Lil Nas X’s father says his son’s recent troubles are the heavy cost of fame.
In a conversation with The Sunday Times, Robert Stafford opened up about Nas’ August arrest, when the rapper—real name Montero Lamar Hill—was charged with police battery after being spotted wandering the streets of Los Angeles in just cowboy boots and underwear.
“I understand how the music business is,” Stafford explained. “It’s like a high. When you get to that level, you want that drug again, you want to hit that high again.”
He pointed to the pressure of success and responsibility as key factors. “For a 26-year-old to have to deal with what he’s dealing with—to be a breadwinner for a lot of people, the inability to change his mother’s situation and the pressure he puts on himself … that can weigh heavily on your heart.”
Nas’ mother, Tameka Hill, has struggled with addiction and homelessness, something the rapper previously discussed with Variety in 2020, saying he tried but failed to get her into rehab. “Even trying to get her better—things didn’t quite work out. But there’s still love,” he shared at the time.
Stafford recalled breaking down during a jail visit. “To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. We shed tears with each other for a minute. And I had to tell him that ‘what you’re going through is normal.’”
He also shared a message his son asked him to pass along: “When I went to visit he asked me to say, ‘Tell everybody I’m sorry they saw me like that.’ Even in that moment, he was apologizing to people for something he was going through.”
Lil Nas X was arrested on Aug. 21, facing four felony charges for allegedly assaulting a police officer in an incident that reportedly involved both a taser and a helicopter. He was released from jail on Aug. 25.
Following his release, he posted to Instagram: “Your girl is going to be OK y’all… OK. She’s going to be all right. Shit. That was fucking terrifying. That was terrifying. That was a terrifying last four days, but your girl is going to be all right.”
Stafford later told reporters that his son remained in good spirits despite the ordeal. “He’s in good spirits and he’s very remorseful for what happened. It can happen to any family. He’s gonna get the help that he needs and just keep him in your prayers.”
