Just when you think Lil Nas X can't get any better, he goes and raises over $100,000 for charity. His debut album, Montero, was released Friday and has been streamed millions of times, but the rapper wasn't just content to rack up fame and notoriety. Instead, he turned his platform into an opportunity to give back to and highlight various important causes.
Prior to Montero's release, Lil Nax X announced the album's tracklist along with a "baby registry" -- a list of 13 charities that are part of the Gilead COMPASS Initiative aimed to reduce HIV-related health disparities, build awareness, advance education, and reduce stigma, each represented by one of the tracks -- with the hopes that fans would donate to them. And it's working. According to TMZ, Bros in Convo, a charity out of Florida that helps Black gay, bisexual, and queer men, and is tied to the song "That's What I Want," shared that it's already received $33,140 in donations.
The track "Am I Dreaming," which features Miley Cyrus, is dedicated to the artist's Happy Hippy Foundation. Created to help fight injustice facing unhoused youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable communities, the charity has received $6,960 in donations tied to Montero's release.
Transinclusive Group, which provides assistance to transgender/nonconforming people and is linked to the track "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" on Lil Nax X's list, has received $5,000, reports TMZ. CH-PIER and Compassionate Atlanta, both of which benefit the LGBTQ+ community, have received nearly $1,000 thanks to the tracks "Dead Right Now" and "The Art of Realization", respectively.
This isn't the first time that Lil Nas X has put his money where his art is. In July, he partnered with The Bail Project, a national nonprofit created to combat mass incarceration, by paying the bail for low-income people through YouTube donations made on his "Industry Baby" video. The collaboration resulted in raising more than $59,000 for the organization which is the title track for the album.
In other words, Lil Nas X truly is the gift that keeps on giving -- literally.