Rapper Lil Nas X feared he would die as he battled depression and hypochondria during his college years.
The star, 21, opened up about his mental health struggles in a candid TikTok post, revealing he hit a real low after his grandmother’s death.
He began his video by writing: “Hey I’m Lil Nas X, and this is my story. In 2017, I became the first of all my family to get into college. During college I was depressed, had no friends… and my grandmother passed.”
The “Old Town Road” hitmaker admits he only started feeling more like himself when he indulged in his passion for music.
He explained: “I started going to the doctor a lot in fear that I would die soon… hypochondria. In May 2018 I started making music. I was happy again!!!”
However, Lil Nas, born Montero Lamar Hill, had to endure a series of family struggles after dropping out of college in an effort to pursue a music career.
“I dropped out (of school) and moved (in) with my sister! In June 2018 I released my first mixtape ‘Nasarati’. Things were going great, then they weren’t! My brother who was helping me left to (join) the military & my songs were no longer doing good.
“In November 2018, feeling hopeless, I moved (in) with my other brother where it was domestic violence everyday (sic).”
Luckily for Lil Nas, the tough times wouldn’t last too much longer, as he eventually found mainstream success with his viral crossover hit Old Town Road, which spent a record 19 weeks atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Alongside a snap of himself wearing a cowboy hat, Lil Nas, who is openly gay, hinted at the turning point and wrote: “Then something happened … life for part 2!”