Atlanta, GA

April 9, 1999

Moseying onto the scene with a surprise breakthrough, Atlanta's Lil Nas X merged the pastoral tones of country music with hip-hop, putting his spin on a subgenre dubbed country-trap. Like similar experiments by Young Thug and Lil Tracy, the hybrid was an unexpected success for the rapper: his debut single, "Old Town Road," was a viral hit on social media and streaming. Months after its initial release, the single rode a Billy Ray Cyrus remix to number one in markets from Australia to Germany to Norway -- and a record-breaking 19 weeks in the U.S. (plus a diamond certification). In 2019, the eight-track collection 7 was released. The song "Rodeo" revisited Lil Nas X's country-rap cowboy persona and included a cameo from Cardi B, while second single "Panini" became a Top 10 hit.