Shaboozey Reveals He And Lil Nas X Connected Over Country-Rap Comparisons: “That’s The Homie”

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Shaboozey and Lil Nas X

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Since Shaboozey’s rise to acclaim earlier in the year, many have argued that Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” paved the way for his “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” to take off in the streaming era. On Thursday (Oct. 3), the Virginia native weighed in on the country-rap comparisons during a sit-down with Billboard.

Shaboozey recalled meeting Nas X for the first time the night before the 2024 MTV VMAs, which took place on Sept. 11. “That’s the homie,” he shared with the publication. “We haven’t had deep conversations, but I can tell what’s happening to me now is probably very similar to what he experienced.”

As for the award ceremony, the Lady Wrangler artist said it felt like being in a “fishbowl,” with everyone watching to see if he and Nas X would cross paths. “It’s like everyone is like, ‘Do they know?’” he joked. “[I] love the VMAs, but sometimes it felt like they weren’t there for me, to be honest. But there were more Black folks and people working the event that were showing me love, and that’s what it’s about.”

Nas X’s “Old Town Road” debuted in 2018 and still holds the title for the longest-running No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. The accompanying visuals racked up 1.3 billion YouTube views, while to date, the record itself has gone Platinum a whopping 17 times.

In May, the MONTERO rapper opened up about missing out on the recognition that today’s Black country artists are getting, especially after Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER release. “I wish this would have happened for me. I wasn’t even able to experience this,” he told BBC.

Elsewhere in his chat with Billboard, Shaboozey spoke about country music traditionally not being “accepted” in Black spaces. Reflecting on taking the stage at 2024’s BET Awards, he explained, “I even felt — whether that’s my own insecurity or [self-judgment] — ‘Is this thing really connecting with people?’ as I’m performing the song. That’s my biggest fear… when I’m feeling out of place in this space. But that’s what I want to do with my music: be disruptive and show people that music is progressing.”