Lil Nas X has opened up about his struggles with his sexuality, revealing that as a teenager he used to pray that he would become straight.

“I knew (I was gay), especially around my teenage years,” Lil Nas X explained in an interview for CBS’ This Morning. “I was praying, praying, and praying that it was just a phase that would go away.”

He continued: “Me being in this position, it’s easy for me, but some little boy ten miles from here, it’s not going to be good for him.” When questioned about whether he thinks his coming out will be valuable for those struggling with their sexual identity, Lil Nas X said: “I think it’s going to always help. There’s still a lot to be done, of course, but I do believe it’s helping.”

The rapper came out via Twitter at the beginning of July – in time for the end of Pride Month – referencing the lyrics to his track “C7osure” from his debut EP 7. “Some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more,” he wrote. “But before this month ends i want y’all to listen closely to c7osure.” The tweet also included a rainbow emoji.

Lil Nas X’s latest revelations follow his subjection to an awkward, crude interview with HBO earlier this month, in which writer Paul Rivera quizzed the rapper about his decision to publicly reveal his sexuality. After Kevin Hart chimed in with, “He said he was gay, so what?”, Rivera seemingly dismissed the existence of homophobia, and ploughed on with his questioning. “It’s not about who cares,” he asserted. “That’s actually my question.”

On Friday (September 27), Lil Nas X announced that he was taking some time off, cancelling two upcoming festival appearances. While fans will be disappointed, they shouldn’t be surprised – 2019 has been a busy year for the rapper who dropped his first EP, made history with “Old Town Road”, and graced the cover of Dazed. He’s definitely earned a break TBH.

Watch the CBS clip below.