kevin Abstract positively influenced who he is as an artist.
Speaking to Abstract in an interview for V MAN, Lil Nas X shared that without these artists, it would have been “much more scary.”
Abstract asked Nas, “Do you feel like if there weren’t artists like Frank [Ocean] that came before you, you still would’ve had the courage to be as open as you are about who you are?”
Nas replied, “I feel like without Frank and people like you – it definitely would’ve been much more scary.”
“I feel like for everybody, no matter who the artist is, there’s always some person that in some way made them feel slightly more okay with doing something and being themselves…you know? That’s what you guys did for me.”
Nas added that they were particularly important to him as he wasn’t always comfortable with who he was.
“Honestly, you did that for me, at a time where I wasn’t fully comfortable with who I was,” he said.
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“Especially ‘cause you’re like, really straightforward a lot of times with your lyrics. With a lot of gay artists, understandably, it’s very much metaphor. It’s almost like this could possibly be about a guy.”
Nas also added that these days he definitely sees himself more as a pop star than a rapper, but that wasn’t always the case – as he realised in hindsight.
He said, “I’m definitely much more of a pop star now than a rapper. If you asked me that two years ago, I would’ve said rapper.
“I feel like I’m much less concerned about anybody’s thoughts and opinions on what I decide to do. The only opinion that matters is my own, especially when it comes to what I create.”
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