Lil Nas X Once Suggested He and Kanye West Team up For a ‘Soulful Bop’
Lil Nas X is an artist like no other. “Old Town Road” put the rapper on the map. And he hasn’t stopped since the 2019 release of the No. 1 hit. Lil Nas X continues to grow his career and collaborate with other highly-respected artists. When it comes to Kanye West, Lil Nas X always thought their collaboration would be ‘soulful.’
What Lil Nas X said about working with Kanye West
Lil Nas X spoke with Billboard as he walked the 2020 Grammy Awards red carpet. Wearing hot-pink Versace, the talented artist discussed his hit with Billy Cyrus, “Old Town Road,” what it was like to get nominated for six Grammys, and Da Baby’s feature on “Panini.”
Lil Nas X shared his thoughts on a Kanye West collaboration. As the rapper put it, “That record would sound like a soulful bop.” Little did Lil Nas X know that the two would have the opportunity to work together soon.
Lil Nas X and Kanye West collaborated on ‘Industry Baby’
In 2021, Lil Nas X was thrilled when West reached out about co-producing “Industry Baby.” In an interview with Rolling Stone, producers David Biral and Denzel Baptist shared some of the behind-the-scenes details to create “Industry Baby.”
Biral shared, “Nas had the opportunity to sit down with him and play him a bunch of records from the album, maybe two months ago now. Kanye specifically picked out ‘Industry Baby’ and just from what Nas told us, Kanye gravitated to that one just because it reminded him of some of his anthemic moments, like ”All of the Lights.'”
The pair described the experience as a “dream come true,” Biral explained that West’s influence mainly came in finishing touches. “[West] came in and helped layer some instruments and really helped beef up the production.”
The Montero single was a huge hit. And on top of that, the music video didn’t disappoint. In the end, “Industry Baby” was not only a huge success but a full-circle moment for Lil Nas X.
The pair faced off at the 2022 Grammys, but both lost
Lil Nas X is relatively new to the game, but he hasn’t let that hold him back. “Industry Baby” and the rapper’s many other collaborations with iconic musicians are a testimony to Lil Nas X’s star power and talents.
At the 2022 Grammy Awards, Lil Nas X and Kanye West competed for Album of the Year. The former’s Montero went up against West’s Donda. Because he produced “Industry Baby,” West technically competed against himself. However, in the end, Jon Batiste walked away with the award thanks to We Are.
In addition to being nominated for Album of the Year, Lil Nas X received four other Grammy nominations. However, he walked away from the evening with zero trophies. While West skipped the ceremony, he landed two wins out of his five nominations.
Though he may not have won any awards, Lil Nas X’s 2022 Grammy performance and fashion looks blew away audiences and viewers. As the artist wrote on Twitter, “last night was my favorite performance yet. and a fun night in general. we lost all our grammies but that just mean it’s time to go even harder! love y’all.”
