Shaboozey on breaking genre boundaries and the story behind
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song” has skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, marking a milestone for the artist who is known for blending country and hip-hop.
Shaboozey, born Collins Obinna Chibueze, has taken the music world by storm this year. Recently named to Time’s 100 Next List and nominated for two CMA Awards, the rising star is seeing his hard work pay off.
“I definitely dreamed of all of this stuff, but it seemed very impossible, you know?” he said.
Raised in Woodbridge, Virginia, Shaboozey grew up as the son of Nigerian immigrants. He said his classmates often mispronounced his name. One nickname, “Shaboozey,” stuck, and he embraced it as his stage name.
But his journey hasn’t been easy. He once shoveled snow in a storm just to buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams.
“How I got here is like nothing short of like a miracle, you know?” he said.
Shaboozey’s journey to fame
Shaboozey’s genre-blending style caught the attention of Beyoncé who featured him twice on her album “Cowboy Carter.”
The artist told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King he doesn’t believe in traditional genres and views music as a “free expression.”
Following “Cowboy Carter,” Shaboozey struck gold with “A Bar Song,” which includes lyrics from J-Kwon’s 2004 hit “Tipsy.” He shared a memorable moment when J-Kwon sent him a DM with fire emojis, saying, “You got one.”
Shaboozey laughed, recalling, “I was like, damn, J-Kwon hit me. I think once I got that, I was like, there’s definitely something special in this song.”
On his first headlining tour, Shaboozey performed at a sold-out show in New York City.
“This is definitely my dream. I used to not do shows ’cause I thought no one would show up,” he said.
Despite his success, Shaboozey acknowledges the challenges of being a Black artist creating what’s categorized as country music, but said it is something he embraces.
“My whole life has been about challenges, like not being accepted even in places where I’m supposed to be accepted,” he said. “I feel like I adapted to that. … I wanna be someone that people remember for doing something.”
