Lil Nas X‘s father, Robert Stafford, has spoken out following the arrest of his son last week. Stafford discussed the incident with The Times over the weekend, describing the rapper’s breakdown as the price of fame.
“I understand how the music business is,” Stafford said. “It’s like a high. When you get to that level, you want that drug again, you want to hit that high again.”
Lil Nas X, born Montero Lamar Hill, was arrested and charged with four felonies on Aug. 21. The rapper pleaded not guilty after he was accused of charging at Los Angeles police officers while roaming the streets of Studio City in his underwear and a pair of cowboy boots in a disconcerted state. He was released on a $75,000 bond after spending the weekend in jail, which was conditional on him attending drug treatment.
Stafford told The Times he blamed both the “pressure” of success and being a provider for his family for his son’s breakdown. Hill’s mother has battled addiction for many years. In 2021, she was filmed begging for food on a street corner in Atlanta.
“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…” Stafford said. He added that Hill has tried to help his mother, but she has declined the offers. “That can weigh heavily on your heart,” Stafford said.
Stafford said he flew to Los Angeles in the wake of the arrest to support his son. “I went to visit him in jail and as soon as I walked through that door, I couldn’t do anything but cry,” Stafford said. “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.’ We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye. 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.”
He added, “Hopefully, this is a turning point in his mental stability. Sometimes God will take you through your worst moment to give you your best moment.”
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Last week, Hill shared an explanation with fans in an Instagram Story. “Your girl is gonna be OK, y’all,” he said. “OK? She’s gonna be all right. Shit. That was fucking terrifying. That was terrifying. That was a terrifying last four days. But your girl is gonna be all right.”
Prior to his arrest, Hill shared a series of bizarre posts on Instagram, which sparked concern, though some predicted he could be amping up controversy ahead of a new music era. He shared unreleased music and mirror selfies, plus artwork and piles of miscellaneous objects in what appeared to be his home. The arrest quelled rumors that he was engaging in a marketing stunt.
