Lil Xan is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. The creative pseudonym of the performer comes from the name of one of the drugs (alprazolam), which, in case of an overdose, causes the same sensations as when taking drugs.
Lil Zen didn't plan a career in music. But in a short time he managed to become famous among rap fans. This was facilitated not only by social networks, but also by a bright image. On the face and body of the rapper there are many tattoos, the meaning of which is clear only to him.
One of the pioneers of the new school of hip-hop and emo-rap, in particular Lil Zen. He managed to overcome drug addiction, release one of the best rap albums of 2018, Total Xanarchy.
Childhood and youth of Nicholas Diego Lianos
The real name of the American artist sounds like Nicholas Diego Lianos. The rapper was born on September 6, 1996 in Redlands, California. The height of the artist is 172 cm, and the weight is 60 kg.
Nicholas's family could not boast of a good income. The guy recalls that almost all his childhood he and his parents wandered around motels in search of an overnight stay. Diego was not initially set up to receive an education. After graduating from 9 classes, the guy took the documents from school and, without plans for life, was lounging at home.
When I realized that it was time to earn money, I began to clean the streets. Naturally, the young man was not satisfied with the earnings, and therefore he began to sell drugs.
Lil Zen is not among the people who find their calling from early childhood. For the time being, he was also not very interested in creativity.
The young man became interested in the musical direction, planning to realize himself as a photographer. He helped his friends in the development of creativity, but he got into the recording studio quite by accident.
The fact is that at one of the music concerts, a professional camera was stolen from Diego. To earn money to buy expensive equipment, the guy tried to record his debut track.
A session in the studio at that time cost $20, and a camera cost $1,2. Friends supported Diego's plan. The rapper posted the first tracks on SoundCloud and YouTube. Newbies are lucky. Leela was noticed. The first fans complimented him, and he was at the very top of the musical Olympus. Diego's debut video has gained over 40 million views.
Betrayed is the very track that attracted considerable interest to the artist's work. The song was released in 2017. Diego admitted that he did not expect such a warm welcome.
The creative path of Lil Xan
The formation of the artist's musical tastes was influenced by the work of Pharrell Williams, bands that worked in the alternative rock genre. The list of the rapper's favorite bands includes Arctic Monkeys and Queens of the Stone Age.
The professional career of the American performer began in 2016. In autumn, the artist presented his debut mixtape, which was called GITGO. The collection includes solo songs and several tracks, which took part in the recording of Stephen Canon.
In 2017, the rapper presented the Toothache compilation. Some of the tracks on the album became hits. It was then that Lil finally decided to devote himself to music.
As mentioned above, a video clip was released for the song Betrayed in the summer of 2017. The presented composition received platinum certification from the RIAA.
Creation of the Low Gang
Realizing that musical activity can bring an excellent income, Lil assembled his own team. The rapper's team was called Low Gang.
Diego's colleagues were old friends Arnold Dead and Steve Canon. The first performance took place at the Roxy site in October of the same 2017.
The artist was invited to various youth programs. This not only increased the popularity of the rapper, but also had a positive effect on the rating of the show. In one of the interviews, Lil shared information that he is working on the Total Xanarchy album.
Later it turned out that the guy worked on the collection together with his colleagues Diplo and Swae Lee. He planned a tour ahead of time to support the release of the record. The album went on sale in April. Tickets for the rapper's performance were sold out in a matter of hours.
And if the fans warmly welcomed the Total Xanarchy album, then the music critics completely criticized the new creation. They believed that there were no lyrics in the record, and the singer's performing style was unconvincing.
The representative of "sad rap", as journalists call Lil Zen, did not comment on the words of the critics. The Guardian columnist Ben Beaumont-Thomas acted as the collection's lawyer. He assured that he sees in it a "gothic sound".
In the same year, the American rapper received a nomination at the MTV Music Awards in the Breakthrough of the Year category. Then there was the peak of the popularity of the American rapper.
lil xan and drugs
Leela's biography closely borders on drug addiction. The American rapper openly stated that he had been using Xanax since the age of 18. The drug is addictive. Lil's situation was aggravated by the fact of alcohol abuse.
If you believe the words of the American rapper, then he managed to overcome drug addiction. However, he prefers not to reveal the secret regarding the treatment of the disease. Diego planned to speak in support of anti-drug campaigns.
Lil rethought his life after the death of Mac Miller (the guy died of a drug overdose). Diego was so impressed with the event that he even canceled several performances. Gathering and taking will into a fist, he managed to overcome experiences, even expanded the circle of interests in the field of arts.
Lil Xan's personal life
Since 2018, the rapper has been credited with a relationship with actress Noah Cyrus. Young people even recorded a joint track Live or Die. However, the couple broke up in August. The reason for the breakup was the careless words of Noah Cyrus towards the rapper.
The girl provoked Leal's jealousy. Later, Diego told that the girl was not faithful to him. However, the rapper did not grieve for long, finding solace in the arms of a gorgeous girl named Emmy Smith.
In 2019, it was revealed that Lil and his girlfriend had lost their baby. The sad news was announced by the bride Annie Smith. In her Instagram profile, the girl dedicated a post to the baby.
Lil Xan today
At first glance, the rapper shows a lot of tattoos. Lil deliberately puts a tattoo in a conspicuous place, because then he sees no point in putting them on the body.
In 2018, Leal's tweet with a negative statement about the work of Tupac Shakur caused a scandal in the rap community. Diego was put on the so-called "black list". But the performer rehabilitated himself by recording the track California Love.
A year later, the performer pleased his fans with the release of a new mini-collection Fireworks. Leal recorded an album on the Columbia label. The work was warmly received by fans and music critics. In the same year, Zen, along with Trippie Redd and Baby Goth, presented the Baby Goth EP.
Fans are in anticipation of a full-length album. The rapper even talked about the name of the new creation. Most likely, the album Sorry I Didn't Quit will be released in 2020.
