Lil Nas X’s debut album ‘Montero’ has helped raise thousands for charity
The rapper has linked each song to a charity as part of a 'baby registry' for the album and has encouraged people to donate.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Twitter/@LilNasX
Lil Nas X may have been playing a satanic lover in the video to his monster hit ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’, but he’s proved once again he’s really an angel after raising thousands for various charities with the release of his debut album.
The 22-year-old rapper’s album, Montero, was released on Friday (17 September) to rapturous applause and praise from critics and fans alike.
Over the weekend, Nas revealed that he had set up a “baby registry” for people to donate to various good causes.
“Making this album was therapy”
As reported by TMZ, one charity – Bros in Convo, a Florida-based charity that helps Black, queer men said it had received more than $33,000 in donations on Friday. Other charities have also seen donations flooding in.
On the Welcome to Montero website, each song on the album is connected to a different charity. The charities range from those advocating to end mass incarceration, promoting sexual health and wellbeing and the LGBTQ community.
The list includes: Transinclusive Group, Ch-Pier, The Bail Project, Bros in Convo, Compassionate Atlanta, Relationship Unleashed, Central Alabama Alliance Resource & Advocacy Center, OLTT, Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference, Arianna Center, Thrive SS, What’s in the Mirror, Cade Foundation, The Counter Narrative, Normal Anomaly and Happy Hippie.
All of these charities are a part of the Gilead COMPASS Initiative, which works to address the HIV/Aids epidemic in the Southern United States.
On Saturday (18 September) Lil Nas X, who’s clearly been having fun in promoting this album, took a moment to strike a more a serious tone, saying, “making this album was therapy for me. i began healing many unchecked wounds, facing skeltons [sic] in my closet i never wanted to, fighting internally every day and crying persistently, MONTERO is truly my baby. thanks for the love.”
i love joking but on a serious note making this album was therapy for me. i began healing many unchecked wounds, facing skeltons in my closet i never wanted to, fighting internally every day and crying persistently, MONTERO is truly my baby. thanks for the love 💕🦋
— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) September 18, 2021
It’s not the first time the rapper has opened up about the meaning of his music on himself. When he released ‘Montero’ Nas also posted online a message to his 14-year-old self saying: “I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist.
“You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, they will say I’m pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay the f**k out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be.”
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