2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 438
Commending Shaboozey.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 19, 2025
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 20, 2025
WHEREAS, Collins Obinna Chibueze, a native of Prince William County better known as Shaboozey, has helped reshape the American music industry and received great acclaim for his visionary blend of different musical styles, incorporating country, hip-hop, rock, funk, and bluegrass to create ear-catching hits; and
WHEREAS, Shaboozey attended Gar-Field High School in Prince William County, and gained his nickname, now his professional stage name, when a coach on his high school football team struggled to pronounce his last name; and
WHEREAS, Shaboozey developed his love of country music from his father, a Nigerian immigrant who initially settled in Texas and drew connections between the themes of country music with rural life in Nigeria; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from Gar-Field High School, Shaboozey began to pursue a career as a recording artist and released his first single, Jeff Gordon, in 2014, then released his debut studio album Lady Wrangler in 2018; and
WHEREAS, Shaboozey gained further recognition when he was asked to sing the hook on Start a Riot by rapper Duckwrth, which was featured on the soundtrack for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and again when he sang with Beyonc on her country album Cowboy Carter; he released his second studio album, Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die, in 2022 and his third studio album, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going, which included his breakout hit, A Bar Song (Tipsy), in 2024; and
WHEREAS, A Bar Song (Tipsy) resonated with listeners of all backgrounds across the nation and tied the record for the longest-running number one song of all time with 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart; the song exemplifies Shaboozey's musical heritagea tale of an old-school country music protagonist drowning his sorrows in the local saloon juxtaposed with an infectious beat and lyrics that pay homage to the 2004 hip-hop anthem Tipsy by J-Kwon; and
WHEREAS, in 2024, Shaboozey performed at the Country Music Association Festival, at the halftime show during the Thanksgiving Day National Football League game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears, and on Saturday Night Live; his song Last of my Kind was also featured on ESPN's college football season coverage; and
WHEREAS, at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025, Shaboozey was nominated for Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Country Song, Best Country Solo Performance, and Best Melodic Rap Performance, representing his contributions to different musical genres and impact on modern music; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Shaboozey for his achievements as a recording artist; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Shaboozey as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his unique contributions to the American musical landscape.