When Lil Xan dropped "Betrayed" back in 2017, the world of SoundCloud rap was basically a neon-lit blur of "Xan" this and "Perc" that. But then this kid from Redlands, California, releases a track with his own stage name in the hook, and he’s telling everyone the drug will actually kill them. It was a weird, jarring moment for the culture.
Honestly, if you just glance at the Lil Xan Betrayed lyrics, it’s easy to think it’s just another "mumble rap" anthem about getting high. But look closer. It’s a breakup song. Not just with a girl, but with a chemical that almost ruined his life.
The Hook That Changed Everything
"Xans don't make you / Xans gon' take you / Xans gon' fake you / And Xans gon' betray you."
That’s the core. It’s catchy, sure. Bobby Johnson's beat is moody and atmospheric, giving it that "floating in a swimming pool at 3 AM" vibe. But the message is straight-up grim. Diego Leanos (that’s Xan’s real name) wrote this while sitting in a "ghetto, bougie garage" with his friend Steven Cannon. He claims he finished the lyrics in about 20 minutes. Sometimes the best stuff comes fast because it’s just raw truth.
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At the time, the rap scene was mourning artists like Lil Peep. The "anti-xan" movement was starting to bubble up, and Lil Xan—despite the name—became the poster child for it. He’s been vocal about being "painfully addicted" for two years. He ended up in the hospital multiple times from withdrawals. So when he says the drug will "betray" you, he’s speaking from the ICU, not just a lyric sheet.
What’s Actually Happening in the Verses?
The song is a messy mix of flexes and failures. One second he’s talking about being a "business man" and "whipping the foreign very viciously," and the next he’s admitting he "sold his soul for a good price."
The Mystery Girl
There’s a lot of talk about a girl who "don’t kiss and tell" but also "hates his Insta feed." It’s that classic toxic relationship dynamic where the lifestyle is the wedge between two people. He raps about how his "enemy is a friend of me," which is a pretty common sentiment when you’re suddenly famous and everyone wants a piece of your energy.
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The Skittles Line
Look, we have to talk about it. "Her pussy taste like Skittles." It’s one of those lyrics that became a meme instantly. It’s goofy. It’s kind of gross. But it’s also peak 2017 internet rap. It adds this weirdly juvenile layer to a song that is otherwise about the heavy reality of drug addiction.
Why the Song Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about this track years later. Lil Xan’s career has been... let’s call it a rollercoaster. He’s had public feuds (remember the Tupac comments?), health scares (the Flamin' Hot Cheetos incident), and long breaks from music. But "Betrayed" remains a pivotal cultural artifact.
It represents the exact moment the "Xanax era" of rap started to look in the mirror and realize things were getting dark. Before this, the drug was largely glamorized. After this, "Xanarchy" became an anti-drug brand, even if the name itself kept people confused.
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Breaking Down the Key Lyrics
| Lyric Snippet | The Real Meaning |
|---|---|
| "Pop the trunk I open up" | A reference to his early days as a photographer for rappers before he started rapping himself. |
| "I'm sippin' out the grail" | Symbolizing the "chosen one" status he felt he had reached in the industry. |
| "Xans gon' fake you" | A warning that the drug creates a false sense of confidence or reality that eventually collapses. |
The Legacy of the Music Video
You can’t talk about the lyrics without mentioning the Cole Bennett-directed video. That yellow school bus and the gray, overcast California sky became the visual language for a generation of "sad rap" fans. It currently has over 300 million views on YouTube. That’s not just a "hit"—that’s a permanent part of the digital archive of the 2010s.
The Complicated Truth
Is Lil Xan a hypocrite for keeping the name "Xan" while preaching against the drug? People ask this all the time. He says it’s about taking the power back from the word. Whether you buy that or not, the impact of "Betrayed" is hard to deny. It was a "stop" sign in the middle of a high-speed chase.
If you’re revisiting the Lil Xan Betrayed lyrics today, don't just look for the memes. Listen for the sound of a 21-year-old kid realizing that the lifestyle he fought to get into was actually trying to kill him. It’s a cautionary tale wrapped in a cloud-rap beat.
Your Next Steps
- Listen to the "Betrayed" Remix: If you only know the original, check out the version featuring Yo Gotti and Rich The Kid for a more traditional "radio" feel.
- Watch the Genius "Verified" Episode: Diego breaks down these lyrics line-by-line and gets pretty emotional about his recovery process.
- Check out his 2024 album Diego: See how his sound has evolved since the SoundCloud era and if he’s still carrying those same themes today.