Lil Nas X revealed he was jealous of Billie Eilish after she beat him to win record of the year at the Grammys.
Superstar rapper Lil Nas X, 22, was nominated at the 62nd Grammy Awards in January 2020 for his megahit Old Town Road.
The song, which featured country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, won the Grammys for best pop duo/group performance and best music video.
However Eilish won record of the year for Bad Guy on a night when she swept the big four categories.
Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Hill, told British GQ Style that when Eilish, 19, took to the stage in Los Angeles, he thought: “Damn, but how? I have the biggest song. That isn’t fair.”
He added: “I put all that energy I was feeling onto her. It became jealousy that wasn’t warranted: you have the longest-running No1 song, why the f*** are you jealous about this award? We are already so blessed.
“Even if you don’t have these things, you’re here. You’re still alive. You exist. You shouldn’t have any reason to be jealous.”
Lil Nas X, who is gay, sparked controversy with his music video for the song Montero (Call Me By Your Name) in March.
It featured the musician sliding down a pole into hell before giving the devil a lap dance.
The rapper told GQ he does not see it as his responsibility to be a role model.
“At first I felt a sense of responsibility,” he said. “But now I kind of just don’t care. It’s not my job. Of course I want to spread good ideals, but I’m not nobody’s parents.
“At the end of the day, I’m just doing me, and hoping everybody else is following the lead, and doing themselves.”
See the full feature in the GQ Style SS21 issue available on newsstands Thursday May 13.