It's late October inside Atlanta's Forbes Arena, where prestigious HBCUs Morehouse and Spelman College are celebrating their 2024 Homecoming with a big campus concert. A high-energy DJ set of urban classics from Lil Baby's “My Dawg” to 21 Savage's “Red Opps” fades out as the lights dim. A voice calls out, “Are you ready for Hunxho?” The crowd's cheers echo throughout the arena as the 25-year-old rapper-singer emerges from backstage, launching straight into his last big verse from Lil Durk's single, “Late Checkout.”
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As the energy begins to die down, Hunxho suddenly shrugs off his black jacket and tosses it into the crowd. Hands reach up, eager to grab it like a freshly worn Bronny James Lakers jersey. It's the kind of response that only true admiration can inspire. You can see it in the eyes of all the women squeezed into the front row, following his every step on stage. A young woman even says the words “I love you” as she walks by.
Love, lust and vulnerability have become signature themes for Hunxho, who hails from North Carolina but grew up in East Atlanta. His conversational, introspective lyrics resonate with fans, turning tracks like “7 Am,” “Yes” and “Looking For Love” into crowd anthems. These may not be radio hits, but they are sung with platinum passion by his devoted audience – a testament to his rapid rise.
Some might say he went from unknown commodity to overnight star, racking up 1 billion streams and a grueling US tour, becoming an XXL 2024 freshman and jumping on remixes with industry heavyweights like 21 Wild and Summer Walker. But let's say that wouldn't be true at all.
Earlier, before his performance, Bulletin board caught up with Hunxho at soundcheck before the show in an empty Forbes Arena to hear the story from the man himself. Seeing him in person, you first notice his height, as he towers over his peers at an impressive six feet tall. His long legs give him an athletic, almost weightless stride that looks effortless on and off stage. “I hit a growth spurt at two,” he jokes, then clarifies, “I'm just playing. I got really tall in high school.”
By high school, Hunxho – born Ibrahim Dodo – had already begun a cycle of school expulsions, reflecting the instability and lack of structure in his life. Growing up in East Atlanta without a father figure and facing the burden of grinding poverty, she felt the need to be self-sufficient and bring in money. At 13, he realized he would do whatever it took to get paid. Around the same time, he found rapping as an outlet for self-expression. It started when two friends he knew brought a studio to the school. “They let me take the studio home and I recorded my first verse privately. They loved it,” he recalls. This was the beginning of “Young Slime” – his first rap name.
Before he can share Young Slime's full story, six glittering students timidly ask for pictures with him, which Hunxho obliges. He makes every move without saying a word. The students are also speechless, nervous in his presence but barely able to contain their excitement. Immediately after taking their photos, we moved our conversation from Forbes Arena to the outside and heard them loudly comment on its “unacceptable” aura.
“People started asking for photos bit by bit,” Hunxho explains. “It started with two people, then ten and now – everyone.” When asked if fame ever becomes too much of an inconvenience, he replies: “Sometimes. When I'm upset or going through it, yes. But I still take them – they didn't do anything wrong. The only time I probably won't take a picture is if I'm with my kids. But sometimes I will, so my kids know it's okay.”
For Hunxho, the journey from “troubled teenager” to rap icon wasn't quick or easy. After being rejected by several Georgia high schools by his senior year, he briefly moved to North Carolina to play one season of basketball at Forest Trail Academy, eventually attending Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. Despite the move, the pull of Atlanta was very strong. Returning home, he faced brushes with the law and a stint in the county jail before committing to his cause in his music.
“Rapping was the most consistent thing I did,” he says, a consistency that was deepened after a meeting with Saad, the CEO of 1865 Management. “Saad noticed me and after we met, he started sessions with me. I was in the studio every day.” Often, this meant spending day and night at 700 Studios, where the environment became his second home.
Further encouraged by the rise of several Atlanta artists, Hunxho has forged a style of raw, melodic storytelling about resilience, romance and survival. His career got a big boost when 21 Savage remixed his hit “Let's Get It” and followed up with a record deal with 300 Entertainment in 2022, sparking a turning point. “It felt like my first day as a rapper,” he recalls. “I told them, 'Keep me busy – I'm not trying to deal with any problems.' And my schedule is full.” However, even before that, he had felt the change: “My life had already changed. More people knew me. The songs exploded.”
Four new Hunxho releases came in 2023: Humble As Ever, 22, 4 Days In LA, and the game changer For her – which culminated Bulletin boardThe Heatseekers Albums chart, with 18 of the 22 tracks amassing over one million streams on Spotify. The hit “Your Friends,” has 25 million streams, received a remix with Summer Walker, and has been certified gold by the RIAA, his first project to receive the honor.
Hunxho's tireless work ethic has translated into touring, where he has opened for the likes of Lil Baby, Kevin Gates and Sexy Red. The long time on the road may have affected him differently before fathering Xhosen, born in 2022, and Xho, who arrived the following year. Knowing how his father's absence affected his upbringing, Hunxho tackles his career issues head-on in “Xhosen,” the seventh track from his latest album, Thank goodness.
“I was just going through my music one day and I realized that almost every song I make I mention God, so it feels right,” Hunxho reveals of the title track on Thank goodnesswhich also includes notable features from Ty Dolla $ign, Polo G, Mariah the Scientist, Rylo Rodriguez and Lil Durk.
Thank goodness is Hunxho's most thoughtful, sophisticated work. His pen game has improved and his tone is perfect for the way he creates music that touches the soul. Then there are the streams, theme and song — it does a lot to be flexible. And you can hear how deep he dug to be emotionally exposed about gratitude and redemption, glory and honor of the road, tender confessions and hard truths while giving all the glory to God.
Yet despite his triumphs, he longs for more even after the curtain closes on his epic homecoming show. “I feel like I have to go harder,” he says. “This album won't last forever.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/hunxho-thank-god-new-album-1235819490/
