Rapper Boosie BadAzz, whose real name is Torence Hatch Jr., was in the news and trending among his followers and fans recently after catching what he said was a “shark” from his own Lake BadAzz, located in his 26-acre land in Georgia. The jaw-dropping moment was recorded in February 2025, and it immediately became a viral sensation and captured Boosie’s excitement and awe as he battled the massive fish with his friends.
Boosie’s Lake BadAzz, also unveiled in the same February 2025 Instagram video, is evidence that Boosie is a fishing aficionado. Tired of fishing in other people’s waters, he invested $127,000 in building this personal haven. Named Lake Hatch after his real name, the lake is inhabited by numerous species of fish, including catfish, bass, crappie, bluegill, and trophy fish. Boosie is a reported fishing fanatic; in April 2024, he caught a record number of 126 fish in a single day, which made headlines.
Even though Boosie called his catch a “shark,” experts believe that it was a catfish, specifically a large one. Large catfish like blue and flathead catfish that weigh over 50 pounds swim in Georgia’s freshwater lakes. These big fish occasionally earn the nickname “sharks” for their big size and shape. Boosie strains in the video to reel in the fish, a definite sign that it is extremely heavy, which supports this theory.
Whereas Boosie’s fishing trip was a brief respite, his recent public appearances were marred by more sinister incidents. A shooting that occurred at an after-party after his Millennium Tour show in Cleveland, Ohio, left three injured on March 11, 2025. The shooting occurred at Field House Lounge in Akron, with three individuals injured by gunshot wounds. Two victims, both aged 18 and 36, were left critically injured, with one left with a graze wound. Authorities are still in the process of investigating and searching for the suspect.
This shooting is by no means unusual. Boosie BadAzz has been accompanied by violence at many appearances during his career. In August 2024, a car show in Iowa that he was scheduled to appear at turned deadly when two men were shot and killed. In May 2021, a music video shoot in Huntsville, Alabama, ended in fatality, with one person shot and killed. Boosie himself is a survivor of gun violence, having been shot in the leg in Dallas in November 2020. These shootings loom large in his public and professional career.
Despite all this, Boosie is committed to his personal interests, with Lake BadAzz serving as a peaceful refuge. The “shark” catch, as captured by the viral video, is a more light-hearted side of his life, away from the controversies that often surround him.
