- The rapper Lil Nas X reportedly did not want to collaborate with Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg for an event in New York City.
- The breakout star famous for the song “Old Town Road” did not want to give the appearance of endorsing a particular candidate.
- Buttigieg then dropped out of the event hosted by BuzzFeed when Lil Nas X would not collaborate with him.
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Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out of an event after the rapper Lil Nas X reportedly would not collaborate with him for a song.
The Daily Beast reported on Friday that Buttigieg was slated to appear at “Internet Live,” an event hosted by BuzzFeed, for a video in which he would recite the lyrics to the hit song “Old Town Road.”
But Lil Nas X would not participate in the planned video with Buttigieg in order to avoid the appearance of endorsing a presidential candidate. As a result, Buttigieg dropped out of the event.
Lil Nas X has performed several collaborations and remixes of the song, which has dominated the Billboard Hot 100 chart for much of the summer.
Buttigieg, who is gay, had previously praised Lil Nas X for recently coming out as gay.
“@LilNasX has gone from viral sensation to groundbreaking musician,” Buttigieg wrote on Twitter earlier in July. “As a fan, I’m thrilled and inspired to see him standing in his truth as a member of the LGBTQ community. Welcome to the family!”
Buttigieg has received donations from a host of famous celebrities, especially compared with the rest of the 2020 field. In 2019, celebrities including actors Jane Lynch, Pedro Pascal, and John Stamos have all given large sums of cash to Buttigieg’s campaign.
