Lil Nas X Explains Why He Would Call Someone a “Panini"
You don’t get to dominating the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 19 weeks straight without picking up a little knowledge along the way. So for our “Actually Me” series, GQ’s Breakout of the Year Lil Nas X broke out his typing spurs and got to work demystifying some of life’s biggest questions on Twitter, Instagram, Wikipedia, and Reddit. Questions like, “Why does Lil Nas X have better media training than Scarlett Johanssen?” and “Can Lil Nas X sing without Autotune?”
Not only can Lil Nas X sing without Autotune, he can also whistle the “Jeopardy” theme song on cue. But those chops haven’t gone to his head—he’s still striving for collabs with artists he admires, like SZA, Drake, Rico Nasty, an original song with DaBaby, and Lil Uzi Vert. “I did not receive Uzi’s verse [for Old Town Road],” he confesses. “Maybe in the future, but nah. Sad, sad, sad, sad.”
He was, however, able to finally divulge why he would call someone a "panini":
"Panini is a character from a TV show called Chowder. She represents fans who love you while you're small, but don't love you when you get to a certain height of success, pretty much."
He dropped a couple other knowledge gems. Take his enlightened breakdown of how he makes money: “Nas make song about horse. Nas make song about sandwich. Money come.” Perhaps the most brilliant bombshell of the interview is his revelation that the "X" in his name is, in fact, a model number. “I’m the 10th version of Lil Nas,” he confesses. “When they were making us in the factory, we just came out this way.”
Check out the rest of Lil Nas X’s wise words, like his hyper-streamlined skincare routine and his early-terminated trumpet career, below. Then read Caroline McCloskey's profile of 2019's breakout music maker.
Lil Nas X Goes Undercover on Reddit, Twitter and Instgram
In a matter of months, Lil Nas X experienced the delirious spectrum of emotion that comes with overnight success—from the glorious highs of “Old Town Road” to the relentless demands of sudden fame.
Meet 2019’s best of the best.
Originally Appeared on GQ
