out of love♪ ♪ out of love with me♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. tonight on "nightline" -- ♪ yeah, i'm gonna take my horse to the old town road ♪ down the old town road to success with one of the hottest young rappers. lil' nas x. the outsider changing the game by breaking down racial divides. challenging what it means to be country. and collaborating with a music legend. plus, deadly climb. the risk to reach the top of the world, mount everest. >> i'm 15,000 feet above sea level. the air is thin. i am struggling to breathe. >> facing one of its deadliest seasons ever. but first, the "nightline" 5.

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good evening. thanks for joining us. tonight, the power of social media transform a humble outsider into one of the hottest names in music. lil nas x is dominating the charts with his infectious hit

"old town road" attracting controversy, though, while blurring the divide between hip-hop and country. here's "nightline's" oshen singh. ♪ i'm gonna take my horse to the old town road ♪ >> reporter: it's the hottest song in the world right now. ♪ i'm gonna take my horse to the old town road ♪ >> reporter: "old town road," an instant viral hit. number 1 for the last eight weeks. it sparked a national debate over whether a rapper who happens to be black can create a country hit. originally kicked off the country charts, the track has caused divisions within the music industry. but the controversy has united an unlikely pairing between a country legend, billy ray cyrus, and a rising star. and through it all the 20-year-old at the center, lil nas x, isn't going away. ♪ ride till i can't no more >> this is only the beginning. and you know, people won't realize that until they realize it. >> reporter: just this week

surprising these kids at an elementary school in ohio. ♪ i'm gonna ride till i can't no more ♪ and performing in boston ahead of game 1 of the stanley cup. ♪ take my horse even scoring the new "rambo" trailer. ♪ till i can't no more." >> "old town road" is one of the biggest songs of the year if not the biggest. >> i knew for a fact that this song would take me to another level. but i couldn't say i knew that it was going to be worldwide or nationwide. ♪ ride till i can't no more >> reporter: for nas less than a year ago all of this would be unfathomable. his real name, montero lamar hill. a college dropout living on his sister's couch in atlanta. just trying to get anyone to listen. >> life was me moving from sibling to sibling house, promoting my music like through twitter and, you know, barely getting any reaction out of anything. then i find this beat on youtube

which is the old town road beat by this guy named young kehoe. and i made this song, which was like a cowboy running away frefrg. and old town road was this path of success and you want to continue on this. >> reporter: he paid $30 for the beat and released the track independently on sound cloud. >> i first started with a tweet. and it was already like, you know, having some momentum. and then like over the course of a few months i would just put it into memes, kind of forcing it into the internet in a way. and then you know, it started to catch on. ♪ i got the horses in the back ♪ horse stock is attached >> reporter: the song went viral on the video sharing platform tik tok. >> if you don't know what t tik tok is, that just means you're older than 15. "old town road" became a meme on tik tok. people would drink something called heehaw juice. and the song would start up and

they may be dancing in a hip-hop manner and they would jump in the air and transform into cowboys. >> what about the song made it perfect for a meme? >> there's usually one line or something strange. and this in particular one -- ♪ i got the horses in the back >> for some reason that's what people latched on. >> social media was one of the biggest factors in the song's success. social media is the biggest factor in every song's success nowadays. i used that, you know, to my advantage. >> reporter: nas, who fancies himself a rapper, suddenly found himself on billboard's country chart, debuting at number 19. but less than a week later "old town road" got the boot. in a statement in "rolling stone," billboard stated that the track "does not embrace enough elements of today's country music to chart in its current version." that decision led to outrage online. fans tweeting, "wow. discrimination at its finest." "it's as country as anything on country radio, to be honest." "the joint has banjo and talks

about horses. what more does he need?" >> a lot of what's popular in country right now a lot of people ten years ago would not have considered to be country songs. country has become very rock and roll in a lot of ways. and there's all this pop crossover. so all bets are off. >> people are always going to say something, something's not this enough, not that enough. but i know what it is. ♪ don't tell my heart >> reporter: the controversy caught at tension of country music legend billy ray cyrus, who tweeted in support of nas. >> i thought wait, that's not fair. >> when you first heard "old town road," did you think it was a country song? >> "old town road" was all of me. it was my past, present, and future. it had everything that i'd been raised on my whole life. a banjo, bluegrass and solid country hook. and then yet you know, that modern sound and that beat and that groove. and again, country music is a song that touches people's

heart, especially country music fans. if country music fans dig it, then it's country. ♪ spend a lot of money on my brand new guitar ♪ >> reporter: and country fans sure did dig it. so the unlikely duo teamed up for a remix and an epic star-studded -- >> boogity boogity boogity. >> reporter: -- music video. ♪ yeah, i'm gonna take my horse to the old town road ♪ >> reporter: this version of the song is now number 1 on the hot 100 with more than a billion streams. >> i'm 57 years old and i never thought i'd feel anything like this ever again. i've been a part of a couple things that were described at the time as phenomenons, including "achy breaky heart" and "hannah montana." this song and this moment and this movement feels like all of that plus more. i've never felt a stallion run like this song is running. there's something really special here. >> billy is like a cultural icon. you know?

he's just an important figure. you know, for him to hop on that song, he helped take it to a new level. definitely. ♪ got no stress ♪ i been through all that >> reporter: what type of advice are you giving nas? >> oh, shoot. you know, he doesn't need any advice like me. think like there is no box. in today's world you don't have to limit yourself to one particular style or genre. be it all. >> reporter: but not everyone agrees. last week after announcing a collaboration with jean maker wrangler nas faced more backlash. some not liking the rapper's western wear. the debate on what it means to be country wasn't going away. wrangler responding to one user, "as an iconic brand in fashion, we have shown up in music, film, and popular culture for decades. our western heritage and offering a quality and versatile product for all wearers will always be at the very heart of our brand." ♪ take my horse to the old town

road ♪ >> reporter: whatever the song is or isn't doesn't seem to from this teacher and her students -- ♪ take my horse to the >> reporter: to celebrities like kim kardashian and daughter north west. even keith urban -- ♪ gonna ride till i can't no more ♪ >> lil nas x definitely has special sauce because he decided he wanted it to go viral and he did it. it's not just about making something you think people will like. it's actually making something that people can like and then make their own because that's what makes them share. >> when i see like anybody, like of course including famous people too, but like when i see just like anybody enjoying the song it's like a light in my heart. >> how you feeling, nas? >> amazing. >> reporter: when we first met nas, he was about to perform live for the very first time ever at stagecoach, one of the

biggest country music festivals in america. >> one, two, three -- old town road! whoo! ♪ i'm gonna take my hort to the old town road ♪ ♪ i'm gonna ride till i can't no more ♪ ♪ i'm gonna take my horse to the old town road ♪ ♪ i'm gonna ride till i can't no more ♪ ♪ i got the horses in the back ♪ horse stock is attached ♪ matty black >> what are your emotions like right now? talk to me about that. >> they're everywhere. this is my first performance. and the crowd went crazy. so i think i did great. >> i have an ep coming out pretty soon, and then it's going to be an album after that. you know, i just know they're both going to do great and people are going to love it. >> reporter: for nas he's got the road to success right in front of him. for "nightline" i'm ashen singh in coachella valley, california.

♪ yeah, i'm gonna take my horse ♪ >> our thanks to ashen and his team. up next, the dangerous trek to the top of the world. why so many climbers are having their lives put at risk on mount everest. ♪ be right back. with moderate to severe crohn's disease, i was there, just not always where i needed to be. is she alright? i hope so. so i talked to my doctor about humira. i learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief and many achieved remission in as little as 4 weeks. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas

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most foreboding and awe-inspiring places on earth. the summit of mount everest in nepal, 29,000 feet above sea level. ultimate bucket list item for many. but as more and more people attempt that daring ascent, stunning images like these are going viral, showing congestion at the top of the world. raising questions about safety in that thin air. 11 people have died on mount everest this year alone, making it one of the deadliest seasons ever. climbers standing in freezing conditions waiting to get to ascend. allegations that some were pushing and jostling for photographs on a space roughly the size of two ping-pong tables thousands of meters up, making a dangerous situation deadly. >> and you'd be sitting, sometimes standing still for five, ten, fifteen minutes in very cold conditions with very low oxygen because of the high altitude and using up your

oxygen while you were standing there waiting. >> ed dohring, a doctor from arizona, experienced the overcrowding firsthand and says his guide was so worried he'd be pushed off the summit he attached a rope to him. >> i didn't feel it was safe, to the point where i decided it was better getting my picture sitting down rather than standing up. >> reporter: one of the 11 who died this year, 62-year-old american christopher kulish, who per r perished after summiting. kulish's family says he passed away doing what he loved. he's the second american to die on the trek in just ten days. the other was don cash from utah. he'd just finished his quest to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents when he collapsed from high altitude sickness. >> when you pay to climb everest, this is where it all begins. >> reporter: we journeyed toward the mountain to get a sense of the majesty that draws so many e air is thin.is,0 s level. i am struggling to breathe. but this is the mountain range

on which everest sits. behind me gives you an idea of what we're talking about here. it is absolutely majestic. >> reporter: on everest climbers are forced to wait for windows of good weather. when it clears everyone moves to the summit. and with a large number of people, the longer wait means climbers are spending more time in what's called the death zone. that's above 26,000 feet. where the lack of oxygen can be lethal. >> we cannot spend that much time at this altitude. it's absolutely freezing, minus 30, minus 40. not a good time to be standing still. >> reporter: and this year the weather window to summit was even shorter than usual. >> we saw a weather window for two, maybe three days this year. in the past we might have had four days and another window a week later. unfortunately, most of the people or many of the people on the mountain went up on this first day, which caused these traffic jams instead of more, which certainly would have been better. >> reporter: experts say another factor in the overcrowding, there are more inexperiencedre

companies that essentially advertise we will get you to the top. and unfortunately, they do lure in people who want to participate in the mystique of everest but are really not prepared to do so. >> you have to qualify to run the boston marathon, but you don't have to qualify to attempt the highest mountain on the planet. >> reporter: the minute you step at high altitude your body starts eating itself. sow really need to show up with enough muscle and frankly enough fat to get through the experience so you don't kind of wither away. so the preparation is the most difficult thing i've ever done. >> reporter: climber luis benitez has summited everest six times. >> you know, when you reach the summit it truly is one of those moments where you're overcome with emotion. but it's also this logistical challenge because you're trying to ascertain how long you can stay. so in the midst of all this emotion and hugging people and congratulating each other you're also have this clock in the back of your head of how much time you can spend at over 29,000

feet. >> reporter: the first climbers to ever reach the peak of everest were mountaineers sir edmund hillarynd nepalese sherpa tenzing norgay in 1933. in the 66 years since the climbing industry has boomed, this year nepal issuing 831 permits to summit, a record high. >> the record number of permits that were issued this year is directly correlated to what happened on everest this year. i think that the nepali government needs to be accountable for this decision. i don't think they've done an effective job of regulation. >> reporter: but will those images that went viral now force a change in the rules that govern mount everest? nepal's director of tourism saying he doesn't think the photos show the whole picture. you think that that picture has given an unfair -- >> unfair. >> reporter: but he does admit the government is now looking at new rules for minimum experience, possibly restricting novice climbers. maybe this time next year there may be changes to the rules over who gets to go up everest.

>> we are thinking in line of this. there are many ways to promote the tourism business here. >> reporter: even on a good year the natural dangers of everest make the trek perilous. >> if you're a student of everest history, you will understand that you're going to have people that don't make it. it is a dangerous game that unfortunately not everybody survives every single year. >> reporter: in 2015 an earthquake in nepal triggered an avalanche that tore through base camp. seen in this dramatic video shot by climber josh cobush. it killed 17 people and injured 37 others, making it's deadliest day in the history of mount everest. one thing is certain. despite the danger, the lure of conquering the highest mountain in the world will continue to draw climbers. >> if this is your chosen path, you become a climber first and everything else inife second to make peace with

the fact that you're making that choice. >> our thanks to james. up next, the rite of passage from father to soon. the special shave in the spotlight. with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's, your plans... can change in minutes. your head wants to do one thing... but your gut says not today. if your current treatment isn't working... ask your doctor about entyvio®. entyvio® acts specifically in the gi tract, to prevent an excess of white blood cells from entering and causing damaging inflammation. entyvio® has helped many patients achieve long-term relief and remission. infusion and serious allergic reactions can happen during or after treatment. entyvio® may increase risk of infection, which can be serious. pml, a rare, serious, potentially fatal brain infection caused by a virus may be possible. tell your doctor if you have an infection experience frequent infections

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and finally, a milestone moment for one transgender man. you're watching a poignant rite of passage between one father and his son. >> never in a hurry. >> highlighted in a new gillette ad. sampson brown, a canadian transgender artist, shaving for the first time. his dad coaching him every step of the way. the heartwarming moment redefining what it means to be manly. indeed, a special moment. that's "nightline." when you can't stay up with us, you can always catch our full episodes on hulu. good night, america.

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