On a rainy Thursday evening at a rehearsal studio in Atlantaâs Crossover Entertainment, Hunxho brings the calm amid the storm thatâs outside. Itâs the week before his first headlining show, but heâs stolid. He offers occasional bits of dry humor that erases some of the mystique around him.
âI feel good,â he said, to the beat of James Brownâs âI Got You,â when asked about his upcoming concert.
His show, titled âOne Night Only,â was held at the Eastern on Thursday night. In the past three years, the 24-year-old rapper has already worked with Atlanta rap titans like Quavo, 21 Savage and Lil Baby. On Spotify, he has more than 1 million monthly listeners. And itâs hard to drive around Atlanta without hearing his single âYour Friends,â a track from his 2023 project âFor Her.â Itâs a go-to single in clubs, concerts and the radio that laces auto-tuned vocals around vivid storytelling of a romance he believes in.
When Hunxho (pronounced âHunchoâ) heard the song on the radio for the first time, he wasnât even in Atlanta. He was in Los Angeles.
âItâs everybodyâs story,â he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about âYour Friends.â âIâm speaking for men. Iâm speaking for how we feel, but what we donât say. ... I really wanted to speak to the women on this one.â
On âFor Her,â he does just that. Released last year, the 15-track project showcases the rapperâs warm, sentimental perspective on the pursuit of a healthy romance. Hunxho embraces a lover boy persona that adds to his charm as a hip-hop hunk. Just take a look at his Instagram page and youâll see comments like âPretty girls love Hunxhoâ from fans who adore his 6-foot-7-inch figure just as much his emotive lyrics.
âHis lyrics just caught meâ said Tari Elegele, a fan who attended Thursday nightâs show. âIt was really for the ladies. Iâm a grown woman, and (it felt like) he was talking to me. ... He speaks to you in a very genuine way.â
Credit: Shamaal Bloodman
Credit: Shamaal Bloodman
Elegele, 35, brought her two teenage daughters to the show. After moving to Atlanta from Los Angeles last year, Elegele said Hunxho was one of the first local artists that garnered her attention. Her family was among the many who waited in line Thursday night to enter the venue. One day after concert tickets went on sale last month, the show sold out. It upgraded to a bigger venue, moving from Believe Music Hall to the Eastern.
Hunxhoâs demand is a testament to his hard work. The rapper, who was raised on the east side of Atlanta, is very mum about his upbringing (âI donât know how to explain it. ... It was just a typical hood,â he said). But he makes sure to note that heâs entirely self-motivated. After he started rapping on a whim at 17, he wanted to become better at it. So, he dedicated all of his time and money to studio sessions. Years ago, heâd make 15 songs in one session. He didnât want to be broke again.
At 22, he became a father, signed a record deal with 300 Entertainment and released his debut album â22.â It set the tone for his romantic storytelling with tracks like âLooking for Loveâ: âAnd whenever Iâm gone, donât you miss me / You can pick up the phone when Iâm busy / Know love go on.â
â(It was about) knowing that I have somewhere Iâm trying to be, knowing where I came from, where Iâm not trying to go back to, trying to put my family in a better place. Itâs about my fans. I just want to keep it going.â
During the show, Hunxho graced the crowd with ease. Wearing all-black, he cruised through a 15-track set to a room full of fans who are so loud that they basically perform the concert for him. He later changes into two outfits, including a choir robe to perform the sex-crazed âIs U Readyâ thatâs backed by a screen full of social media posts from fans who liken his songs to gospel music.
He also gave roses to fans in the audience, which was 16-year-old Dajia Johnsonâs favorite part. She said his success is inspiring for Atlantans.
âHe really connects to his people and his listeners,â said Stone Mountain resident Johnson. âHe really gives us a different aspect into a manâs mind. Often, we donât hear men express their feelings. From his music, we really get to hear how a man feels in terms of relationships, and itâs nice to hear a man express his emotions through his music.â
Thursday nightâs concert also featured surprise guests like Baby Drill, Tee Grizzley and Lil Baby â with whom Hunxho toured last year.
The show ended with a performance of his hit âYour Friends,â as friends and family joined him on stage.
His other plans this year? Releasing new music. Heâd also like to embark on his own tour and bring the Atlanta show across the world. He jokingly mentions that heâd like to own a zoo one day, but heâs serious. As a child, the rapper loved watching Animal Planet, and heâs owned about 50 animals in his lifetime â including a snake, chameleon and a chinchilla.
But heâs more focused on the present. Given the YSL trial and deaths of rappers like Takeoff and Lil Keed, Atlantaâs rap scene has been in mourning for the past two years. Hunxhoâs rise and his loyal fanbase offer proof that the cityâs hip-hop terrain is in good hands and primed for a new chapter.
âI just want (my career) to go as far as God takes it, as far as God lets me go,â Hunxho said. âI donât really try to see my future and see how big Iâm gonna be. Iâll just let God handle it. Iâm just working for now.â
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