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It’s late October inside Atlanta’s Forbes Arena, where renowned HBCUs Morehouse and Spelman College are commemorating their 2024 Homecoming with a major on-campus concert. A high-energy DJ set of hometown classics from Lil Baby’s “My Dawg” to 21 Savage’s “Red Opps” fades as the lights dim. A voice calls out, “Are you ready for Hunxho?”‘ The crowd’s yells echo throughout the arena, growing even louder as the 25-year-old rapper-singer steps out from backstage, launching straight into his latest feature verse from Lil Durk’s single, “Late Checkout.”

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As the energy starts to settle, Hunxho suddenly shrugs off his black tracksuit jacket and tosses it into the crowd. Arms reach up, eager to catch it like a freshly worn Bronny James Lakers jersey. It’s the kind of response only real admiration can inspire. You can see it in the eyes of all the women pressed against the front row, following his every step across the stage. One young woman even mouths the words, “I love you,” as he passes by.

Love, lust, and vulnerability have become signature themes for Hunxho, who hails from North Carolina but was raised 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’re sung with platinum-level fervor by his devoted audience — a testament to his rapid rise.

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Some might say he went from unknown commodity to overnight star, wheeling out 1 billion streams and a sold-out headlining US tour, becoming an XXL 2024 Freshman, and jumping on remixes with industry heavy-hitters like 21 Savage and Summer Walker. But to say that wouldn’t be remotely true at all. 

Earlier, before his performance, Billboard met Hunxho at his pre-show soundcheck 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-foot-seven. His long legs give him an athletic, almost weightless stride that seems effortless on and off stage. “I hit a growth spurt at two,” he jokes, then clarifies, “Just playing. I for real got tall in middle school.”

By middle school, Hunxho — born Ibrahim Dodo— was already starting 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 weight of aggressive poverty, he felt a need to be self-sufficient and bring in money. At 13, he realized he’d do whatever it took to get paid. Around the same time, he found rapping to be an outlet for self-expression. It started when two buddies he knew brought a studio setup to school. “They let me take the studio home, and I recorded my first verse in private. They loved it,” he recalls. That was the start of “Young Slime” – his first rap name.

Before the full story of Young Slime can be shared, six starstruck students timidly request photos with him, which Hunxho obliges. He takes each flick without saying a word. The students are also speechless, nervous in his presence, but hardly able to contain their excitement. Soon after taking their pictures, we move our conversation from the Forbes Arena to outside and overheard them loudly commenting on his “nonchalant” aura.

“People started asking for pictures a little at a time,” Hunxho explains. “It started with two people, then ten, and now — everyone.” When asked if fame ever becomes too much of a hassle, he replies, “Sometimes. When I’m irritated or going through it, yeah. But I still take ’em — they didn’t do anything wrong. Only time I probably won’t take a picture is if I’m with my kids. But sometimes I will, just so my kids know it’s alright.”

For Hunxho, the journey from “troublesome teen” to rap icon wasn’t quick or easy. After being expelled from multiple Georgia high schools by his senior year, he briefly relocated to North Carolina to play a season of basketball at Forest Trail Academy, eventually attending Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. Despite the move, Atlanta’s pull was too strong. Returning home, he faced brushes with the law and a stint in county jail before committing to his purpose in his music.

“Rapping was the most consistent thing I did,” he says, a consistency that deepened after a meeting with Saad, the CEO of 1865 Management. “Saad noticed me, and after we met, he got me sessions. I was in the studio every day.” Often, that 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 honed a style of raw, melodic storytelling about resilience, romance, and survival. His career saw a major boost when 21 Savage remixed his hit “Let’s Get It,” and a record deal with 300 Entertainment in 2022 followed, sparking a turning point. “That felt like my first day as a rapper,” he recalls. “I told them, ‘Keep me busy — I’m not trying to get in no trouble.’ And my schedule filled up.” Yet even before that, he’d felt the shift: “My life was already changing. More people knew me. Songs were blowing up.”  

Four new Hunxho releases came in 2023: Humble As Ever, 22, 4 Days In LA, and the game-changing For Her — which topped Billboard‘s Heatseekers Albums chart, with 18 of the 22 tracks garnering over a million streams on Spotify. The breakout hit, “Your Friends,” has 25 million streams, received a remix featuring Summer Walker, and has been certified gold by the RIAA, his first work to receive the honor.

Hunxho’s tireless work ethic was bled over to touring, where he’s opened for hitmakers Lil Baby, Kevin Gates and Sexxy Red. The extensive time on the road may have affected him differently before becoming a father to Xhosen, born in 2022, and Xho, who came the following year. Knowing how his father’s absence affected his upbringing, Hunxho confronts the issues of his career demands head-on on “Xhosen,” the seventh song on his latest album, Thank God.

“I was just going through my music one day and realized in almost every song I make, I mention God, so it’s only right,” reveals Hunxho about the title track to Thank God, which also includes notable features from Ty Dolla $ign, Polo G, Mariah the Scientist, Rylo Rodriguez, and Lil Durk.

Thank God is Hunxho’s most thoughtful, polished project. His pen game has improved, and his pitch is perfect for the way he crafts soul-touching music. Then, there’s the flows, the subject matter, and the singing — he does a lot to be versatile. And you can hear how deep he dug to be emotionally exposed about gratitude and redemption, glory and street honor, tender confessions, and harsh truths while giving all the glory to God. 

Yet, despite his triumphs, he yearns for more even after the curtain closes on his epic homecoming performance. “I feel like I gotta go harder,” he says. “This album won’t last forever.”