When it comes to going viral, Grammy winner Lil Nas X knows how to do it right. The American rapper began his rise in the music industry in 2018 with “Old Town Road”. This first EP led to the artist becoming the most nominated man at the 62nd Grammy Awards. At those awards, he won two categories: Best Music Video and Best Pop Group/Duo Performance for his remix of “Old Town Road”.
Lil Nas X knows how to capitalise on his hits and knows how to get the audience’s attention. The artist looks genuine in the way he owns his identity as an openly gay man and in his understanding of what goes viral on social media.
At just 22 years old, he has a net worth of between USD 7 million and USD 14 million, figures that will increase in the coming years as he releases more music. And it’s all with a relatively limited discography. Here’s how Lil Nas X has made millions so fast.
His success with his first EP “Old Town Road”
No doubt, this fact is an essential part of why the rapper started earning millions, even to this day, for this song. “Old Town Road” has moved 14 million copies in the United States alone. It thus became one of the most unlikely hits in history.
The irony is that Nas bought the music behind “Old Town Road” on one of the many websites where emerging producers sell their beats to up-and-coming artists for only $30. In addition, Lil Nas X recorded the song at a local Georgia studio for only $20. So naturally, this was the trigger for several record labels to generate their offers.
New Music Launches
Lil Nas X knows that even though Old Town Road was a hit, it was just the impetus he needed to make himself better known. He decided not to waste the opportunity and started making more songs. Currently, the singer-songwriter has recorded half a dozen top 40 hits in the United States. For example, his song “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” went double platinum, while “Holiday” and “Industry Baby” with Jack Harlow went platinum and gold.
The royalties earned from all those clicks or plays on music platforms and radio could be small individually, but they add up quickly.
Marketing Songs for Brand Advertising
All the partnerships Lil Nas X has made with different brands contribute additional income for him. In addition, the more famous the artist becomes, the more different brands pay for him to promote them. Clothing brand Wrangler was the first to capitalise on the success of Old Town Road and quickly worked with the musician to create a collection of jeans and shirts, which immediately sold out.
Nas, meanwhile, launched his line of shoes in conjunction with the New York City-based art collective MSCHF. The shoes were called “Satan Shoes“, modified as Nike Air. Max 97 included a drop of human blood. They only made 666 pairs and were priced at $1,018. They sold out in minutes.
However, Nike sued MSCHF, as the collective did not have the rights to their design. But Lil Nas X turned this problem into an opportunity, as he presented the situation in a trailer for the release of his video “Industry Baby”, in which he appears to be imprisoned by Nike.
This is how the artist at such a young age has proven to be a marketing genius, as he takes advantage of every situation to become more known and viral.