Lil Nas X announced his mother’s death in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday.
The 27-year-old rapper, born Montero Lamar Hill, shared three photos of Tameka Hill alongside a message that read, “RIP TO THE BADDEST EVER! LOVE U FOREVER MOMMY. This one’s gonna hurt. 🥹🥹” The Grammy winner’s tribute arrived during a period of significant personal change, as he recently completed an in-patient treatment program for undisclosed issues.
Hill’s relationship with his mother had been strained for years. His parents separated when he was 5, leading him to live with his grandmother before his father gained custody when he was 9. In a 2020 interview, the “Old Town Road” hitmaker addressed the distance between them directly. “I never really talk about my mom,” he said. “She’s an addict so we don’t have the closest relationship. Even trying to get her better — things didn’t quite work out. But there’s still love.”
The rapper has increasingly opened up about his own mental health and sobriety in recent months. On Monday, he marked a personal milestone with a video posted to Instagram Stories. “So, tomorrow is my 10,000th day alive and … I made it!” he said. “A lot of y’all won’t make it but I made it.”
His time in treatment appears to have shifted how he interacts with the public. In a Tuesday social media update, he noted the changed reactions from fans. “Ever since I got out of rehab, everybody’s, like, [so] nice to me. I could be like ‘Hey’ and everybody’s going to be like ‘Oh my God, you’re so brave,'” he said. “I can try to post a thirst trap on my Instagram Story, and then it’s going to be somebody like, ‘Keep fighting King.'”
Last June, the Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee revealed he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He described the period since rehab as an effort to stabilize his life, splitting time between Atlanta with family and Los Angeles. “I’ve been in rehab for a few months and since then, I’ve been back at home — whether it’s in Atlanta with my family or in Los Angeles with myself, friends and whatnot — and trying to ground myself down to earth and get out of my head,” he shared on Instagram. He noted that he now works with both a therapist and a psychiatrist, adding that this support “has been really helpful when I got my bipolar disorder diagnosis.”
The diagnosis followed a public incident in Los Angeles where he was arrested after allegedly punching a police officer while roaming the streets wearing only white underwear and boots. He was charged with four felonies including battery with injury on a police officer and resisting an executive officer, but pleaded not guilty. In April, a California judge approved his entry into a mental health diversion program.
Hill had previously expressed reluctance about seeking treatment, fearing how it might affect public perception. “I’m already Black and gay. Like, ‘Damn, God.’ Black, gay, bipolar. I’m like living life on like extreme hard mode,” he said with a laugh during his June revelation. He added more seriously, “But on a serious note, I’m doing much better. I’m doing better, I’m feeling better. I’m creating freely and there’s less fear in my heart.”