After months of confusion, Lil Nas X finally set the record straight. Yep, the “Old Town Road” rapper explained that he previously denied having a Nicki Minaj fan account on Twitter because he “didn’t want people” to know that he was gay.

For those who missed it, back in April 2019, a NY Mag article linked the 21-year-old back to a now-suspended Twitter account with the username @nasmaraj. At the time, Lil Nas X and his team denied his involvement with the account in a statement. But now, a little over the year later, he has finally spoken out about running the account and being a fan of Nicki.

The musician’s admission came just after he responded to one of Nicki’s tweets and asked her to collaborate on a song.

“I have this song I want [you] on and was wondering,” Lil Nas X wrote. A fan was quick to respond and added, “How come you never claimed her when people asked if you were a Barb? We all knew who you were.”

For those who don’t know, a “Barb” is the official name Nicki Minaj fans call themselves.

After being called out online, Lil Nas X wrote back.

“I didn’t want people to know I was gay, TBH,” he admitted. As fans know, during an interview with The Guardian from back in April, he explained that he never had plans to come out and was going to “die with the secret.”

Another Twitter follower stated, “Being a Barb [doesn’t] make you gay.”

“It [doesn’t], but people will assume if you had an entire fan page dedicated to Nicki [you] are gay. And the rap/music industry ain’t exactly built or accepting of gay men yet,” he wrote back.

Then, Nicki herself tweeted at Lil Nas X with a supportive message.

“It was a bit of a sting when you denied being a Barb, but I understand. Congratulations on building up your confidence to speak your truth,” the 37-year-old posted, to which the “Panini” rapper replied, “The generous queen, I love [you]. And I’m sorry I did that in a time where [you] were already getting so much bandwagon hate. I felt so bad, hoping [you] wouldn’t see my denial. I was just so afraid of people finding out about me and losing everything before I even got a chance.”

Despite his past, in a January interview with Variety, the artist opened up about being a role model. He said, “I hope my actions are enough to inspire other young LGBTQ children coming up to not be afraid to be themselves, but I feel pressure to be a role model for the community.”

And we’re hoping that his collaboration with Nicki is actually in the works!

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