Lil Nas X Reveals Which ‘Black Male Rapper’ Was Going To Be On ‘Montero’ And Why He Was Left Off

Although Lil Nas X’s debut album Montero is a star-studded affair with features from icons like Elton John and contemporary favorites like Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, fans noticed a conspicuous absence of other male rap features — specifically, from other Black men (Jack Harlow appears on “Industry Baby”). Nas previously expressed his disappointment and received support from Kid Cudi after telling a fan, “Maybe a lot of them don’t wanna work with me.”

Shortly after the album was released, though, he did share the name of one who did: Drake, who Nas sent “Dolla Sign Slime.” However, Drake was finishing up Certified Lover Boy and unable to dedicate time to recording a verse, so Megan Thee Stallion was tapped to replace him. However, it turns out there was another rapper willing to align himself with Nas’ progressive vision; again, he was thwarted by bad timing.

Yesterday, during a Twitter Q&A with fans about Montero, the question came up once again, with another fan wondering why no other Black male rappers appeared on the album. This time, Nas was a little more forthcoming, revealing that he did almost have one but that deadlines forced him to forego the collaboration. “Ski Mask was almost on ‘Scoop,'” he shared, referring to rebellious Florida rapper Ski Mask The Slump God. “But we had to turn it in before he could finish.” However, Nas reiterated that “other than that a lot of them just don’t fwm tbh.”

While it’s disappointing to learn that the few allies Nas has were unable to participate, the end results still wound up being excellent, as Doja Cat’s verse on “Scoop” was appreciated by fans as a standout on the project. Hopefully, Nas’ success will convince more of his peers that working with him is worth whatever risk they think it’ll bring and, like Cudi later said, break down the “homophobic cloud” that hovers over hip-hop.