Lil Nas X says he’s done chasing approval with his upcoming sophomore album, Dreamboy.
Speaking with People on the red carpet at Thursday’s (March 27) GLAAD Media Awards, the rapper revealed he’s letting go of his need to be liked. On Friday, Nas dropped his second EP, Days Before Dreamboy, featuring singles “Hotbox” and “Light Again.”
“I wanna be myself more than ever this era,” the two-time Grammy winner told the publication. “I want to be completely free out there, only doing the things that I wanna do. If I do not want to do it, I’m not doing it.”
“If I don’t want be there, I’m not gonna be there,” he added. “I think it’s more important than ever to really stand in myself and my power and recognize where I’m taking my energy and where I don’t want to take it.”
Nas also reflected on his former need for “everybody to like me before.” “When I started to let go of it more, I would still hold onto to it. And now I’m here and I’m just… I’m showing up as me. I’m existing,” he continued.
The Georgia native, who hasn’t dropped a full album since his 2021 debut Montero, also talked about needing to “experience a mundane life” to readjust to fame.
“I jumped straight into adulthood with extreme fame around me. So it was really nice to be just outside walking and meeting people in the streets and eating at restaurants, just even alone, spending a lot of alone time in solitude,” he shared.
But in his Dreamboy era, Nas emphasized that he doesn’t “give a fuck who’s watching.” “I’m not trying to start anything. I’m not trying to step on toes. If it happens, it happens.”
Last year, the artist sparked controversy with his portrayal of Jesus in the music video for “J Christ,” which he later apologized for.
