Lil Nas X’s father said he believes that his son’s recent arrest is the price of fame.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, the rapper's father, Robert Stafford, shared his thoughts about his son’s arrest.
Nas, legal name Montero Lamar Hill, was arrested and charged with police battery after he was spotted wandering around a Los Angeles street in cowboy boots and underwear.
“I understand how the music business is,” Stafford said. “It’s like a high. When you get to that level, you want that drug again, you want to hit that high again.”
Stafford blamed Nas’ situation on the intense pressure of the music industry and being a provider for his family.
“For a 26-year-old to have to deal with what he’s dealing with—to be a breadwinner for a lot of people, the inability to change his mother’s situation and the pressure he puts on himself … that can weigh heavily on your heart,” Stafford said.
Nas' mom, Tameka Hill, has reportedly struggled with addiction and being unhoused, Rap-Up reported in 2021. The rapper told Variety in 2020 that he had tried to get her into a rehabilitation program.
“I never really talk about my mom," Nas said at the time. "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.”
Stafford said when he visited his son in jail, he "couldn't do anything but cry."
"To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. We shed tears with each other for a minute. And I had to tell him that ‘what you’re going through is normal,'" Stafford continued.
Stafford said that Nas gave him a message that he wanted to relay to the world while he’s behind bars.
“When I went to visit he asked me to say, ‘Tell everybody I’m sorry they saw me like that,’" Stafford relayed. “Even in that moment, he was apologizing to people for something he was going through.”
Nas was arrested on Aug. 21 after raking up four felony charges for allegedly assaulting a police officer. After the arrest that seemingly involved a taser and a helicopter, according to police audio, Lil Nas X was booked in jail over the weekend and released on Aug. 25.
"Your girl is going to be OK y’all… OK. She’s going to be all right. Shit," Lil Nas X said in an Instagram Story following his release. "That was fucking terrifying. That was terrifying. That was a terrifying last four days, but your girl is going to be all right."
After the incident, Stafford spoke with reporters about Lil Nas X’s condition while he was in jail.
“He’s in good spirits and he’s very remorseful for what happened. It can happen to any family,” Stafford said. "He’s gonna get the help that he needs and just keep him in your prayers.”