Who Is A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie? 5 Things You Didn’t Know About The ‘Timeless’ Rapper

With two mixtapes under his belt, New York rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is making a name for himself. Coming out of the Bronx, the rapper, whose real name is Artist Dubose, has already opened up for Drake, Beyoncé and Schoolboy Q. His single “My Shit” charted on the Billboard Top 100 while his other tracks, “Jungle” and “Timeless,” have made the hip-hop charts. With a co-sign from Drake, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled and more, A Boogie is on his way to becoming one of rap’s next stars. Here are five things to know about him:

1. He Has The Drake Co-Sign

A Boogie has already performed with Drake when he opened up for the “One Dance” rapper during one of his Summer Sixteen tour stops, but the two will eventually work on a song together when Drake gives the New York rapper the famous Drake co-sign. During an interview with Rap Up, A Boogie said, “Y’all see a collaboration, hopefully, if not the end of this year then next year for sure.”

When Drake teams up with an up-and-coming artist like he did with Migos and Fetty Wap, it can lead to increased popularity for the rappers. In the hip-hop world, Drake’s love for hopping on remixes is known as the “Drake stimulus package.”

2. His Rap Name Is A Mix Of Things

A name like A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a mouthful but for the New York rapper, there’s a meaning to the name. According to Boogie the “A” comes from his real first name, “Artist,” while the “Boogie” comes from being from the Bronx. As for the “Hoodie” part: “The Hoodie part came from just having a hoodie on a lot,” he told Forbes.

3. He Grew Up A Fan Of New York Hip-Hop

While growing up in the Bronx, A Boogie was a fan of The Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent and Jay Z. The rapper was also a fan of 2Pac, J. Cole and Kanye West but don’t expect him to sound like the New Yorkers he grew up listening too. “Who do you want me to sound like?” he said during an interview with Pigeons and Planes. “Do you want me to sound like 50 Cent, Jadakiss, Jay Z? Why do you want me to rap like that? Why can’t I create a new, melodic lane and add a good new feeling to that?”

4. He Sold Out B.B. King’s Blues Club While Independent

Rappers such as Joe Budden and Lupe Fiasco have performed at the B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York City, but before even having a name as big as their’s, A Boogie was able to sell out the club. Thanks to his buzz on the street, A Boogie performed to a packed crowd, which he believes led to his deal with Atlantic Records.

5. He’s Been Honest About His Raps

While many rappers love to rap about a flashy life, A Boogie doesn’t hide the fact that his raps are just stories. At just 21 years old, doesn’t have all the things that rappers like Jay Z or Drake has, but he knows it’s coming. “I’ve never got nobody a Birkin bag yet. I ain’t going to lie. I got somebody a Louis bag, but that Birkin right there, that’s just showing I’m coming,” he wrote on a Genius.com annotation.