• May 9, 1995
• Shaboozey is a Nigerian-American alt-country rapper who defies categorization with his unique blend of genres. Imagine hip-hop swagger meeting twangy guitars and folksy storytelling – that's the world of Shaboozey.
  
  "I'm trying to make music that reflects where I come from, you know, what I mean, in the stories that I have in mind because I'm a storyteller," Shaboozey told Bet.com. "So making music that reflects my background, loving old trucks and open space. I'm just being free honestly."
• Shaboozey was born Collins Obinna Chibueze on May 9, 1995, in Fairfax, Virginia. His stage name is a playful twist on his last name, "Chibueze," which means "God is king" in Igbo.
• Inspired by music videos and his time at a Nigerian boarding school, Shaboozey developed a passion for music creation. He burst on the scene with his single, "Jeff Gordon," which was released in 2014 and was signed to Republic Records three years later after catching their attention with such songs as "Starfoxx" and "Robert Plant." A wider audience discovered him in 2018 through his collaboration with Duckwrth on the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack cut "Start a Riot."
• In 2024, he collaborated with Beyoncé on two tracks from her album Cowboy Carter: "Spaghettii" and "Sweet Honey Buckiin'."
  
  Beyoncé had some big-name guests on the album (Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton) but also several who weren't well known, like Shaboozey, Brittany Spencer and Reyna Roberts. They all got a huge bump thanks to their contributions.
• Shaboozey's talents extend beyond the recording booth. He founded V Picture Films in 2014, hinting at his interest in visual storytelling alongside music creation.
• He got the name Shaboozey when his high school football coach mispronounced his last name, which is spelled "Chibueze" and pronounced "Chee-BWAY-zay." His teammates thought this was pretty funny, so they started calling him that and the name stuck.
• Shaboozey is known for his keen sense of fashion. In 2025 he made the cover of People magazine's "Hot Guy Summer" issue.
• He showed up in a 2025 Super Bowl commercial for Nerds singing "What A Wonderful World" and walking around New Orleans (where the game was played) with animated versions of the candy.
• Before he had label backing or chart momentum, Shaboozey acted as his own manager. He booked shows, pitched blogs, and handled promotion himself, sometimes emailing industry contacts while posing as his own representative. The approach wasn't a stunt but a natural extension of his entrepreneurial upbringing: His father ran businesses and encouraged independence long before Shaboozey settled into a musical identity.
• Shaboozey often writes with the stage in mind. While developing songs, he thinks about crowd reaction - where listeners will sing along, move, or shout - which helps explain why many of his tracks feature chant-ready hooks and rhythmically complex verses.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Ice Ice BabyVanilla Ice

The first rapper with a #1 hit was Vanilla Ice with "Ice Ice Baby" in 1990.

I Wanna Be Your DogThe Stooges

Sleigh bells aren't very punk, but they play throughout the Stooges classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

Hotline BlingDrake

The fadeout on Drake's "Hotline Bling" lasts 55 seconds - one of the longest outros of any hip-hop hit.

LevonElton John

Elton John's classic "Levon" runs 5:22, and Elton wouldn't let his record company edit it down for the single. His next single was "Tiny Dancer," which is even longer, running 6:12.

Birds Of A FeatherBillie Eilish

Listen carefully and you'll hear the sound of birds in "Birds Of A Feather" by Billie Eilish. Her brother/producer Finneas couldn't resist putting them in, but he kept them real quiet in the mix.

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)Edison Lighthouse

The love is growing in the '70s hit "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" because rosemary is the name of an herb.

Editor's Picks

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."