Lil Nas X

Coming off of his Super Smash Hit “Old Town Road” Atlanta, Georgia native Montero Lamar Hill better known as Lil Nas X released his debut project “7 EP” on June 21st. As the name suggests the 20-year-old artist drops off a 7 song EP (8 total, “Old Town Road” [Original & Remix]) that proves Lil Nas X is anything but just a Hip-Hop artist. First gaining traction on Billboard’s Country Songs chart for his debut single “Old Town Road”, Lil Nas X started getting a lot of attention after Billboard removed the song from the list stating that “While ‘Old Town Road’ incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.” Since being removed from the Country chart, “Old Town Road” has received a Billy Ray Cyrus and a Diplo remix, as well as a star-studded music video and admiration from children all over America. But when an artist debuts as loud and as strong as Lil Nas X did, the question will always be whether the artist is a One Hit Wonder or a superstar to be. In an attempt to sidestep a path we’ve seen artists like Desiigner (the artist behind the smash #1 Hit “Panda”) fall under, Lil Nas X quickly returns with “7 EP” project to prove he’s here to stay.

The short project gives us a balanced mix of Hip-Hop and Rock tracks including some big name features. Going through the track list the project starts with the Billy Ray Cyrus remix of “Old Town Road” (produced by YoungKio, Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor). Like it or not Old Town Road solidified itself as one of the biggest songs of 2019 as soon as we saw pictures of Billy Ray and Lil Nas X in the studio together. The second song on the project, and second single released by Lil Nas X ,“Panini” (produced by Take A Daytrip) is a Hip Hop track based around a Nirvana sample. The track shows us that he won’t be a one hit wonder and that Rock will clearly be a big aspect of Lil Nas X’s music going forward, even if it's not the genre of the song. The third song on the project “F9mily (You & Me)” (Produced by Travis Barker from blink-182) is 100% a rock song but should be the end of Lil Nas X’s attempts to make rock music for a while. With lackluster verses, this unbearably repetitive song is this first hiccup in the project. Although we will have to wait and see on its longevity, I doubt this song will be played at even the corniest 8-year old’s birthday party. The fourth song “Kick It” (produced by Lil Nas X, Bizness Boi, FWDSLXSH & Boyband) is a song where Lil Nas X raps to himself from the perspective of an old drug dealer, reaching out to Lil Nas X to reconnect as either a friend or a dealer. Another Hip-Hop song, “Kick It” could either fall completely on its face or become another one of those songs you begrudgingly hear 7-12 year olds sing all summer. The fifth song “Rodeo” (produced by Take A Daytrip, Russ Chell & Roy Lenzo) featuring Cardi B is another track with a hip-hop vibe based in the country and rock genres. Although the chorus has a similar energy and drawn out vibe to the smash summer hit of 2018 “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes, Rodeo incorporates a much more complex beat and happens to be one of the stronger lyrical performances of the project overall. Coupled with a very strong verse by Cardi B, “Rodeo” will for sure be competing with “Panini” to be Lil Nas X’s next big hit. The 6th song “Bring U Down” (produced by Zach Skelton & Ryan Tedder) is another 100% rock song, bringing a strong energy over a catchy guitar riff, “Bring U Down” is a much better attempt at a Rock and Roll song than “F9mily” although it still misses the mark. The 7th song “C7osure (You Like)” (produced by frequent Drake collaborator Boi-1da & Allen Ritter) is a pop-rock, possibly even alternative track where Lil Nas X separates himself from an old toxic relationship as he begins his journey to superstardom. Another somewhat lackluster performance, this may be one of the most distinctive cuts on the album, and again proves that Lil Nas X is anything but “Just a Hip Hop artist.” Finishing up with the original “Old Town Road” “7” caps at 19 minutes long, with a few stand out songs (“Panini” & “Rodeo”).

Opinion: In superstar fashion, America’s favorite industry plug lets us down while keeping us somewhat interested in what’s next. Held up by the blended vibes of Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and your mediocre 2000s rock band of choice, Lil Nas X’s “7” provides a few standout songs, proving it’d be smart to NOT count the 20 year old out just yet. With big label funding and a fan base that’s made up of 75% children under the age of 13, Lil Nas X is going nowhere anytime soon. Although the first listen may differ from all the listens that follow, the biggest question marks are whether his Rock and Roll songwriting ability will get better with time? And whether fans should be concerned that although the project only consists of 7 songs the two best verses may be the features of Cardi B & Billy Ray Cyrus. One thing’s for sure, Lil Nas X is going to have a fruitful summer, and this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him or his cowboy hats.

Go out and listen to Lil Nas X’s “7” wherever you listen to your music. Also, don’t forget to check out OLDMLK’s Instagram page (@OLDMLK) and Twitter (@OLDMLKDOTCOM) for updates on OLDMLK.COM: The Most Essential Hip Hop Blog, The OLDMLK.Com Playlist, The OLDMLK Radar and more!