Lil Nas X Surprises Elementary School Kids, Brings Undeniable Joy With Performance

Lil Nas X made a surprise appearance at an elementary school in Ohio, where he performed his hit “Old Town Road.” The young students can be heard singing along with the Atlanta rapper – and they didn’t miss a beat. 

On Wednesday, Complex released a video featuring Lil Nas X’s appearance and the moments before he surprised the young students at Lander Elementary School in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. 

“I’m finna do the biggest show of my life, and it’s going to be great,” Lil Nas X says in the video before he entered the school’s gymnasium. 

Complex then captured the loud cheers and animated reaction Lil Nas X received from the crowds of children as he walked onstage.

“I need y’all to sing,” the 19-year-old can be heard saying. 

Felecia Evans, the principal at Lander Elementary, thanked the “Old Town Road” rapper for his lauded appearance. “We love you!!” she wrote on Twitter. 

Last week, Evans posted a video on Twitter of the Lander Elementary school kids dancing and singing along to “Old Town Road.”

“I love my job. We ended our 5th grade talent show today with the whole school dancing and celebrating…together!!” she wrote. 

“Old Town Road” has inspired young students before, though they don’t always get a performance from Lil Nas X himself.

Last month, a teacher in Birmingham, Alabama shared a video of her third-grade students singing a remixed version of “Old Town Road,” aimed to boost confidence in students as they take state exams. 

Lil Nas X shared his admiration of the recreation of his song on Twitter earlier this month:

The song sparked wide conversations about racism and inclusivity after it was removed from Billboard’s country charts in March for apparently not being country enough.

While Billboard denied the decision had to do with race, many charged that the removal was symbolic of a history of racism and discrimination in the world of country music. 

Veteran country music star Billy Ray Cyrus publicly expressed his support for Lil Nas X on Twitter last month. The two later collaborated and released a lauded remix to “Old Town Road.” They dropped their video for the song earlier this month.