Lil Xan Bio
Nicholas Diego Leanos, known professionally as Lil Xan or simply Diego, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Redlands, California. He first drew wide public attention with the 2017 single “Betrayed,” which peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped define a wave of SoundCloud rap. Leanos signed with Columbia Records later that year and released his debut studio album, Total Xanarchy, in April 2018. He returned in 2024 with his second studio album, Diego, his first full-length project in more than six years.
Lil Xan’s music draws from hip-hop, trap, emo rap, cloud rap, and pop rap, and he has been described by The New Yorker as part of a “sad rap” movement. Beyond music, he has become a vocal advocate against benzodiazepine abuse, drawing on his own experience overcoming a Xanax addiction. After years of delays and independent releases, he continues to record and perform as an independent artist.
Early Life and Background
Nicholas Diego Leanos was born on September 6, 1996, in Redlands, California. He grew up in a poor household, and during much of his childhood his family lived in motels. The instability of his early years shaped his outlook and later influenced the raw, personal tone that runs through his lyrics.
Leanos attended Redlands East Valley High School, but he dropped out during his freshman year. After leaving school, he spent several years at home without steady work. He later took a job as a street cleaner and also sold drugs before eventually turning his attention to creative work.
Before rapping, Leanos tried his hand at photography and even supported several friends who were rappers by shooting their promotional material. When his camera was stolen, he decided to try rapping instead of buying a new camera, a choice that set him on the path to a music career. He has cited Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Drake, and Mac Miller among his early musical inspirations, along with rock acts such as Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant, and Queens of the Stone Age.
Path to Rapper
Lil Xan began building an audience in the mid-2010s by uploading music to SoundCloud and posting videos on YouTube. His early tracks leaned toward standard trap, but his style gradually shifted toward a darker, dreamier sound often associated with cloud rap and emo rap. Critics at Pigeons & Planes noted this evolution, describing his later work as “a murkier, dream-like sound.”
His breakthrough arrived in August 2017 with the release of the music video for “Betrayed,” a cautionary track about Xanax use. The song spread quickly online and eventually peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of “Betrayed” turned Leanos into one of the most-talked-about newcomers in the SoundCloud rap scene.
Capitalizing on that momentum, Leanos signed a three-album deal with Columbia Records in November 2017, reportedly worth more than $1 million. He used the platform to launch a national tour and prepare his first full-length project, marking his official transition from online curiosity to signed recording artist.
Lil Xan Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Lil Xan started releasing music seriously in 2015, posting tracks on SoundCloud and YouTube while still based in Southern California. His early songs circulated in the same online circles that launched other SoundCloud rappers, and he built a grassroots following through consistent uploads and social media engagement.
His first major mainstream moment came in August 2017 with “Betrayed.” The song’s striking music video and its anti-Xanax message struck a chord with young listeners and pushed him onto industry radar. By November 2017, he had signed with Columbia Records, setting the stage for his debut album rollout.
Breakthrough (2017–2018)
The release of “Betrayed” and his Columbia Records deal marked Leanos’s true breakthrough. In December 2017, he announced the Total Xanarchy tour, which reportedly sold out in five hours according to Billboard. In early 2018, he revealed that his debut album would include collaborations with artists such as Diplo and Swae Lee, building anticipation for the project.
Lil Xan released his debut studio album, Total Xanarchy, on April 6, 2018. The record received mostly negative reviews from critics but performed modestly well commercially, debuting at number ten on the Billboard 200 and selling roughly 28,000 copies in its first week. In May 2018, he announced the mixtape Heartbreak Soldiers, which arrived on all platforms on July 8, 2018, and was followed later that year by the EP Xanarchy Militia.
Independent Releases and Hiatus (2019–2023)
After 2018, Lil Xan began distancing himself from Columbia Records. In 2019, he released the mixtape Heartbreak Soldiers Pt. 2 and the EP Fireworks, both of which were put out exclusively on SoundCloud without any involvement from the label. He also started publicly considering changing his stage name to Diego to reinforce his anti-drug message, though he never fully committed to the switch.
Several full-length projects were announced and then shelved. A tribute album titled Be Safe, dedicated to the late Mac Miller, entered production limbo and was scrapped. A planned follow-up called When September Ends was revealed with cover art in November 2019 but never materialized. A third attempt, Sorry I Didn’t Quit, was announced as finished in January 2020 but also failed to reach release.
During this period, Leanos released the collaborative EP have a nice day with fellow emo rapper Chris Miles on June 24, 2022. The project featured a guest appearance from Lil Tracy and was supported by the single “Miss Me.” He also continued to share loosies and smaller projects with his online fanbase while living in Corona, California.
Return with “Diego” (2024)
In August 2024, Lil Xan announced that his second studio album, titled Diego, was finished. The project received an early release on the independent streaming platform Even Music on September 6, 2024, his 28th birthday, and rolled out to all major platforms on September 19, 2024. The release marked his first full-length album in more than six years and signaled a new chapter as an independent artist.
Later in 2024, he signed with the independent record label 3rd Eye Recordings, aligning himself with a smaller team as he moved forward with new material. He has continued to perform and tease upcoming music under both the Lil Xan and Diego names.
Notable Works and Milestones
“Betrayed” (2017) remains Lil Xan’s signature song and the track that defined his public image. Total Xanarchy (2018) stands as his major-label debut, while Diego (2024) represents his long-awaited return. His openness about addiction recovery and his willingness to evolve his sound have been defining themes of his career.
Lil Xan Award Nominations
Lil Xan has not received major industry award nominations that are clearly verified across the available sources. Any individual nominations tied to his career are not documented with enough certainty to be listed here, so this section is intentionally limited.
Lil Xan Awards Won
No major industry award wins for Lil Xan are clearly verified in the available sources. While he has received recognition from online music outlets and SoundCloud-era tastemakers, formal award victories are not documented with sufficient certainty, and a summary table has therefore been omitted.
Lil Xan Family
Lil Xan has spoken about growing up with limited financial resources, including periods when his family lived in motels. He has been open about a difficult upbringing but keeps most details about his parents and siblings private. In February 2019, he announced that he and his then-fiancée Annie Smith were expecting a child, though Smith later said she had suffered a miscarriage, an experience the couple discussed publicly before separating.
Personal Life
Lil Xan has been open about a past addiction to benzodiazepines, particularly Xanax, as well as opiates, and he has said he overcame his Xanax dependency after two years. He is a vocal critic of Xanax abuse and frequently uses his platform to urge young fans to avoid the drug. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was living in Corona, California with his mother and suffered severe anxiety attacks that required medical attention.
In his romantic life, Lil Xan dated singer and actress Noah Cyrus from June to September 2018, and the pair released the collaboration “Live or Die” in August 2018. He had an on-and-off relationship with social media personality Tana Mongeau in 2018 and again in 2021, and later became engaged to Annie Smith in 2019. He resides in Corona, California.