{"id":14879,"date":"2025-11-22T04:57:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T04:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=14879"},"modified":"2025-11-22T04:57:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T04:57:48","slug":"shaboozey-and-bigxthaplug-bring-culture-to-cma-awards-with-crossover-performances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=14879","title":{"rendered":"Shaboozey and BigXThaPlug Bring Culture to CMA Awards with Crossover Performances"},"content":{"rendered":"

The annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, held last night (November 19) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, featured two significant performances from artists representing the fusion of hip-hop and country: <\/span><\/span><\/span>Shaboozey<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>BigXThaPlug<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> . Shaboozey, in particular, earned a standing ovation for his stirring set.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The evening’s performances saw <\/span><\/span><\/span>BigXThaPlug<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> join country star <\/span><\/span><\/span>Luke Combs<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> on stage. The pair delivered a rendition of <\/span><\/span><\/span>“Pray Hard,”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> a track from BigX’s critically acclaimed third project, <\/span><\/span><\/span>I Hope You’re Happy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i> , which was released in August 2025. The album is noted for its blend of Hip Hop and country elements.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While BigXThaPlug is mainly recognized as a traditional rapper, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Shaboozey<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> has found fame deeply immersed in the country music wave. The Virginia native’s 2024 smash hit, <\/span><\/span><\/span>“A Bar Song (Tipsy),”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> became a cultural phenomenon following his major co-sign from <\/span><\/span><\/span>Beyonc\u00e9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> on her <\/span><\/span><\/span>COWBOY CARTER<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i> album. The song dominates the charts, reaching the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and breaking records, including the most time spent at No. 1 on the Billboard Radio Songs chart. During the award show, singer <\/span><\/span><\/span>Lainey Wilson<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> gave a nod to the track by <\/span><\/span><\/span>riffing on \u201cA Bar Song (Tipsy)\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> with Shaboozey while he was in the audience.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Shaboozey later took the stage to prove his staying power, moving beyond his massive hit to perform his more recent single, <\/span><\/span><\/span>“Took A Walk.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> This song is taken from the soundtrack of the film <\/span><\/span><\/span>The Long Walk<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i> . The stage presentation for the performance incorporates the movie’s theme, decorated to resemble a field, with Shaboozey walking along a path as he sang. He approached a guitar-wielding <\/span><\/span><\/span>Stephen Wilson Jr.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> and, alongside a full band, the dynamic set earned a <\/span><\/span><\/span>standing ovation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> from the audience. The CMA Awards telecast had kicked off earlier with a performance by Luke Combs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Would you like to find a video clip of Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr.’s standing ovation performance at the CMAs? You can watch the performance on the official CMA YouTube channel.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The duet by <\/span><\/span><\/span>Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> performing <\/span><\/span><\/span>“Took A Walk”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> was uploaded to the CMA YouTube channel shortly after the ceremony, so you should be able to find the full performance there. The scenic, cinematic set designed to look like a field earned them a standing ovation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the performance by <\/span><\/span><\/span>BigXThaPlug and Luke Combs<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> of <\/span><\/span><\/span>“Pray Hard”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> is also available on the CMA YouTube channel. This performance was notable for the on-air broadcast having contributed bleeped out, although the official uploaded video may not include those censors.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You can search on YouTube for:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Shaboozey & Stephen Wilson Jr. \u2013 ‘Took A Walk’ | Live at CMA Awards 2025”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

“BigXthaPlug feat. Luke Combs \u2013 ‘Pray Hard’ | Live at CMA Awards 2025”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n