Lil Xan

About

Nicholas Diego Leanos (born September 6, 1996), better known as Lil Xan ( ZANN) or simply Diego, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. 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.

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.

Leanos’s 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…