With a Beyonce stamp of approval and his most recent No. 1 hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey is making waves in the industry and we should all be paying attention.
The singer-songwriter is famous for his ability to blend genres like country and hip-hop while still being authentically himself. “I’ve always been on a real mission to bridge the gap between cultures, whether that’s hip-hop and country or just urban and rural,” Shaboozey told GQ in a recent interview.
With his recent performance at the BET Awards and the release of his third album titled “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going,” Shaboozey has been on a roll, and for those who might be late to the party, here’s what you need to know.
1. Shaboozey says his Nigerian- American background shaped his passion for country music
Although he grew up in Virginia, Shaboozey’s family is from Nigeria. According to him, his dad first moved to Texas from Nigeria, where his country roots were first planted. While Shaboozey was young, his dad played country artists like Kenny Rogers and Garth Brooks. Shaboozey also listened to a lot of traditional Nigerian music and, of course anything playing on the radio, like Nelly.
Shaboozey actually spent two years in Nigeria going to boarding school. He says that experience also shaped his appreciation for the outdoors. “Agriculture is a big thing over there,” he told GQ, “you’re growing the stuff you eat. I definitely think there’s a connection there.”
2. His stage name “Shaboozey” actually comes from his Nigerian name
According to the singer, “Shaboozey” comes from the last part of his birth name, Collins Obinna Chibueze. While in high school, Shaboozey said the interpretation of his surname “kind of just stuck, so I picked it and kept it pushing,” he told New Wave Magazine. “Chibueze” is Igbo for “God is King.”
3. He got his musical start from rapping during the “Soundcloud Era”
“I feel like every artist, at some stage wanted to rap. I had a rap phase, like everybody,” he said to GQ. As a kid, Shaboozey was influenced by rappers like Drake and Joey Bada$$. While growing up in the Virginia, Shaboozey said he was also influenced by the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia) rap and hip-hop scene, which gave birth to Wale and Pharrell.
4. In 2018, Shaboozey signed his first record deal
The country music star first signed to Republic Records after moving to Los Angelos in 2018. He then released his first album. That same year, he scored a collaboration with label mate Duckwrth for a song featured on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
By 2021, Empire Records had scooped then 23-year-old Shaboozey, according to The Washington Post. Then, the rest was history.
5. He wanted to be an author, but he’s not too far from his original dream.
Shaboozey told Harper’s Bazaar he actually wanted to become a writer. The universe had other plans as he pursured his passion for music. He still gets to tell stories, but instead of writing books, Shaboozey is writing Billboard hits!
His most recent single “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” became his first to reach the top of the Hot 100 chart, making him the first Black man to ever accomplish this feat in country music. Right before him, Beyonce became the first Black woman in Billboard history to reach No. 1 on the Country Music charts with “TEXAS HOLD EM.” Shaboozey’s country/pop hit took over this month.
To celebrate his accomplishment, the Virginia native took to X saying: “TAKE A DOUBLE SHOT OF WHISKEY 4 ME!”
He recently announced he will be touring his third album, which will begin in the fall.