Shaboozey- The Outlaw Cheri Lee & Other Western Tales
Label: Empire
Producers: Shaboozey, Sean Cook, Noah Ehler, Mike Hector, Tyler Johnson, Stephen Musselman, Julia Nixon, Wesley Orr, Reezy, Tunez, Mason Sacks, Nevin Sastry, Connor Sullivan
When Shaboozey made a historic breakthrough to both the pop and country mainstreams in 2024 with the record-setting sensation that was “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, he immediately earned as much professional and critical pressure as he did the triumphant glory that accompanies such a feat. He was immediately, unfairly–and ultimately incorrectly–dismissed by many as an inevitable one-hit-wonder. Meanwhile, his status as a black artist making inroads in the Nashville ecosystem, where gatekeeping most certainly still reeks of prejudice and bigotry, cast him as a much-needed but highly scrutinized minority in the country space. The fact that he melded his Hip-Hop and trap roots with country and Americana flavors only heightened that skepticism; never-mind that it did so more authentically than an entire decade’s worth of bro-country hits. A rising artist under these circumstances would normally play it safe when following-up such a seismic breakthrough, making every effort to duplicate their last album to placate all those skeptics.
But not Shaboozey. Instead, his highly anticipated follow-up and fourth studio album finds the singer-rapper making a drastic left-turn with The Outlaw Cheri Lee & Other Western Tales. It’s a full-blown C&W-themed concept album that aims to harken back to golden standards like Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs, Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger, and numerous Johnny Cash classics, in the same vein as Sturgill Simpson’s 2021 gem, The Dood & Juanita. The mere ambition of even considering such an idea is on its own a bold illustration of Shaboozey’s artistic conviction, and refusal to allow public expectations from neutering it. The fact that he and his collaborators actually execute and achieve their vision in such vibrantly authentic and entertaining fashion makes Cheri Lee one of the year’s most thrilling surprises thus far.
Much of that success can likely be credited to the commitment taken in crafting the narrative heart of the album before any music was even attempted. Reportedly, Shaboozey and company mapped out the entire story arc of the record via vividly detailed storyboards and an actual graphic-novel. The resulting tale proved to be tailor-made for the storied canon of Outlaw and country lore. The Outlaw in question is a woman named Cheri Lee (a casting choice that is as poetic as ever in the year 2026) who journeys across the West seeking revenge against The Bootcut Boys, a gang responsible for murdering her sheriff father. The resulting album brings the entire story to life in fascinating fashion.
The captivating story-songs and the sequence in which they are presented takes the listener through the kind of sweeping wave of emotions central to any form of classic storytelling, be it cinema, literature, or music. This record spills over with palpable feelings of joyful exuberance, dangerous darkness, thrilling mystery, loneliness, and romance, and it all weaves together with both seamless precision and a keen awareness of the over-arcing story. Cameo appearances by the likes of Jamie Foxx, Teyana Taylor, and Sam Elliott add a pinch of special box-office magic, while collaborations with a diverse roster of artists including Gunna, Leon Bridges, Kehlani, and Orville Peck further enriches the enthralling stylistic fabric of the record.
But rightfully so, its Shaboozey himself, and his unapologetic taste for cross-genre sonic experimentation that serves as the central pillar of the album, and the source of its success. Firmly asserting its loyalty to the roosty spirit of the album’s concept, Shaboozey keeps traditionally country and folk-oriented instruments like harmonica, dobro, steel guitar, mandolin and fiddle most prominently at the forefront. With that said, there are delicious sonic surprises around every turn, whether it be nods back to his Hip-Hop roots, sizzling rock-guitar solos, velvet-tinged R&B stylings, ghostly cowboy harmonies, or stomping Americana. The combination of all these disparate influences only heightens the sense of adventure that the album employs, without ever forsaking its rich roots. By the time Shaboozey and Peck conclude the album by covering the timeless standard, “Streets of Laredo”, it’s very clear to the listener that they’ve just experienced something reverently classic and wondrously new all the same.
More than anything, Cheri Lee’s greatest accomplishment is her affirmation of what Shaboozey undeniably offers as a storyteller, entertainer, and overall artist. We’ve discussed multiple times that his vocal range, like many pure rappers, is technically limited. However, he dutifully compensates for this fact with the sheer character of his songs, and the palpable personality with which he delivers them. This skill is exhibited throughout, more profoundly than any of his prior recordings. In one fell swoop, his voice represents dark rebellion on “Sweet Revenge”, spoken folk whimsy that would make John Prine smile on “If I Was An Outlaw”, pure celebratory elation on “Cowgirl”, depressing mortality on “Drunk”, and bittersweet nostalgia on “Kissed By An Angel”. Sure, the captivating musicianship and production does plenty of the heavy lifting that it should. But there should be no discounting the charisma, creativity, and charm that starts and ends with Shaboozey himself. This album immediately stands out as one of the year’s most enjoyably satisfying and surprising, but its greatest triumph lies in its confirmation of Shaboozey as one of the decade’s most intriguing and promising breakthroughs.
Track Listing:
- “The Outlaw Cheri Lee” with Jamie Foxx (Shaboozey, Stephen Musselman, Connor Sullivan)
- “Til Sunday” (Shaboozey, Cook, Wesley Orr, Mason Sacks, Nevin Sastry, Sullivan)
- “High Noon” featuring Gunna (Shaboozey, Tyler Johnson, Gunna, Nitti Beatz, Jasiel Robinson, Sastry)
- “Hell Is Hot” with Jamie Foxx (Shaboozey, Musselman, Sullivan)
- “Sweet Revenge” (Shaboozey, Musselman, Pdubcookin, Stevens, Sullivan)
- “If I Was An Outlaw” (Shaboozey, Sastry)
- “Cowgirl” (Shaboozey, Cook, Jared Cotter, Hoskins, Whit Kane, Jackson Morgan, Abas Pauti, Sastry, Sullivan)
- “Burn It Down” featuring Leon Bridges (Shaboozey, Leon Bridges, Musselman, Sullivan)
- “Death of Jeremiah Walker” with Teyana Taylor (Shaboozey, Xaivia Inniss, Musselman, Sullivan)
- “Drunk” (Shaboozey, Musselman, Pdubcookin, Sullivan)
- “Ugly & All” (Musselman, Pdubcookin, Sullivan)
- “Bullets & Blades” featuring Kehlani (Shaboozey, Kehlani, Orr, Stevens, Jared Thorne)
- “Don’t Count Down” with Sam Elliott (Shaboozey, Inniss)
- “Lone Survivor” (Shaboozey, Cook, Sastry, Seph Got the Waves, Stevens)
- “Bounty On My Head” (Shaboozey, Cook, Musselman, Sastry, Sullivan)
- “Born to Die” (Shaboozey, Jackson Foote, Josh Murty, Laura Veltz, Kane, Sastry, Stevens)
- “Kissed By An Angel” (Shaboozey, Musselman, Sullivan, Cook, Sastry)
- “The Worst of Them All (Interlude)” (Musselman, Sullivan)
- “Coyotes Point” (Shaboozey, Orr)
- “The Epilogue” featuring Orville Peck
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