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If we learned anything from Lil Nas X’s groundbreaking hit, “Old Town Road,” it’s that when it comes to making hits, this rapper is going to “ride ’til I can’t no more.
Montero Lamar Hill, known to the hearts and loins of the world as Lil Nax X, was gifted to us on April 9, 1999 making him a resplendent Aries sun with an imperial Capricorn moon. This sun/moon combo can be understood as a controlled burn where in the prodigious energy of Aries combines with the industrious spirit of Capricorn.
Apropos for a man named for an SUV, Nas is at his most vital when he goes off road, off script and gloriously off the rails.
Nas has refused to live his life or make his art at any volume but 11. What makes our man the raw, regal source of power that he is? Read on for a breakdown of his birth chart.
Play with fire
An Aries does not necessarily welcome vitriol but they are undeniably energized by it.
As a cardinal fire sign, Aries energy is provocative, it’s built to move itself and others forward. It isn’t shy, it doesn’t ask permission, it doesn’t care about making people comfortable. It will grab its d**k and sell satanic sneakers without explanation or apology. As the first sign in the zodiac, Aries was born to win and cannot settle for second place. Indeed, Nas’s CV is an extensive list of firsts; the first openly gay black musician nominated for a Country Music Award, the first openly gay rap artist to be nominated for a Grammy in a major category, the first artist to come out as a gay whilst their debut single was anchored at No.1, the first artist to drop TikTok NFTs, and the first artist in recorded history to lap dance the devil into submission.
The first born energy of Aries manifest as youthful defiance and sometimes, in the case of Nas, as a pregnancy/live birth promotional stunt. As Nas explained to GQ Style, “Part of my plan is to make sure people know I’m going to do whatever the f**k I want when I want to, and if you’re mad at it, I’m going to laugh in your face.”
An Aries does not necessarily welcome vitriol but they are undeniably energized by it. Case in point, Nas considers his entire “Montero” album a middle finger to critics and lessers that deemed him to a one hit wonder after the runaway success of “Old Town Road.” The lyrics to “Industry Baby,” in particular are meant as a kiss off to these myopic misanthropes, “Funny how you said it was the end, yuh/Then I went did it again.” The music video for the song similarly taunts and delights.
Essentially a short film, the clip opens with a court room reference to Nas’s Nike satan sneaker lawsuit, before launching into a raucous undermining of prison tropes complete with pink uniforms and a shower room dance sequence for the ages. While all of this extra is absolutely on brand for an Aries, it is the videos call to action in support of the Bail Project that reveals one of the unsung merits of Aries energy, a heroic willingness to fight the powers that be and champion those in need.
Aries lives for the righteous application of their fire power. A fact made evident in Nas’s response to the religious right’s condemnation of his unabashedly sexual and unequivocally triumphant music video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” As the target of hate speech, damnation, pearl clutching and outrage Nas responded via Twitter “I spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the shit y’all preached would happen to me because i was gay. so i hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.” Give em’ the hell they preach, baby.
Playwright Jeremy O. Harris warmly and deftly likens Lil Nas X to a mythological trickster figure, bent on creating chaos and upending the status quo. Nas agrees, describing to GQ his creative process in true fire god form, “When I feel like I shouldn’t do it, I feel like that’s when I should definitely go for it.”
Moon in Capricorn
In astrology, the moon represents our inner world and is related to instinctual responses, our sense of security and the nurturing we seek and were granted or denied as children. Nas’s moon is in hard scrabble, make it to the top whether you’re a power bottom or not, sign of Capricorn. We see this expressed in Nas’s choice to add the Roman numeral X to his name as a promise, believing it would take him a decade to reach legendary status. Judging from his cultural impact, iconic fashion choices and multiple Grammy nominations it’s safe to say our man accelerated the timeline.
Nas’s moon is in hard scrabble, make it to the top whether you’re a power bottom or not, sign of Capricorn.
A Capricorn moon suggests a hard knocks childhood in which the native felt like they couldn’t depend on either parent, instilling a fear of dependency and a hunger for achievement in adulthood. Nas touched on this tender spot in a CBS interview, admitting, “I’ve never been super-close with either of my parents. I’ve always felt, like, I guess, a lone person..I think it was one of those things that can hurt and help you at the same time, because I had to find independence within myself.” Indeed, Capricorn moons go to great lengths to succeed and to ensure independent survival. For all their grit and because they see success as synonymous with self-worth, these folks take failure, very, very hard.
Never the less, like the goat that symbolizes the sign, Cap moons are climbers, they strive not with desperation but with rigid determination. Unsurprisingly, world leaders including Napoleon, Che Guevara and Abe Lincoln share this placement. In relationship to that strive or die, come up mentality, Capricorn moons are baldly ambitious. When Nas raps in “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” that he “onyl f**ks the ones that he envies,” he speaks to this aspirational energy.
In a similar vein, the focus on acquisition and ascent for Cap moons often comes at the expense of deepening personal relationships, a theme Nas explored in a GQ interview. “I’ve been wanting somebody for so long and wanting somebody to love for so long, but it’s a real responsibility. And you have to give this person your time. And I like to go missing for like a week to focus…not talk to anyone and focus on myself. And I’m more in love with what I’m doing than people.” The sentiment of being in love with what you do rather than who you’re with resounds with deep Capricorn energy, the sort that produces greatness and breeds loneliness.
Venus in Taurus, at home in decadence
Within the birth chart, Venus indicates our attachment style and aesthetic sensibilities. Nas’s Venus is in pleasure seeking Taurus. Taurus is the native home of Venus and those with this placement see the divine in the material and want to live deliciously. We see this desire expressed most explicitly in his Montero album cover which is psychedelic baroque with top notes of decadence and exalted nudity.
In line with Venusian ideal of wealth, Nas, alongside his stylist Hodo Musa, is bent on sharing it, intentionally working with designers and brands that are helmed by queer or black designers. As Musa explained to GQ, “When you align yourself with people like that, then you do magic. Good things happen.”
Mars in Scorpio, no fear of the dark
Mars is the planet of action and aggression. It’s how you get yours so to speak and our man Nas has his in the fixed, netherworld haunting sign of Scorpio. Skilled at keeping secrets, most notably their own, Mars in Scorpio has no lack of passion and no fear of the dark. They can hold space for the shame and suffering of others because they are so intimately familiar with their own.
Scorpio rules the genitalia and while natives are certainly sexual, they keep the names and details of their exploits very, very private, a notable habit of Nas. Mars is the ancient ruler of Scorpio and the god of war is right at home here. This is not a Mars sign you want to f**K with, super villains when provoked, they are masterful when it comes to conflict preferring as they do to set the stage for their enemies to destroy themselves while they casually look on and in the case of Nas, laugh out loud.
Pluto, the planet of sex, death and regeneration is the modern ruler of Scorpio, and fittingly so. It is through trauma that Scorpio is able to transform itself and it is through their own survival that they stand as testament to what can be endured and what can be overcome, themes in keeping with Nas’s journey of expression, revelation and actualization.
And there we have it folks, long may our Aries king reign and long may he rain NSFW content upon us. Born bright to burn bright, we thank you, Nas, for lighting the way.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
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