# Lil Xan

Nicholas Diego Leanos (born September 6, 1996), better known as Lil Xan (/zæn/ ZANN) or simply Diego, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Redlands, California. He is best known for his song "Betrayed", which peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. On April 6, 2018, Leanos released his debut studio album, Total Xanarchy. His second album, Diego, was released on September 6, 2024.

## Early life

Leanos was born on September 6, 1996, in Redlands, California. He grew up poor, with his family living in motels during most of his childhood. He attended Redlands East Valley High School, but dropped out in his freshman year. He then spent several years at home unemployed. Leanos took a job as a street cleaner and sold drugs before he began rapping. Leanos later pursued a photography career in support of several friends who were rappers. He eventually had his camera stolen, and chose to begin rapping in lieu of investing in a new camera.

## Career

His stage name is derived from Xanax, the trade name of the prescription drug alprazolam. Leanos began to gain recognition through platforms such as SoundCloud and YouTube. His popularity grew after the release of the music video for his song "Betrayed" in August 2017. The song peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. In an interview with XXL, Leanos announced his debut album would be titled Total Xanarchy and would include collaborations with artists such as Diplo and Swae Lee. In December 2017, Leanos announced his Total Xanarchy tour, which sold out in five hours according to Billboard. In 2018, Leanos considered changing his stage name to Diego in order to support his anti-drug message; however, he has since expressed uncertainty toward officially going through with the pseudonym change.
Leanos released his debut studio album Total Xanarchy on April 6, 2018. The album received mostly negative reviews but was a moderate commercial success, debuting at number ten on the Billboard 200 and selling 28,000 copies in its first week. The following month in May 2018, Leanos announced the mixtape Heartbreak Soldiers, which was released on July 8, 2018.
Leanos promised to release a second album multiple times over his career, but each time they experienced delays or cancellations. In September 2018, Leanos announced he had been working on an album titled Be Safe as a tribute to Mac Miller (whose last words to Leanos before his overdose earlier that month were "be safe"), but the project entered production limbo and was eventually scrapped. In November 2019, he announced his next album would be titled When September Ends and released an accompanying album cover, but this also never came to fruition. In January 2020, Leanos announced that his album was finished and that it would be called Sorry I Didn't Quit, revealing a new album cover that took inspiration from Lil Wayne's Sorry 4 the Wait, but this project appears to have been scrapped as well.
On June 24, 2022, Leanos and fellow emo rapper Chris Miles released the collaborative EP have a nice day. It includes a feature from Lil Tracy and was supported by the single "Miss Me".
In August 2024, Leanos announced that his second album entitled Diego was finally finished, and would receive an early release on the independent streaming platform Even Music on September 6, 2024. It dropped on all platforms on September 19, marking his first full-length album release in over six years. Later that year, Leanos signed to the independent record label 3rd Eye Recordings.

## Artistry

Leanos has listed Pharrell Williams and N.E.R.D. as early influences in hip hop, with other influences including Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant and Queens of the Stone Age. Leanos has also described Drake and Mac Miller as musical inspirations.
According to Pigeons & Planes, Leanos' music started off as "typical trap" and later shifted towards "a murkier, dream-like sound". The New Yorker has described Leanos as part of a "sad rap" movement.

## Personal life

Leanos has been open about his former addiction to benzodiazepines (particularly Xanax) and opiates. He overcame his Xanax addiction after two years. Leanos is outspoken against Xanax abuse and urges people to stop using the drug altogether. In 2018, Leanos was reportedly hospitalized after eating "too many Hot Cheetos".
Leanos started dating singer and actress Noah Cyrus on June 30, 2018. The couple released the collaboration "Live or Die" in August 2018. They broke up in September 2018, with both parties accusing the other of being unfaithful. Leanos would initially claim that the relationship was forced by the couple's record label, Columbia, though he later took responsibility for the breakup and said he has "nothing but love for the Cyrus family."
Leanos had an on-and-off relationship with social media personality Tana Mongeau in 2018 and again in 2021. He and Chris Miles, who also dated Mongeau, have said they wrote their collaborative breakup song "Miss Me" about their relationships with her.
In February 2019, Leanos announced that he and his then-fiancée Annie Smith were expecting a child. Smith, however, claimed to have had a miscarriage, sharing the information about the incident via a video and photographs on Instagram. In a No Jumper interview weeks later, Leanos said he had suspicions that Smith had been faking her pregnancy after a number of the rapper's fans on social media pointed out that Smith's supposed ultrasound photos looked identical to ones that could be found using a Google Images search. The couple would split shortly thereafter, with Leanos claiming the relationship had been toxic.

## Discography
### Albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | US |
| Total Xanarchy | Release: April 6, 2018 Formats: CD, digital download Label: Columbia | 10 |
| Diego | Release: September 6, 2024 Formats: Vinyl, digital download Label: Independent | |

### Mixtapes

| Title | Mixtape details |
| Heartbreak Soldiers | Release: July 8, 2018 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: Columbia |
| Heartbreak Soldiers Pt. 2 | Release: March 20, 2019 Formats: Digital download, streaming Label: Columbia |

### Extended plays

| Title | EP details |
| CITGO | Release: September 6, 2016 Format: Digital download, streaming, cassette Label: Sleepcvlt (cassette) |
| Toothache | Release: June 19, 2017 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: Independent |
| Xanarchy | Release: August 1, 2017 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: Independent |
| Xanarchy Militia | Release: November 14, 2018 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: Columbia |
| Fireworks | Release: February 19, 2019 Format: Streaming Label: Columbia |
| have a nice day (with Chris Miles) | Release: June 24, 2022 Format: Digital download, Streaming Label: Boom.Records |

### Singles
#### As lead artist

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album |
| Title | Year | US | US R&B/ HH | CAN | SWE Heat. | Certification | Album |
| "Montana Doe" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album single |
| "Who Are You?" (with Oohdem Beatz) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | | CITGO |
| "Center Fold" (with Julian Dova and Oohdem Beatz) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Sorry" (with Oohdem Beatz) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Vicodin" (with Julian Dova and Oohdem Beatz) | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Been Bout It" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Xanarchy" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Xanarchy |
| "No Love" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Xanarchy |
| "Crash the Whip" (with $teven Cannon) | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album single |
| "Slingshot" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | MC: Gold | Total Xanarchy |
| "Betrayed" | 2017 | 64 | 28 | 49 | 11 | RIAA: Platinum MC: 2× Platinum | Toothache and Total Xanarchy |
| "Far" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Total Xanarchy |
| "Water (Models)" (with Spell Jordan featuring Smokeasac) | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album single |
| "Wake Up" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | Total Xanarchy |
| "Color Blind" (with Diplo) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Gold MC: Gold | California and Total Xanarchy |
| "The Man" (featuring $teven Cannon) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | | Total Xanarchy |
| "Moonlight" (with Charli XCX) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | | Total Xanarchy |
| "Lies" (featuring Lil Skies) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | | Heartbreak Soldiers |
| "Live or Die" (with Noah Cyrus) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album single |
| "Slope" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | | Xanarchy Militia |
| "On Sight" (with Lucifena) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Watch Me Fall" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Tree Sap" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Shake It" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Pornhub Valentine's Day Album |
| "Summer Days" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Fireworks |
| "Jewelry" (with DJ Stadium and PH4DE) | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "I Might" (with $teven Cannon, YBN Nahmir, and YBN Almighty Jay) | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Bloody Nose" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Midnight In Prague" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "West Side" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Like Me" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Wrong Way" (with Kidd Keo) | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Death to Mumble Rap 2" (with GAWNE) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | | Eternal |
| "Willow" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Wide Awake" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Everything I Own" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "My Girlfriend" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Life Sucks" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Miss Me" (with Chris Miles) | 2021 | — | — | — | — | | have a nice day |
| "Go Crazy" (with Imanbek and KDDK) | 2021 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Rebound" (with $teven Cannon and Kinfolk Jon) | 2022 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "All Ur Best Friends" (with Goner) | 2022 | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "NODA" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | | Diego |
| "So Pretty" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | | Diego |
| "Used To" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | | Diego |
| "Won't Overdose" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | | Diego |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. ||||||||

#### As featured artist

| Title | Year | Album |
| "Don't Trap on Me" (Ben Great featuring Lil Xan) | 2017 | Non-album singles |
| "Lifeless" (Chem X featuring Lil Xan) | 2017 | Non-album singles |
| "For the Better" (Kid Kaze featuring Lil Xan) | 2017 | Non-album singles |
| "Lost" (Joei Razook featuring Lil Xan) | 2017 | Non-album singles |
| "Whoa" (HenneyPapi featuring Lil Xan) | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "Racksonracksonracks" (HenneyPapi featuring Lil Xan) | 2018 | Litlyfe II |
| "I Got" (Sonny Digital featuring Lil Xan and $teven Cannon) | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "Wait" (Kid Kaze featuring Lil Xan) | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "Yung Xan" (Yung Bans featuring Lil Xan) | 2018 | Yung Bans, Vol. 4 |
| "Brainfreeze" (Prime Society featuring Lil Xan and $teven Cannon) | 2018 | Non-album single |
| "Crazy Shit" (Skooly featuring Lil Xan) | 2018 | Don't You Ever Forget Me 3 |
| "Percy" (Lil Icepack featuring Lil Xan) | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "Cookin'" (Blatz featuring $teven Cannon and Lil Xan) | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "I Might" ($teven Cannon featuring Lil Xan) | 2018 | Lowkey |
| "Swimming" (Baby Goth featuring Trippie Redd and Lil Xan) | 2018 | Baby Goth |
| "Purpple Hearts" (Diablo featuring Lil Xan and Smokepurpp) | 2019 | Non-album single |
| "Lost at Sea" (Lucifena featuring Lil Xan) | 2019 | Mood Swings |
| "Feel" (Lucifena featuring Lil Xan) | 2019 | Mood Swings |
| "XOXO" (Jumex featuring Lil Xan) | 2020 | Non-album single |
| "OMG its Rarri" (Rarri featuring Lil Xan) | 2020 | Universe 444 |
| "Gassed" (Kinfolk Jon featuring Lil Xan and $teven Cannon) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Girls Girls Girls" ($teven Cannon featuring Lil Xan) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Phone" (C.R.O featuring Lil Xan) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "TITI" (Diablo featuring Lil Xan and Harry Nach) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Down for Life" (Ola Runt featuring Lil Xan and Diablo) | 2021 | Atlanta's Most Wanted |
| "Stars" (Steve Aoki featuring Lil Xan) | 2022 | Hiroquest: Genesis |
| "Gorgeous" ($teven Cannon featuring Lil Xan) | 2023 | TROUBLES IN the TRAP, Vol. 2 |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
| 2018 | MTV Video Music Awards | Push Artist of the Year | Lil Xan | Nominated | |
| 2018 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Push | Lil Xan | Nominated | |