“What Virginia-bred country singer and rapper Shaboozey represents is much bigger than himself: It’s the reclamation of country music’s roots as unapologetically Black.

Returning home to the DMV to perform at the Tiny Desk for this year’s Black Music Month takeover, Shaboozey plays fan favorites and debuts new songs from his upcoming album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.

Opening the set with the Grammy-winning “Amen,” Shaboozey brings the church into the room, buoyed by soaring background vocals. Debuting “Drunk,” his slurred, introspective delivery hits like a modern day soliloquy. Shaboozey also pays homage to his Virginia roots with “Good News,” which features fiddle players Clayton Penrose-Whitmore and Sara Watkins firing off Bill Monroe’s “Roanoke,” a pillar of bluegrass music.

Playing another song from his upcoming album, Shaboozey invites Tiny Desk alum Leon Bridges to perform the revenge-soaked “Burn It Down.” Bridges’ vocals add a soulful and delicate touch, perfectly contrasting Shaboozey’s gritty drawl. Ending the set on a high note with “Cowgirl,” the energy from the audience was palpable. Even Shaboozey had to acknowledge: “Y’all turned [The Desk] into a dive bar.”

SET LIST
“Amen”
“Drunk”
“Good News”
“Burn It Down”
“Cowgirl” ”

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