Chaposi’s “A Bar Song” has risen to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, marking a major milestone for the artist known for blending country and hip-hop.
Shabuzi, whose real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze, has taken the music world by storm this year. The rising star was recently named to Time’s 100 Next and nominated for two CMA Awards, and he’s seeing his hard work paying off.
“I definitely dreamed of all these things, but it seemed so impossible, you know?” He said.
Chabuzi grew up in Woodbridge, Virginia, the son of Nigerian immigrants. He said his classmates often mispronounced his name. He stuck to one nickname, “Chabuzi”, and embraced it as his stage name.
But his journey was not easy. He once shoveled snow in a storm just to buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles to make his dreams come true.
“How you got here is nothing short of a miracle, you know?” He said.
Chabuzi’s journey to fame
Chabuzi’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 that he doesn’t believe in traditional genres and views music as “free expression.”
Following “Cowboy Carter,” Chabuzi went 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 direct message with fire emojis, saying : “I’ve got one.”
“I was like, ‘Damn, Ji Kwon hit me,’” Chabuzi laughed as he recalled. I think once I had that, I felt like there was definitely something special about this song.
On his first tour, Chabuzi played a sold-out show in New York City.
“This is definitely my dream. I wasn’t doing shows because I thought no one would come,” he said.
Despite his success, Chabuzi acknowledges the challenges of being a Black artist creating what is classified as country music, but he 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’ve adapted to that. … I want to be someone that people remember for doing something.
Gayle King
