Lil Nas X, the man behind the viral country trap song “Old Town Road,” is beginning to experience the other, less positive side of fame.
While the freshly-turned 20-year-old is experiencing breakout success stemming from the infectious single and its subsequent remix, he is also attracting a slew of criticism, including from Dave East.
The Harlem rapper got wind of the fast-rising single, which has since gone on to break a streaming record previously held by Drake, and he admittedly wasn’t impressed whatsoever. After referring to the song as “wack,” both East and Lil Nas X have found their mentions on social media absolutely flooded, with the internet divided on the subject.
After being pressed about the criticism he had received from East, Lil Nas X decided to open up on the subject during a new interview on the “Zach Sang Show.”
During the conversation, the chart-topping artist touched on the genre-related controversy surrounding his song, as well as shared his response to the New York native’s disdain for his work.
“I honestly have gotten this question so many, it’s like, I have the No. 1 song in the country,” Lil Nas said, beginning around the 39-minute mark. “I do not give a f–k about what Dave East is saying.”
In addition to clearing the air point blank, Lil Nas X also talked about his interpretation of what he considers to be a traditional Country song. His song “Old Town Road” sparked a slew of discussions about the qualifications of genre in regard to the charts after Billboard initially made the decision not to include the song on the Country-specific charts.
“I feel like Country music is always a great way to tell a sorrowful story… even if you do add some fun to it,” he explained. “But there’s no concrete way to make a Country song—well anything anymore I feel.”
He then defended his song, explaining his belief that Billboard should have allowed his song to stay on the Country charts because listeners of the genre vocalized their support.
Take a look at Lil Nas X’s latest interview in full below.