Shaboozey is the moment. After years of quietly blurring genre lines and cultivating a loyal fanbase, the Virginia-born artist is finally getting his flowers—and his 2025 BET Awards nomination marks a full-circle moment for one of music’s most intriguing hybrid storytellers.
You probably heard him first on Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé’s genre-exploding country opus, where his feature stood tall alongside one of the most powerful voices in pop culture. But that was just the introduction. The breakout hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” took things to another level—catapulting him from buzzed-about collaborator to bonafide solo star.
The track, which flips J-Kwon’s early 2000s party anthem into a raucous country-trap drinking jam, quickly became a viral anthem. TikTok got drunk on it. Country radio couldn’t stop spinning it. And streaming numbers climbed like they had something to prove. Suddenly, the world realized what his fans had already known: Shaboozey isn’t just riding a wave—he’s changing the tide.
From “Who’s That?” to Headliner
Before he was trading hooks with Beyoncé, Shaboozey (real name Collins Obinna Chibueze) was carving a path that felt equal parts country trail and trap house. Born to Nigerian parents in Virginia, he grew up on a steady diet of Southern hip hop, alternative rock, and classic country. The sonics didn’t clash in his world—they collided and made something new.
That’s always been his signature: trap drums meet acoustic guitar, slick flows meet twangy harmonies. It’s not country rap. It’s not hip hop with a cowboy hat. It’s Shaboozey—and it’s hard to define because it was never made to fit.
“I’m just telling stories from where I’m from,” he’s said in interviews. “My South. My version. My lane.”
That lane includes gold grills under a Stetson, iced-out belt buckles, and denim that looks like it’s been to a rodeo and a Rick Owens fitting in the same night. It’s not cosplay. It’s not gimmick. It’s culture. His culture.
Beyond the Beyoncé Bump
Yes, the Cowboy Carter look was major. But Shaboozey’s been building long before that. His earlier albums like Lady Wrangler and Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die showcased a sound that refused to sit still. There were rap verses. Blues riffs. Honky-tonk hooks. And all of it lived together like kin.
Still, Beyoncé’s co-sign didn’t hurt. It amplified the vision, introduced him to millions, and kicked open doors that would’ve otherwise stayed bolted. But rather than get lost in her spotlight, he used it to shine his own.
And that’s the thing—he belongs. Not because he had a viral hit. Not because he shared a track with a global icon. But because he’s created something fresh in a musical landscape that desperately needed it.
The Cultural Reclamation of Country
For decades, country music has tried to gatekeep its aesthetics—both musically and visually. Black artists were pushed to the margins, despite having roots in the genre that go back generations. From Lil Nas X to Mickey Guyton, today’s artists are pushing back, reclaiming space, and redefining what country can look and sound like.
Shaboozey sits firmly in that lineage, but also somewhere beyond it. His sound isn’t just rebellion—it’s reinvention. His presence at the BET Awards—our stage—isn’t just overdue, it’s game-changing.
Shaboozey’s Artistic Vision
He’s making room for Black boys who grew up on both trap and Tim McGraw. For kids who like 808s and pedal steel in the same playlist. For artists who don’t want to choose between the cookout and the hoedown.
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