Rapper Lil Nas X Charged After Naked Nighttime Stroll in Los Angeles
The Grammy-winning rapper, Lil Nas X is facing serious legal trouble after a bizarre early morning incident in Los Angeles that ended with him being charged with multiple felonies.
The 26-year-old artist, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, was taken into custody after police responded to reports of a man walking nearly naked on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City.
Witnesses said the rapper first appeared in underwear and cowboy boots before eventually stripping completely, at one point balancing a traffic cone on his head.
Video clips that quickly spread online showed him strutting down the street and engaging with bystanders. At one point, he allegedly attempted to snatch the phone of a passerby recording the spectacle.
Police officers who arrived on the scene say the encounter escalated when Lil Nas X charged at them. Concerned that he might have been under the influence, they transported him to a hospital for evaluation before booking him into the Valley Jail in Van Nuys.
Prosecutors have since filed four felony charges against him, including three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer. At his arraignment, Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty to all charges. The court set his bail at $75,000, far below the $300,000 requested by prosecutors, but with conditions that he must attend Narcotics Anonymous or a similar treatment program.
His lawyer described the case as stemming from an uncharacteristic episode, insisting that it should not overshadow what he called the rapper’s “remarkable” career and personal achievements.
Lil Nas X is expected back in court on September 15.
The incident has stirred public debate, with some speculating whether it was an attention-grabbing stunt in line with his often provocative persona, while others view it as a troubling sign of deeper struggles.
His father has spoken publicly, saying the rapper is remorseful and urging fans to keep him in their prayers.
The charges now hanging over him carry the possibility of significant prison time if he is convicted, a development that could mark a dramatic turn in the career of an artist known as much for breaking barriers in music and culture as for courting controversy.
