Fans have been clamoring for a Lil Nas X and Nicki Minaj collaboration ever since the hit-maker confirmed his standom of the longtime rap queen. It looks like our dreams almost came true when he was pulling together duet partners for his debut album Montero.
The “That’s What I Want” rapper told GQ Minaj was one of only two features he wasn’t able to secure for the track list. If things had worked according to the original plan, she’d have a verse on “Industry Baby.”
Obviously, the feature didn’t pan out. Lil Nas X pivoted to work with Jack Harlow on the track, which became his third to top the Billboard Hot 100. Its music video also went viral and has been viewed more than 200 million views on YouTube, further establishing the relative newcomer as a driving force in the industry.
“I feel like things always work out,” he told GQ about the missed opportunity to duet with Minaj. ”Jack Harlow ended up being, like, the best option. I’m not sure how comfortable Nicki would have felt with that video or whatnot.”
Lil Nas X also opened up about his initial hesitancy to express his fandom for Minaj. Before he topped the charts with “Old Town Road,” the rising star ran a stan account on Twitter, which he denied out of fears that people would assume he was gay before he publicly came out.
He said lying about the account was “probably the last lie” he’d told publicly.
“It was so much anxiety. Like, I literally felt like, ‘Oh, my God, this is like a setup. And I’m going to die soon,'” he explained. ”It was much darker in my head than people were probably seeing. And it was also like, damn, I’ve been working hard, like not sleeping, and I just made it to the music industry, and this is going to ruin everything for me.”
This isn’t the first time Lil Nas X tried to get Minaj on a song, either. He shot his shot on Twitter last year. At the time, he explained his fears to Barbz (Minaj’s fans) who called him out for formerly denying his fandom.
Minaj admitted that she was hurt by Lil Nas X’s initial decision but congratulated him for speaking his truth. Unfortunately, she did not appear to comment on the request to collab.
Check out their interaction below.
Hopefully they’re able to hit the studio together at some point in the future.
Who was the second feature that didn’t work out for Montero? Lil Nas X wanted to get Drake on “Dolla Sign Slime” alongside Megan Thee Stallion.
He previously talked about trying to collaborate with Drake during an interview with The Breakfast Club. Lil Nas X explained that it didn’t come together because the superstar was working on his own album, Certified Lover Boy, at the time.
Interestingly, Certified Lover Boy is the album that blocked Montero from the top spot on the Billboard 200. Lil Nas X told GQ that it stung a bit, but he ultimately shrugged it off.
“There are too many other wins to be upset,” he said.