Artist Julius Dubose, better known by his stage name A Boogie wit da Hoodie, is ready to take hip-hop by storm.
The rapper, who performs in Worcester on Sunday night, has quickly become one of the hottest new stars in the game thanks to a slew of hit singles, as well as his critically-acclaimed debut album “The Bigger Artist,” which dropped in September. While the 21-year-old is hitting the road for a solo tour and has already worked alongside big names like Drake, Future and Kodak Black, he’s not letting the fame and spotlight go to his head.
“The pressure doesn’t really faze me,” A Boogie tells Metro. “As long as I do things to make my life and the people around me successful, everything’s going to be alright.”
As an up-and-coming artist hustling his way through hip-hop, A Boogie has relied on his older, famous friends for career advice. In particular, the rapper points to Chris Brown for inspiring him to become more involved in other aspects of music production.
“He was basically telling me about being more into the creative part of your music,” A Boogie says. “He directs all of his videos, for example. He’s so much into it that you can tell it’s him.”
The New York native believes that the Big Apple’s music scene is exploding with new sounds at the moment, especially the city’s budding hip-hop voices and their diverse styles. For instance, A Boogie notes that he and Cardi B have vastly different approaches to music, despite the fact that they both hail from the Bronx.
“People like me and Cardi B, even us two are different when it comes to music,” A Boogie says. “I make love songs and she’s more rapping right now. I have way more of a melodic sound from New York.”
After a breakout 2017, A Boogie hopes to keep the momentum going with his music and other business ventures, including dabbling his toes into the world of real estate. Above all, the rapper wants to set a good example for his baby daughter Melody.
“My daughter inspires me the most,” he says. “I’m building for her future.”
If you go:
Nov. 12, 7 p.m., Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester, $35+, thepalladium.net
