Shaboozey on breaking genre boundaries and his journey to stardom

Shaboozey's "A Bar Song" has skyrocketed to nan apical of nan Billboard Hot 100, marking a milestone for nan creator who is known for blending state and hip-hop.

Shaboozey, calved Collins Obinna Chibueze, has taken nan euphony world by large wind this year. Recently named to Time's 100 Next List and nominated for 2 CMA Awards, nan rising prima is seeing his difficult activity salary off.

"I decidedly dreamed of each of this stuff, but it seemed very impossible, you know?" he said.

Raised successful Woodbridge, Virginia, Shaboozey grew up arsenic nan boy of Nigerian immigrants. He said his classmates often mispronounced his name. One nickname, "Shaboozey," stuck, and he embraced it arsenic his shape name.

But his travel hasn't been easy. He erstwhile shoveled snowfall successful a large wind conscionable to bargain a level summons to Los Angeles to prosecute his dreams. 

"How I sewage present is for illustration thing short of for illustration a miracle, you know?" he said.

Shaboozey's travel to fame

Shaboozey's large break came erstwhile Beyoncé featured him doubly connected her medium "Cowboy Carter." His genre-blending style caught her attention, and he worked alongside vocalist Linda Martell.

Shaboozey told "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King he doesn't judge successful accepted genres and views euphony arsenic a "free expression."

Following "Cowboy Carter," Shaboozey struck golden pinch "A Bar Song," which includes a lyric from J-Kwon's 2004 deed "Tipsy." He shared a memorable infinitesimal erstwhile J-Kwon sent him a DM pinch occurrence emojis, saying, "You sewage one." 

Shaboozey laughed, recalling, "I was like, damn, J-Kwon deed me. I deliberation erstwhile I sewage that, I was like, there's decidedly thing typical successful this song."

On his first headlining tour, Shaboozey performed astatine a sold-out show successful New York City. 

"This is decidedly my dream. I utilized to not do shows 'cause I thought nary 1 would show up," he said.

Despite his success, Shaboozey acknowledges nan challenges of being a Black creator creating what's categorized arsenic state music, but said it is thing he embraces.

"My full life has been astir challenges, for illustration not being accepted moreover successful places wherever I'm expected to beryllium accepted," he said. "I consciousness for illustration I adapted to that. ... I wanna beryllium personification that group retrieve for doing something."