Lil Nas X Congratulates Kendrick Lamar and Shaboozey for Breaking Chart Records

Lil Nas X is embracing the evolution of music and congratulating the artists who’ve recently broken his Billboard chart records. Last week, Kendrick Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us” surpassed the 20-week streak that Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” held for the longest run atop the Hot Rap Songs chart. Now, Kendrick’s track has extended to 22 weeks, solidifying his place at the top.

This week, Shaboozey made waves in Canada by breaking the record for most weeks at No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100. His song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has now been atop the chart for 20 weeks, surpassing the 19-week streak held by “Old Town Road.”

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on October 16, Lil Nas X showed no hard feelings, congratulating both artists with the same message:

“It was a good run! The horses are officially actually in the back now! Congratulations to [Kendrick/Shaboozey]!”

it was a good run ! the horses are officially actually in the back now! Congratulations to Shaboozey! https://t.co/zyj767Sftq— ☆ ‧dreamboy··‧̩̥˟͙冬˟͙‧̩̥l (@LilNasX) October 16, 2024

it was a good run ! the horses are officially actually in the back now! Congratulations to Kendrick! https://t.co/CLbQLrDH1M— ☆ ‧dreamboy··‧̩̥˟͙冬˟͙‧̩̥l (@LilNasX) October 16, 2024

While Lil Nas X graciously acknowledged these record-breaking achievements, he still holds onto one significant accolade. “Old Town Road” remains the longest-leading No. 1 in Hot 100 chart history, holding steady at 19 weeks. The song, which blended country and rap, transformed genres and created a cultural moment when it debuted in 2019.

However, despite the song’s success, Lil Nas X has been vocal about his struggles to be fully embraced by country music. In a May interview with BBC, the rapper reflected on how his hit song was not included on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, with critics citing its lack of traditional country elements.

Lil Nas X expressed mixed feelings about the recent success of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, which topped Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to ever achieve this feat. While he’s happy for Beyoncé, he admitted he wishes he had experienced similar recognition during his Old Town Road era.

Cowboy Carter debuted with 407,000 equivalent album units in its first week, and 23 of its 27 songs have landed on the Billboard Hot 100. Among them are the Post Malone collaboration “Levii’s Jeans” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” With this success, Beyoncé has now earned a place among the few artists who have scored over 100 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.

For now, Lil Nas X continues to celebrate the achievements of his peers while proudly holding onto his place in music history with “Old Town Road.” The debate about his rightful place in country music may continue, but one thing is clear: Nas X is leaving his mark on multiple genres, and the horses are still running.

Lil Nas X is gearing up for the release of his new album, Dreamboy/Dreamworld before the year is out and the first single is set to drop in November after he previewed it earlier this month.

GUESS WHOS FINALLY DROPPING NEW MUSIC NEXT MONTH ?!! pic.twitter.com/V0qR4JYrbC— ☆ ‧dreamboy··‧̩̥˟͙冬˟͙‧̩̥l (@LilNasX) October 9, 2024