Howard Earl Bailey Jr. (born March 9, 1980), known professionally as Chingy, is an American rapper. Chingy grew up in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, and began rapping in his late teens. He toured as an opening act with

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

in the summer of 2002 and then became a protégé of

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...

, who signed him to his newly formed

Disturbing Tha Peace Disturbing tha Peace Records (DTP) is an American record label founded by Ludacris, Jeff Dixon, and Chaka Zulu. History Beginnings Disturbing tha Peace was founded in 1998 by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, manager Chaka Zulu, and Zulu's brother ...

(DTP) record label. The rapper's 2003 summer debut single, "

Right Thurr "Right Thurr" is a song by American rapper Chingy. It was co-written and produced by St. Louis production team The Trak Starz. It was released on April 14, 2003, by Capitol Records, Priority Records, and Disturbing tha Peace as the debut single ...

", put him on the musical map as a good-time rapper who specialized in catchy, club-friendly beats and simplistic lyrics delivered in a sing-song, nursery rhyme style. Chingy's 2003 debut album, ''

Jackpot Jackpot or Jackpot! may refer to: * A prize, such as a progressive jackpot * Gardena jackpots, a poker variant * Jackpot, Nevada, a community on the Nevada–Idaho state border Comics * Jackpot (comics), several comic book characters * ''Jack ...

'', sold three million copies, thanks to the boost from "Right Thurr". A second album, ''

Powerballin' ''Powerballin is the second studio album by the rapper Chingy, released on November 16, 2004, through Capitol Records and Chingy's Slot-A-Lot label. The album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at number 172 with first week sales of 7,000 copies in t ...

'', was released in 2004 to mixed reviews, and his 2006 release ''

Hoodstar ''Hoodstar'' is the third studio album by the hip hop artist Chingy, following the release of ''Powerballin. Released on September 19, 2006, the disc is split into two sides with different musical styles. While the "Hood" segment has the trac ...

'' spawned the hit singles "

Pullin' Me Back "Pullin' Me Back" is a song by American rapper Chingy, released as the first single from his third album ''Hoodstar''. The song features actor/R&B singer Tyrese singing the chorus with production by Jermaine Dupri. The track employs a synthesized ...

" (featuring

Tyrese Gibson Tyrese Darnell Gibson (born December 30, 1978) is an American actor and singer. He released his self-titled debut album in 1998, which featured the single " Sweet Lady", peaking at number twelve on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His second ...

) and "

Dem Jeans "Dem Jeans" is a song by American rapper Chingy. It's the second and final single off his third album ''Hoodstar'' (2006). The song is produced by and features rapper Jermaine Dupri. The song peaked at number 59 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, his ...

" (featuring

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

). In 2007, his fourth album, ''

Hate It or Love It "Hate It or Love It" is a single by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist the Game, featuring 50 Cent. It was released as the third official single from the Game's debut studio album ''The Documentary'' (2005). The song features produc ...

'' was released under Disturbing tha Peace, preceded by lead single "

Fly Like Me "Fly Like Me" is a song by American rapper Chingy. It is the first single from his fourth album ''Hate It or Love It'' (2007). It features singer Amerie and has, in Chingy's words, a "mainstream feel" similar to that of the 2005 single " Pimpin' ...

" (featuring

Amerie Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson ( Rogers; born January 12, 1980) is an American singer. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and ...

). A studio album, '' Success & Failure'', was released in 2010. In 2018, he made his official debut as a

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

with his single "Sparks Fly" which debuted on July 4, 2018.

Early life

Chingy grew up in Walnut Park,

, a neighborhood he has referred to as the "Bad Blocks."Shapiro, Peter (2005) ''The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop'', Rough Guides, , p. 60 He began writing lyrics when he was 9 and was recording raps at 10. He was originally known as H Thugz and was in the St. Louis group Without Warning on 49 Productions with M.G.D. & Mysphit. They recorded "What's Poppin Off" together, which became a local hit. H Thugz and Augustin also recorded a music video for the song. H Thugz later chose the alias Chingy, a slang term for money. Chingy attended

McCluer North High School McCluer North High School (founded 1971) is a public school in Florissant, Missouri, United States in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The McCluer North campus is centrally located in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Located in a residen ...

Florissant, Missouri Florissant () is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, within Greater St. Louis. It is a middle class, second-ring northern suburb of St. Louis. Based on the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 52,533, making it the 12 ...

, a suburb of St. Louis. During high school, he was known to his friends as "Howie," and he continues to prefer that name from close friends and family.

Music career

1997–2002: Early career

and his manager, Chaka Zulu, were quick to sign Chingy to their fledgling

label.

2003–2005: ''Jackpot'' and ''Powerballin''

Chingy's debut album ''

'' was released on July 15, 2003, on Disturbing tha Peace. Unable to secure a distribution deal through

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

, Ludacris negotiated a deal to distribute the album through

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. Guest appearances included Ludacris,

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

Murphy Lee Torhi Harper (born December 18 1979), better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is an American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. His debut album, '' Murphy's Law'', peaked at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 m ...

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...

, Raindrop,

Tity Boi Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...

Playaz Circle Playaz Circle is an American hip hop duo signed to the Def Jam Recordings record label, composed of rappers 2 Chainz and Dolla Boy. History 1997–2010: Beginnings and debut album The duo was formed in 1997 by childhood friends Tity Boi (late ...

Trina Katrina Laverne Taylor (born December 3, 1978), known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in 1998 with her appearance on the Trick Daddy single "Nann Nigga". Trina has been described by '' XXL'' as "the most ...

, and

. Fueled by "

", ''Jackpot'' produced the hit " One Call Away" featuring J-Weav and "

Holidae In "Holidae In" is a song by American rapper Chingy featuring Ludacris and Snoop Dogg. It was released on August 25, 2003, by Capitol Records and Ludacris's Disturbing tha Peace record label as the second single off his debut album ''Jackpot'' (200 ...

" featuring Snoop Dogg and Ludacris. The album was produced by St. Louis production crew

The Trak Starz The Trak Starz are an American hip hop songwriting and record production duo from St. Louis, composed of Alonzo "Zo" Lee Jr. and Shamar "Sham" Daugherty. Biography Credited with helping establish St. Louis in the hip-hop community, the Trak Star ...

. The album was received well by critics. Within a year of the release of ''

'', It was certified

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. The up-tempo Southern hip hop track "

" gained popularity, peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chingy released his second album, ''

'', on November 16, 2004, through Slot-A-Lot Records and Capitol Records. The album peaked at #10 on the charts and featured the hit single "

Balla Baby "Balla Baby" is a song by American rapper Chingy. It was released as the lead single from his second album, '' Powerballin (2004). It garnered a mixed reception from critics, was the only single from the album to be released worldwide, and reac ...

." The album featured guest appearances from artists

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

Lil Flip Wesley Eric Weston Jr. (born March 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. He embarked on his musical career as a freestyle and battle rapper before earning a record deal with Suckafree Records in 1999. Lil' F ...

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

David Banner Lavell William Crump (born April 11, 1974), better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Brookhaven, Mississippi, Banner's family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he was raised. Ban ...

Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the ...

, and Get It Boyz. ''Powerballin sold over one million copies and received a Platinum certification by the RIAA on March 21, 2005. He also was on one of the George Lopez episodes as himself. The eighth song from his album "I Do" is featured on the soundtrack for the smash hit 2004 video game Need for Speed: Underground 2.

2006–2008: ''Hood Star'' and ''Hate It or Love It''

'' is Chingy's third album, released on September 19, 2006. The album featured

Mr. Collipark Michael Antoine Crooms (born October 5, 1972), better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark (and also known as DJ Smurf), is an American hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Music, which was starte ...

, longtime collaborator

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

, and

Mannie Fresh Byron Otto Thomas (born March 20, 1969), better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is an American music producer and rapper. He's best known for his productions on Cash Money Records releases, as well being half of the hip hop duo (alongside ...

. His summer single, " Pullin Me Back" (featuring actor-R&B singer

Tyrese Tyrese Darnell Gibson (born December 30, 1978) is an American actor and singer. He released his self-titled debut album in 1998, which featured the single " Sweet Lady", peaking at number twelve on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His second ...

), would find him back on top on the Hot Rap Tracks chart and help ''Hoodstar'' debut at number eight on the album chart, but the follow-up single "

", featuring Jermaine Dupri, fared worse although the album did go gold. Other singles from ''Hoodstar'' were "Brand New Kicks" and "Hands Up". Unhappy with the way he felt Capitol was promoting their urban artists, in 2007 Chingy jumped ship and returned to DTP Records, which was by-then a part of the Def Jam family. When asked upon this move, the St. Louis rapper said: "I don't think Capitol really knew how to work urban artists, They're really stuck on pop and they didn't know how to market me." ''Hate It or Love It'' is Chingy's fourth studio album. The album featured production from

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...

, and

Cool and Dre Cool & Dre are a record production and songwriting duo from North Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Antonio Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon. The duo are best known for their work with Terror Squad founder Fat Joe, first ...

. The lead single is "Fly Like Me", featuring

. The album was released on December 18, 2007, and featured appearances by

Bobby V Bobby Marcel Wilson (born February 27, 1980), better known by his stage name Bobby V (also known as Bobby Valentino), is an American R&B singer. He was first a member of the R&B group Mista in 1994, before signing to rapper Ludacris through h ...

alentino, Steph Jones,

Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, ''Trey Day'', ...

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

, and Anthony Hamilton. The album debuted at #84 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 30,000 copies, making it Chingy's first album not to crack the Top 10. ''Hate It or Love It'' was not released in the UK, marking Chingy's first album not to be released in the country.

2009–2012: ''No Risk, No Reward''

In 2012 Chingy announced he was working on his fifth studio album called ''No Risk No Reward'', DTP which was set to be released sometime in 2012, but as of June 2016 continues to be delayed due to lack of funding. "Superhero", featuring Full Dekk Music Group's artist Chris Woodhouse, was purported to be the first single from the album. Chingy then announced that he would be releasing a mixtape, ''Jackpot Back'', which was released March 3, 2012.

2013–2016: "King Judah" and "Watch The World"

In Spring 2013, Chingy announced that he had become a practicing

Black Hebrew Israelite Black Hebrew Israelites (also called Hebrew Israelites, Black Hebrews, Black Israelites, and African Hebrew Israelites) are groups of African Americans who believe that they are the descendants of the ancient Israelites. Some sub-groups belie ...

and released the music video for "King Judah". This was Chingy's attempt to follow a moral agenda and denouncing mainstream rap. Currently Chingy is working on his upcoming EP album entitled ''Chingology'' which was released later this year. Major media outlets in Australia and NZ leaked information about a new Chingy collaboration, "Watch The World", featuring New Zealand based Asian model/singer Lucy X (Lucy Xu) . The track produced by ChristopherKris (Kris Lal) is rumored to be featured on an upcoming compilation album released in 2014. The single was released on November 1, 2013, to iTunes and radio. The song reached #2 on the iTunes Urban chart in both countries, with a video to follow in the coming months.

2017-present: Signing To Bungalo Records

Chingy signed to Universal Music Group distributed label

Bungalo Records Bungalo Records is a record label and distribution company, exclusively distributed by Universal Music Group. Bungalo Records was formed in 2000 and has been with Universal Music Group for 21 years. Best known as one of America's pioneering inde ...

, making it his 3rd time recording under the Universal umbrella. In 2019, Chingy will participate in the "Millenium Tour" with

B2K B2K (Boys of the New Millennium) was an American boy band that was active from 1998 to 2004, and again from 2018 to 2019. In 1998, the group was formed by American dance choreographer Dave Scott and Interscope A&R Keshia Gamble. The members ...

. In 2021 Chingy headlined a tour the United States with R&B singers

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...

and

Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic R ...

Other ventures

Full Dekk Music Group

Full Dekk Music Group, formerly known as Slot-A-Lot Records, is founded by rapper Chingy and manager Stan Wright in 2004, while Bailey was signed to

. ;Current artists * Chingy (Co-founder & CEO) * Chris Woodhouse * SmallTalk * M.C. * Don Trip * DJ Noize * Mr 915 Lil Bit * L Frost * Young Swift * Krisstle * Soulo

“Catch” Cologne

In early 2022, he announced that his first ever cologne was in the process of being completed and packaged. He appeared on the online platform TalkShopLive in September 2022 to promote and officially sell the cologne for the first time.

Discography

* ''

'' (2003) * ''

'' (2004) * ''

'' (2006) * ''

'' (2007) * '' Success & Failure'' (2010)

Filmography

Acting career

In 2005, Chingy made his acting debut in the TV comedy series ''

My Wife and Kids ''My Wife and Kids'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001, to May 17, 2005. The series was produced by Touchstone Television. It starred Damon Wayans as Michael Kyle, the patriarch of an African-American family. Wayans and ve ...

''. The same year, Chingy acted in the TV comedies '' One on One'' and ''

George Lopez George Edward Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican American culture. Lopez has rec ...

''. In 2006, Chingy made a cameo in the comedy film ''

Scary Movie 4 ''Scary Movie 4'' is a 2006 American science fiction parody film. It is the sequel to ''Scary Movie 3'' and the fourth installment in the ''Scary Movie'' film series, as well as the first film in the franchise to be released under The Weinstein ...

'', as well as on TV series ''

Yo Momma ''Yo Momma'' is an American television show based upon insulting one's mother. Creators, executive producers and hosts are Wilmer Valderrama, along with Sam Sarpong (Seasons 1 and 2), Jason Everhart and Destiny Lightsy. The show was produced ...

''. In 2010, Chingy had a role in the film ''Speed-Dating''.

Film

Television

References

External links

* * *
Truly Hollywood Interview (Jan. 5, 2007)
{{Authority control 1980 births Living people African-American businesspeople African-American Christians African-American male actors African-American male rappers American male television actors American music industry executives Black Hebrew Israelite people Businesspeople from Missouri Capitol Records artists Def Jam Recordings artists Male actors from Missouri Midwest hip hop musicians Pop rappers Rappers from St. Louis People from St. Louis County, Missouri 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people