After multiple people peppered the 2024 CMA Awards with microaggressions disguised as jokes toward breakthrough artist Shaboozey, producer Trent Willmon — one of said artists — took to social media in an attempt to clarify his words.
“Ok… what I meant to express in my overly-shocked and excited state was that I am very proud of @codyjohnson,” wrote Willmon in an Instagram post. “He has worked his BOOTY off the last 15 years putting out and performing great music and it’s not an overnight success. I was so proud he’s finally getting recognized!”
During the awards show earlier this week, as Cody Johnson accepted the Album of the Year trophy for his record Leather, Willmon, who produced the LP, appeared to play off the the phrase “kicking booty” and delivered the flat joke: “I got to tell you, this is for this cowboy who’s been kicking Shaboozey for a lot of years.”
Elsewhere during the awards show, hosts Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan also poked fun at Shaboozey’s name throughout the night, with the ex-NFL star exclaiming, “Holy Shaboozey!”
Shaboozey, born Collins Obinna Chibueze to Nigerian immigrant parents, has previously discussed how his stage name stemmed from a high-school football coach who would incorrectly pronounce his surname. “Hearing your name [mispronounced] during attendance was always a thing; you felt like you had to make it easier for everyone else to understand,” Shaboozey told Billboard.
As Rolling Stone music writer Larisha Paul pointed out in her commentary, “Willmon’s unprovoked jab at the artist highlights the unfortunate normalization of Black culture being diluted in order to make it more accessible to people who won’t make a conscious effort to learn anything about it”
Shaboozey made history this year with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which usurped Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” at Number One on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart — the first time two Black artists have held the position consecutively. Beyoncé, who was shut out of the CMA Awards nominations this year despite reinventing the genre with Cowboy Carter — the second-most Grammy nominated album in history — and becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Country Albums chart.
After the awards show, Shaboozey posted a photo shrugging off Willmon’s comment with a smile, writing: “Ain’t nobody kicking me!”
In his post Friday, Willmon wrote, “And shout out to Shaboozey for your response to my fumble and having a great sense of humor, congrats on that 17-Week #1 Song!”
Following Willmon’s statement, the CMA Awards have yet to issue their own apology.