By Tat Bellamy-Walker
He’s taking his horse to the old town road and he’s gonna write ’til he can’t no more.
Out gay rapper and country music star Lil Nas X is most widely known for hits like “Old Town Road,” but now he’s adding children’s books to his budding portfolio — and it’s paying off. Just three weeks after he debuted his children’s book, “C is for Country,” Lil Nas X became a New York Times Bestseller.
On Jan. 5, the star released the book, which teaches children the alphabet and invites kids to follow a young cowboy and his pal, Panini the pony. In the span of 24-hours, the friends use their ABCs to help them discover new territory, develop relationships with family, and learn more about themselves.
“’C is for Country’ goes out to every amazing kid out there who sang along to ‘Old Town Road’ on repeat and helped change my life forever,” Lil Nas X said in a statement days after the book’s release. “I hope this book inspires them and makes learning the alphabet a thousand times more fun. I’m so happy with how it turned out, and I can’t wait for the world to see it.”
Many of the outfits and sayings in the book reflect the star’s personality. On Twitter, the musician published pages from the book touting his extravagant and camp style.
“F is for fringe…and feathers and fake fur,” according to an excerpt from the book. A separate section from the book read, “S is for swag. Just ’cause I’m going to bed doesn’t mean I can’t look good.”
If readers want an extra dose of Lil Nas X, there is a narrated version of the story available. According to the book’s publishers, the “Old Town Road” rapper wrote this book to inspire and bring happiness to young people.
In addition to “Old Town Road,” the star has drawn acclaim for his other hits, including “Panini,” “Rodeo,” and “Holiday.” He recently teased a new album on Twitter, saying it will be coming out in the “middle of the year.” In the meantime, he said more singles are coming.
In 2019, the Atlanta native secured two Grammys for the crossover country hit song and earned several other awards and nominations.
This story first appeared on our sister publication gaycitynews.com.
