Chingy has come a long way since his Right Thurr days. Since that single, and the accompanying album, he's made a complete metamorphosis within his career. Starting with his well publicized departure from Atlanta-based label Disturbing Tha Peace, his light seemed to be fading fast, or at least, that's what people thought.
Once everything was said and done, he was finally on his own, and he marked his independence by dropping his sophomore album, Powerballin. While the album received mixed reviews, it still sold more than a million copies, certifying the album as platinum. Still, that seemed to be a mere fraction of what he had done with his debut, despite the fact that the album was packed with several high profile collaborations. People labeled out for the count then, referring to him as a has-been.
Undeterred by the haters and the nay-sayers, Chingy took some time to get his grind on, and this time, with his third release, Hood Star, he's showing everyone once and for all that he really is a star! The album's first single, "Pullin Me Back," as well as the current single, "Dem Jeans," have both been tearing the charts up. Chingy appears to be back where he needs to be. Along with the album, he also recently finished filming a new movie that may carve a space for him in Hollywood. In an all too rare spare moment, we sat down and talked to Chingy about the album, as well as his new label, Slot-A-Lot, and all else that goes on with him these days.
SoundSlam: Good looking out on the time today man!
Chingy: Oh yea, it's good man. Thank you.
SoundSlam: You know this interview is for the online mag, SoundSlam, right?
Chingy: Right!
SoundSlam: So keep it real with me, how much do you get online to check these things out, not only your interviews, but just to see what's happening period?
Chingy: All the time man. It's weird that you ask, because I just got off my MySpace page....
SoundSlam: OK then, cause my next question was about the MySpace page? Do you realy get on there and chat with the fans? Are you seeing the comments and stuff that people are leaving?
Chingy: Yea, I go on mine for sure.
SoundSlam: OK, cause I know you know it's a lot of people out there with pages, and they don't go on them and converse with the fans at all.
Chingy: Right, but I definitely get on mine.
SoundSlam: So I can assume you're checkin us out on the regular then, right?
Chingy: Well of course! I got to man.
SoundSlam: OK then, man, good lookin out on the love!
Chingy: Oh yea man...
SoundSlam: Well, before we get off on the music thang, how was your holiday with the fam? What was it like to finally be able to take some time off?
Chingy: It was cool. I just went to my grandma's house. Of course, I ate up all the food, you know how it is at grandma's house, its cool. I just chilled with my family. Everybody is everybody.
SoundSlam: How often do you actually get to do that anyway, when you're working a project that is?
Chingy: Not really often, because I actually like to be in a comfort zone when I'm working on a project. You know, just me.
SoundSlam: Before this current album dropped, you actually did take quite a bit of time away. What did you do in that time frame?
Chingy: I was doing a lot of working on the album. I was also doing a lot of shows. I did a movie, called "The System Within," which is basically an urban street movie. I play a character named Nick.
SoundSlam: So to get on your new album man, tell me about it. What was the process of you putting this album together?
Chingy: Well you know, I make a lot of songs. I'm going to tell you how I do it. I make a lot of songs that are talking about a lot of different stuff and different situations, and then, when the time boils down for the album to be completed and turned in, we pick and choose from the songs that we have already.
SoundSlam: So then, the recording process is basically a year-round thing for you.
Chingy: Exactly, we're basically recording all year round. We pick and choose from what we have in the pot. Then at that point, I work with the producers and artists that I want at that time. After that, we put the album out.
SoundSlam: What do you feel like you did differently this time? Did you approach anything about the album from a different standpoint this time around?
Chingy: I put more of a rough edge on it. I didn't necessarily go full throttle with the rougher edge, but a little bit on the hood side. I got a personal song, about my past struggles, called "Cadillac Doors." It's about all the past, dealing with jobs and me getting fired, hustling on the streets, tragedies that I've had to deal with, and you know, just me trying to make it in this business here.
SoundSlam: What was the strategy behind the first single? You built a good buzz with Tyrese by your side. Did you expect for the single to grow so big and be so well accepted?
Chingy: Actually, I didn't really know if it would be that big of a single. We had an idea that it would do good though.
SoundSlam: But you got to admit though, it did build a good buzz.
Chingy: Yea, it built that buzz that we were looking for. That's exactly what we wanted to do with that song. I love the way it turned out, and we worked well together. We gone keep doing it!
SoundSlam: Now it seemed like a big stretch to jump from "Pullin Me Back" to "Dem Jeans." Whose idea was that?
Chingy: That was the idea of the president of the company....
SoundSlam: But I guess it's all good though, because you been ridin' high on 106 and Park! Have you been watchin?
Chingy: Exactly, and I just seen it today.
SoundSlam: It was cool to see you hooked up with Jermaine Dupri again. I know he was with you on the "Right Thurr" remix version. How did you two reconnect?
Chingy: Well Jermaine is a really good friend of mine, so it's not that hard for me to catch up with him. Honestly, I just put in the call, and he came to the rescue.
SoundSlam: In all actuality, it's really good to see you out there still doing your thing for the Midwest. I know you obviously never doubted your abilities, but I know that just being human and seeing the same things everyone else sees, you've seen how a lot of people have counted you out since your departure from DTP.
Chingy: I know man, and it's really sad
.SoundSlam: Do you still see it a lot now?
Chingy: Well, I see it still. But at the same time, I see more love. People need to respect when you do your own thing. I just want to be an entrepreneur, and that's what it's all about for me. You don't just stay an artist forever. The purpose of getting into this business is to become a CEO. I do understand that people are people, and they have their opinions. That's something you just can't stop. My thing though, is that I just have to keep it moving.
SoundSlam: What did you feel like you needed to prove with this album?
Chingy: That I can come back with more hits. That's it. Show'em I can come back. Not just put out a song that gets played some of the time, but a hit song. I let cats know I still got it. Me making hits did not come from DTP. I was doing hits on my own with DTP. Nobody helped me when it came down to it. So I was makin that music. "Right Thurr," "Baller Baby," "One Call Away," and so on. I came up with the formula for those.
SoundSlam: So when you took control of everything, you inked the blueprint for Slot-A-Lot records. What's been going on with the label?
Chingy: It's just been a lot of work with getting it off the ground...
SoundSlam: What ever happened to the first group that you had, the Get It Boyz? I know when you first started the label, things began to jump off for them, but then suddenly stalled....
Chingy: Right, and it was because a few situations occurred, but we're working on that now....I got my cousin Spiffy, my sister Ziggy, a couple of people, and we're just trying to build it up. I will put'em out there, but they have to have their minds set as well. They have to be on that same page.
SoundSlam: So tell me this then. I know you have seen with various artists where they start a label, and they have artists under them. The artists never become as successful as the boss artist, or usually never. You became the exception to that in a sense, but you see it all the time though when the artists kinda piggyback off of the bigger artist's success. They never become known for being their own artist...What will you do with Slot-A-Lot that will be different in that sense, and allow your own artists to develop their own strong following?
Chingy: I think above all, you have to let them get the separate shine....if every time they hear them, and it's with me, that's not good. I have to let them be themselves.
SoundSlam: Since taking control of everything with your career, and having dealt with a bit of label drama and such, what do you feel like you've learned that's going to help you be successful with Slot-A-Lot?
Chingy: I listen to a lot of business. Russell Simmons is a close friend, and I try to take after him and observe what's going on. Get my business right. Make sure my mind is right on how I approach situations. Be straight forward.
SoundSlam: What's been the hardest thing behind getting the label up and going?
Chingy: The hardest thing has really been business-wise. Getting all the music together, and doing the proper imaging. The hardest thing is getting the deal....
SoundSlam: So talk to me about your vision for the Midwest and how it relates to Hip Hop?
Chingy: Just trying to get the whole clique going, with the Get It Boyz, and show people we can work together...
SoundSlam: It be cool if somebody could start a Midwest movement, like if say you, Twista, Nelly, Bone Thugs, and you know, people reppin hard for the Midwest, could get together and do some things, like maybe even a compilation of some sorts, like how Midwest Funk was before.
Chingy: You're right man, and it's sad, but the Midwest don't get mentioned a lot. It's a lot of people that have made a difference for the Midwest, like Kanye West, Eminem, Nelly, Shawnna, Twista, and they have made a big impact for us. We don't get that recognition that we deserve.
SoundSlam: Yea, but I know you've seen it man. Just like, even here in Cleveland, it's a lot of artists doing their thing, but they're scared to work with others, because they feel like somebody's trying to stop their shine.
Chingy: Yea man, and people need to get over that too. You know, just stop hating and come together. I don't know if they realize that. They want what the next man got, but they don't really wanna work for it.
