Out rapper Lil Nas X has pleaded not guilty to four felonies for allegedly punching a police officer twice in the face. Beforehand, the rapper strutted around downtown Los Angeles during last Thursday’s early morning hours wearing nothing more than briefs and boots.

After the alleged altercation with officers, the 26-year-old musician was reportedly handcuffed, thrown to the ground, and forcibly hospitalized, NBC News reported. His four felony counts include three counts of battery against a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer.

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As such, he faces up to $40,000 in fines and up to 12 years in prison, according to the California Penal Code. He is being held without bail and faced a court arraignment this afternoon. He has not yet publicly released any statement about the alleged incident.

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In 2020, the BET Awards nominated Lil Nas X for Best New Artist, but he didn’t win. He also stole the spotlight at the 2021 BET Awards show by kissing his male dancers while performing his song, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).” The kiss caused some viewers to complain to the Federal Communications Commission.

Nas’s work has also been recognized by other awards shows. In 2022, the Grammys nominated the rapper’s aforementioned song for Song of the Year, its video for Video of the Year, and his album for Record of the Year. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t win any of the awards.

His music has also previously won honors from the MTV Music Awards, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, the GLAAD Media Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, and the BET Hip Hop Awards.

On June 16, 2022, Nas received the Hal David Starlight Award at the 2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony. The award recognizes ​​“gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs.”

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