"One Call Away" is a song by American rapper

Chingy Howard Earl Bailey Jr. (born March 9, 1980), known professionally as Chingy, is an American rapper. Chingy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and began rapping in his late teens. He toured as an opening act with Nelly in the summer of 2002 and then ...

, featuring actor

Jason Weaver Jason Michael Weaver (born July 18, 1979) is an American actor and singer best known for his roles as Marcus Henderson on The WB sitcom ''Smart Guy,'' Jerome Turrell on the short-lived sitcom '' Thea'' from 1993 to 1994, and the pre-teenaged ...

singing the chorus, credited as J-Weav. It was released as the third and final single off his 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 ...

'' (2003), on January 12, 2004. It was released 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 ...

and

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 ...

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 ...

label. The song peaked at number two on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, became a number-one hit on the ''Billboard''

Hot Rap Songs Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...

chart for three weeks, and peaked at numbers three and six on the ''Billboard''

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

and

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

charts, respectively. It also reached the top 40 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. A video for the single (directed by

Erik White Erik White is an American music video director. In 2010, he made his feature film directorial debut with the comedy film ''Lottery Ticket'', starring rappers Bow Wow and Ice Cube. He appeared on the reality show competition ''The Glee Project' ...

) was released that featured actress Keisha Knight-Pulliam and streetball player Philip "Hot Sauce" Champion.

Critical reception

Matt Cibula of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

was positive towards the song, admiring Chingy for taking on a rap ballad saying "It’s kind of adorable that he’s talking to her on the phone about politics and life when he can’t be with her, and his voice gets all softened when he talks about her, and his homeboys call him weak when he gives her a kiss on the cheek, but he doesn’t care, because he knows that she’s always just one call away from him, and vice versa." In retrospect, however, the song has not fared as well; music critic Todd in the Shadows placed "One Call Away" at number 6 on his list of the "Top Ten Worst Hit Songs of 2004", citing the rapper's weak flow and poor lyricism in particular as dragging the song down.

Music video

Directed by

, the video takes place during autumn and follows Chingy going to the DTP Bank in his

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

, where he attracts the attention of a bank teller (played by actress Keisha Knight-Pulliam) by giving her his phone number along with the deposited money in a canister tube for her to have. Their relationship starts out slow with her hanging out with his friends in his apartment, she and her friends watching him play

streetball Streetball (or street basketball) is a variation of basketball, typically played on outdoor courts and featuring significantly less formal structure and enforcement of the game's rules. As such, its format is more conducive to allowing players ...

to both of them going back to his apartment to get intimate with each other. The video features the chorus of "Chingy Jackpot" at the end. Streetball player Philip "Hot Sauce" Champion appears in the streetball scene in the video.

Track listings

US 12-inch single # "One Call Away" (edited radio version featuring J-Weav) # "One Call Away" (album version featuring J-Weav) # "One Call Away" (instrumental) # "Bagg Up" (edited version) # "Bagg Up" (album version) # "Bagg Up" (instrumental) UK CD single # "One Call Away" (featuring J-Weav) # "Bagg Up" European CD single # "One Call Away" (featuring J-Weav) – 4:36 # "Bagg Up" – 3:21 # "Chingy Jackpot" – 4:08 Australian CD single # "One Call Away" (edited radio version featuring J-Weav) – 4:18 # "Bagg Up" (edited version) – 3:21 # "

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 ...

" (remix 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 ...

and

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 ...

) – 3:43 # "One Call Away" (instrumental) – 4:42

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2003 songs 2004 singles Capitol Records singles Chingy songs Contemporary R&B ballads Music videos directed by Erik White Song recordings produced by the Trak Starz Songs written by Chingy