Who: Chingy also known as Howard Bailey, Jr.
Hits: ‘Right Thurr’, ‘One Call Away’, ‘Fly Like Me’ feat (Amerie), ‘Holidae In’ feat (Ludacris and Snoop Dogg)
Location: St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
The story…
“I like the way you do that right thurr, swing your hips when you’re walkin, let down your hurr”- Chingy will forever be remembered for these few lines. In less than no time, following the 2003 release of ‘Right Thurr,’ the St. Louis rapper firmly secured himself a place on the musical map.
Strictly known by his first name, Chingy soon followed with his debut album, ‘Jackpot’, which sold over two million copies and not forgetting a further handful of collaborations with the likes of Amerie, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri.
Yet, after enjoying the rewards of a flourishing career that was years in the making, the rapper disappeared from the spotlight in 2007. Although he was nowhere near forgotten, we understand that Chingy took a break to deal with personal troubles.
“I have been through trial and tribulations after losing family and friends, but I have also had time to figure out who Chingy is and to prepare for my comeback.”
So where is he now?
Chingy currently spends most of his time in the studio working on his comeback album, ‘No Risk No Reward 13.’ This is his fifth album, signifying the “rebirth of Chingy.”
He explained the inspiration behind the title. “It’s a motivational quote to inspire kids and people to do better. If you don’t take risks, you won’t get where you need to,” he told GlobalGrind. “In order to expand and reach goals and achieve greatness, you have to be willing to do different things.”
In the ever growing world of hip hop, there’s always new rappers emerging, but where does Chingy fit in between the new generation of artists such as Drake and Wiz Khalifa?
“I appreciate all of their music and they were both underground artists like me who finally got a big break. I wouldn’t really compare myself to anyone or any other artists as I make the music that I know how to make,” he continued.
But that is not all — far from it. Having unveiled a new album, Chingy recently released a long awaited mixtape titled, ‘Jackpot Back’, giving his legion of fans a flavour of what to expect from ‘No Risk, No Reward 13.’
