Lil Nas X, the “Old Town Road” singer, has run into trouble on a Los Angeles street. After TMZ published footage of him on an early morning stroll in underwear and cowboy boots on August 21, law enforcement confirmed that the singer and rapper, whose legal name is Montero Lamar Hill, had been arrested and briefly taken to a hospital that same day. Hill was arrested while hospitalized and will spend the weekend in custody. While many fans are concerned, some are convinced that this is somehow part of a publicity stunt to promote new music.
When and why was Lil Nas X arrested?
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of a nearly naked man wandering around on Ventura Boulevard just before 6 a.m. on August 21. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate records confirm that Hill is the person in question and is being held in the Valley Jail in Van Nuys, CNN reports. A law enforcement source close to the investigation told NBC News that Hill charged at officers and punched one in the face two times before he was ultimately arrested for battery on a police officer.
Why was Lil Nas X taken to a hospital?
He was transported to a local hospital for a “possible overdose,” according to police. Officers didn’t know whether Hill was on any substances or in mental distress at the time of the altercation, NBC’s law enforcement source said. Hill was placed under arrest while in the hospital, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He is now at Valley Jail in Van Nuys.
How long will Lil Nas X be in jail?
Representatives for the LAPD told THR Friday that Lil Nas X will remain in custody through the weekend. “The arrestee (Hill) cannot be cited out,” they wrote in an email. “It is mandatory that he appear before a judge before he is released. This will happen on Monday.”
What happened in the TMZ video?
TMZ Hip Hop published footage of Hill wearing white underwear and a pair of cowboy boots while walking down the street at 4 a.m. The video appeared to be taken by the driver of a car. “Hey, don’t be late to the party tonight,” Hill told the cameraperson. When asked for a location, he replied, “You know where it’s at” and walked off while humming. At other points in the 102-second video, Hill asked the cameraperson to stop filming, placed an orange traffic cone on his head, and posed in the middle of the street.
And some people think this is a PR stunt?
Yes. Although many commenters have expressed concern about Hill’s well-being, some have suggested this is just his latest eyebrow-raising way of promoting upcoming music. Nike sued him in 2021 over Satan shoes that he promoted as part of the rollout for his single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” Later that year, he posted a pregnancy photo shoot as his way of revealing that he was expecting his debut album.
During the week of his arrest, Hill has been on an Instagram posting spree, with several recent posts teasing snippets of new music, including an unreleased collab with Lil Jon. “OH NO sHES GONE MAD! CRAZY I TELL U! 😭🙏🏾😈🫦🫶🏾❤️,” he captioned an August 19 selfie. For now, the internet can’t seem to reach a consensus on whether to take him seriously.
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