Initially a protégé of Ludacris and the opening act for Nelly throughout his 2002 tour, Chingy has gone on to international rap stardom. The American born rapper soon shot to fame after the release of his debut single “Right Thurr” which announced him to be a good time artist who specialized in hooky and crowd friendly club beats. Following that came two more albums, first Jackpot, then Hoodstar, both of which spawned a number of singles. Selling over three million units (equivalent to triple platinum in the US) it’s no wonder the young rapper often hits the top slots of Billboard’s Hot 100, Billboard’s Top 40 and Billboard’s Hot Rap Tracks. With a universal appeal owing to the charm and wit of his lyrics – in place of the street life diatribes and violent suggestion of many rappers – Chingy has toured the world on a number of occasions stopping off all over Europe, Australia and Africa.
Having allegedly started to write lyrics at the age of nine, it’s no surprise Chingy has been closely associated with major labels like Def Jam and Capitol throughout his career. 2011 saw the release of Chingy’s fifth studio album, No Risk No Reward, whilst in 2012 he signed to one of the most influential labels in music, namely Epic Records, with new single “let It Go” the first fruit of that relationship. So too has Chingy dipped his toe into acting, with appearances in films like Scary Movie 4, Speed-Dating and TV comedies like My Wife and Kids all helping to raise his already impressive profile across the world. The future, then, looks just as bright as the past for this new school rap hero.
