In December 2018, Lil Nas X released the song “Old Town Road” and it has quickly been climbing the charts. The 19-year-old Atlanta native dropped out of college eight months ago to pursue his career in music and has been killing it ever since. His “hybrid country/rap single “Old Town Road” climbed to the top of the Spotify United States Top 50 and global Apple Music charts and currently sits at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Usually, when an artist begins to climb the charts, it’s time to celebrate. However, Lil Nas X’s viral hit has been the center of controversy. The song is a blend of trap music and country music genres. It gained its popularity through the social media app TikTok as people started using it for the soundtrack of their memes. In “March, the song charted on Billboard‘s Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts simultaneously. But that same month, Billboard removed the track from its Hot Country Songs list. This raised questions and uproar from fans over discrimination. Billboard released a statement to Rolling Stone that explained that “While ‘Old Town Road’ incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.”
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Many critics say that this is proof that “the music industry doesn’t afford black artists the same creative license as white artists” especially in country music. And this is not the first instance of this racial divide in the country music industry. In the 1920s, record labels came up with two categories of music: race records, which were for African American, working-class people, and hillbilly music, which was for white, working-class people. Blues, Jazz, spirituals and Gospel music were considered race records and hillbilly music was string band, country and western music.
It is interesting to see such a divide take place because the foundation of country music is rooted in African American culture. It is also heavily influenced by black artists and performers. In fact, the banjo is an African Instrument. Black people, in general, have had a significant impact on the music industry yet there continues to be restraints placed on black artists. Although there has been growth and change there is still so much work to do. The removal of “Old Town Road” from the Hot Country Songs list is a prime example of a change that needs to happen. The music industry as a whole needs to accept the changes that are happening and move forward. Black artists need to continue to overstep boundaries, push the envelope, and make the voices of the culture heard loud and clear.
Honestly, with songs like “Old Town Road” changing the playing field makes it country music’s job to adapt. The question is, “can country music catch up with hip-hop and everyone else and make peace with this brave new world?” As for Lil Nas X‘s song, it will continue to top the charts. On April 5, Lil Nas X released the official remix to “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. Go Check it out!