Aug 30, 2026 · 27 min
Shaboozey turns Black cowboy history into a revenge saga
A Wild West revenge tale and the Black roots of cowboy culture
The conversation connects a cinematic concept album to questions of artistic risk, personal loss, and the overlooked Black roots of cowboy culture.
- 1Shaboozey builds Sherry Lee’s revenge story around loss, resilience, consequences, and the histories carried by each character.
- 2The album combines country, hip-hop, spoken word, ballads, instrumentals, and performances to create an ensemble-driven musical film.
- 3After “A Bar Song” became a major success, Shaboozey chose a complete concept album instead of repeating a proven formula.
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Shaboozey discusses and briefly performs material connected to “Coyote’s Point,” explaining how experience creates the album’s outlaw perspective.
The brief
Shaboozey introduces Sherry Lee, a fictional outlaw whose quest to avenge her father’s death gives the album its emotional and narrative spine.
The project moves between country, hip-hop, spoken word, ballads, and instrumentals, treating songs and performances as scenes in a larger musical film.
Shaboozey says personal relationships and shared experiences informed the album’s losses, while each outlaw receives a history that explains how they became dangerous.
The success of “A Bar Song” created pressure to repeat a hit, but Shaboozey and his team backed a riskier, complete concept album.
Growing up in Woodbridge, Virginia, connected Shaboozey to country music and the Black history of the American West that informs his artistic perspective.
A discussion and brief performance of “Coyote’s Point” closes the arc with the idea that experience can turn anyone toward an outlaw life.
Featuring
Ayesha RascoeMentioned
Cowboy Carter
Dolly PartonListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.