Calboy
American rapper (born 1999)
Calvin Lashon Woods (born April 3, 1999), better known by his stage name Calboy (/ˈkælbɔɪ/), is an American rapper from Calumet City, Illinois. He is best known for his 2018 single "Envy Me", which received quintuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Its success led him to sign with Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of RCA Records. His debut extended play, Wildboy (2018), peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200, while his second, Love Live the Kings (2020), lukewarmly entered the chart.
01Early life
On April 3, 1999, Calvin Lashon Woods was born on the South Side of Chicago; he later relocated to Calumet City, Illinois. Woods turned to music to channel the frustrations of growing up below the poverty line. He is one of five children raised by a single mother.
Woods witnessed two of his best friends die, one of a drug overdose and the other to gun violence. His family migrated between small homes to small apartments. His cousin is late rapper King Von.
02Career
2016-2017: Career beginnings
On July 7, 2017, Calboy released his debut mixtape, The Chosen One. Later that year, Calboy released his second mixtape, Anxiety, on December 7, 2017.
2018-2021: Numerous mixtapes, EPs and RCA Records
On June 18, 2018, Woods released his third mixtape, Calboy, the Wildboy. A single off the project was titled, "Unjudge Me", which featured Moneybagg Yo.
He released his single "Envy Me" on September 13, 2018, to critical acclaim. It later served as the lead single for his debut EP Wildboy, released on May 31, 2019. "Envy Me" peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With the single's success came the signage of Calboy to Polo Grounds Music, distributed by RCA Records. At the time, the label had already ended their partnership with ASAP Rocky following the May release of his third album, Testing. It was also rumored that Calboy also signed a management deal with Meek Mill's label, Dream Chasers, but he hinted that he left the label in 2021 after a financial disagreement.
The Wildboy EP was followed by another EP, Long Live The Kings, released in March 2020, with the latter receiving a deluxe version the following July, including 6 new tracks. On August 11, Calboy was included on XXL's 2020 Freshman Class.
On March 22, 2021, "Miseducation" featuring fellow rapper Lil Wayne was released as the lead single from Calboy's debut album, Redemption, supposed to be released the same year, but was postponed. Swae Lee was also set to make an appearance on the album. Calboy claimed that the album was completed.
2022-present
Calboy publicly disclosed his frustrations with Polo Grounds and RCA Records in 2022, stating that he was being treated like a "label slave". He released his Black Heart EP in 2022. After leaving RCA, he released Unchained under his own independent label. He released Wildboy 2 in January 2026.
03Artistry
Influences
Woods has cited his influences as Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, Sherwood, Fuel, Chance the Rapper, The Starting Line, Chief Keef, New Found Glory, G Herbo, The All American Rejects, and 50 Cent.
Woods' rap moniker comes from combining his government name Calvin and the character Cowboy from the 1979 cult film The Warriors.
04Discography
Albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Unchained |
|
| Wildboy 2 |
|
Mixtapes
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Chosen One |
|
| Anxiety |
|
| Calboy, the Wildboy |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B/HH |
US Rap |
CAN | ||||
| Wildboy |
|
30 | 18 | 16 | 62 |
|
|
| Long Live The Kings |
|
136 | , | , | , | ||
| Black Heart |
|
, | , | , | , | ||
| Sorry 4 The Leaks Vol. 1 |
|
, | , | , | , | ||
| Sorry 4 The Leaks Vol. 2 |
|
, | , | , | , | ||
| ", " denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B/HH |
CAN | ||||
| "Envy Me" | 2018 | 31 | 14 | 51 |
|
Wildboy |
| "Caroline" (featuring Polo G) |
2019 | , | , | , | ||
| "Unjudge Me" (featuring Moneybagg Yo) |
, | , | , | |||
| "Chariot" (featuring Meek Mill, Lil Durk and Young Thug) |
, | , | , |
| ||
| "Purpose" (featuring G Herbo) |
, | , | , | Long Live the Kings | ||
| "Barbarian" (featuring Lil Tjay) |
2020 | , | , | , | ||
| "Brand New" (featuring King Von) |
, | , | , | |||
| "Rounds" (featuring Fivio Foreign) |
, | , | , | |||
| ", " denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. | ||||||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Get a Bag" | 2019 | Chance the Rapper | The Big Day |
| "100k On a Coupe" | Pop Smoke | , N/a | |
| "Diana (Remix)" | 2020 | Pop Smoke, King Combs | Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (Deluxe) |
| "Thug Kry" | YG, Lil Mosey | My Life 4Hunnid | |
| "Why?" | 2024 | Houdini | HOU I'M MEANT TO BE |
05Tours
Headlining
- Rockstar Wild Boyz Tour (2019)
Supporting act
- Dying to Live Tour (Kodak Black) (2019)
- I Am > I Was Tour (21 Savage) (2019)
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Calboy”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Calboy May 2018.png by ChiMarley Visuals, CC BY 3.0
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