Lil Nas X is grieving in public. The 27-year-old Grammy winner announced Saturday that his mother, Tameka Hill, has died, posting a gallery of childhood snapshots and more recent photos of the two of them together on Instagram.

"RIP TO THE BADDEST EVER! LOVE U FOREVER MOMMY," the rapper wrote, adding, "this one's gonna hurt." No cause of death or Hill's age has been made public, and the "Industry Baby" hitmaker has not issued further comment beyond the post.

RIP TO THE BADDEST EVER! LOVE U FOREVER MOMMY. THIS ONE'S GONNA HURT.

The tribute was first reported by TMZ and quickly corroborated by Complex and other outlets, all pointing back to the rapper's own Instagram post as the source.

A Complicated Bond, Openly Discussed

Lil Nas X — born Montero Lamar Hill — has never hidden that his relationship with his mother was strained by her addiction. In a 2020 interview with Variety, he said plainly: "I never really talk about my mom. She's an addict, so we don't have the closest relationship. Even trying to get her better — things didn't quite work out. But there's still love." He echoed that sentiment in a 2021 Hot 97 interview, saying he'd tried to help her into rehab despite the frustration it caused, always circling back to the same conclusion — that love remained even when closeness didn't.

The loss lands during an already turbulent stretch for the "Panini" and "Montero" singer. In August 2025 he was arrested in Los Angeles following a public mental health crisis, and he later entered a court-approved diversion program. By early 2026 he had completed treatment, publicly disclosed a bipolar disorder diagnosis, and used his return to social media in June to thank fans for support through therapy and psychiatric care.

Fellow artists and fans flooded the comments on his post with condolences within hours, though as of Saturday afternoon no other public figures had issued formal statements. Hill's cause of death, funeral arrangements, and any additional family statement had not been released.

Lil Nas X has given no indication of pausing upcoming work, and representatives for the rapper had not responded to requests for further comment on his health or plans in the wake of the news. Given how openly he has processed both his mental health journey and his mother's addiction in the past, further reflection from him — likely on social media, where he has built much of his public narrative — would not be a surprise in the coming days.