PicoBlog

Classic music stands the test of time, capturing the pulse of the people, and spreading the seeds of whichever emotion out. At the turn of the century, a newer crop of artists from the Midwest changed the way we dressed and spoke when they introduced their lingo and style from St. Louis to rap. Out of all the names, rapper Chingy remains one of the most memorable voices and faces of the early 2000s.

His monster debut album, Jackpot, released on July 15, 2003, produced three top charting singles and brought him multi-platinum fame straight out the gate. Sneakily lyrical, catchy, and earnest, the album opened the door for success for Chingy and left its listeners with the soundtrack for their youth. Twenty years later, it remains a central part of Chingy’s catalog.

“Coming from where I come from and doing music since six years old, it’s a great feeling to know the music was so legendary and appreciated after twenty years is amazing. People tell me it was the theme song for their life. It’s like an antique car.”

Jackpot, an analogy for his desire for success with his debut album, was composed of several songs that he and local friends, Alonzo “Zo” Lee Jr, and Shamar “Sham” Daughtery of TrakStarz, created in the summer of 2002. 

“I been knew Sham from a group called Out of Order. We were on the talent show circuit. I saw Sham at a gas station the summer of 2002 and he was like I got some tracks for you,” says Chingy.

After a random interaction with Sham, Chingy decided to partner with the duo and from there collaborated with them on a six-song demo that contained the hit single, “Right Thurr”.  Originally created in 1996, Right Thurr was an unfinished song submitted to Ludacris’ business manager, Chaka Zulu, who was managing the production duo. Noticing the song’s potential for success, Chaka urged Chingy to finish the song immediately.

By the end of 2002, Chingy’s first single earned him a joint record deal with Capitol Records and Disturbing Tha Peace and set the ball in motion for his first commercial release.

“Summer of 2002 I saw Sham randomly at a gas station. By December 14, 2002, I had my deal with Capitol and Disturbing Tha Peace. By 2003, I had the number-one song in the country. I called the album Jackpot because I wanted to win big and that happened. I worked hard to get to that point and I felt it was time for me to do well in life and hit the jackpot.”

Released in the summer of 2003, Right Thurr’s authentic examination of a curvaceous woman took the nation by storm, aided by stellar production and easy-to-follow lyrics as well as Chingy’s authentic dialect which captivated the world. The song’s sound, sonics, and later dance craze, led to him landing at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 alongside his other single “One Call Away”. 

Propelled to double platinum off the strength of the album’s three singles, “Right Thurr”, “One Call Away”, and “Holidae Inn”, the album's commercial success put Chingy at the top of music stardom. 

Still, if you ask him, the label’s failure to release more singles ultimately halted the success of the popular album.

“The whole album was full of singles. Chingy Jackpot was supposed to be a single. We could have dropped three or four more singles and rode that album out to the point it went ten times platinum”, says Chingy.

The teaser video for Chingy Jackpot, which shows at the end of One Call Away was yet another single on an album packed full of possible radio hits that inevitably remained album cuts. 

In spite of it all, Chingy’s momentum remained high aided by versatile videos like One Call Away that ushered in child stars Keisha Knight Pulliam and Jason Weaver, and star-packed records like Holidae In featuring Ludacris and Snoop Dogg. The acclaim didn’t change the fact that through it all, Chingy’s ability often was unfairly limited because of his delivery and intent.

Originally starting out as a battle rapper, Chingy altered his style and began making songs to appeal to a wider audience with the mindset of providing for himself and his family. Lodged right in the midst of the album’s biggest songs are in his words, “whole storylines.” 

“When you listen to those records like Holidae Inn and One Call Away, it’s a whole storyline even in Right Thurr. It’s a party song with a story but it sounds like I’m talking to someone. Because of that, I don’t get credit for telling stories and I’m overlooked. People call my raps simplistic, but I have my own style. I came up in battle rap and transitioned to making radio songs. But when you dig deep into my records, I’m talking about something.”

Critical praise aside, JackPot set the stage for Chingy’s career, which has spanned two decades at this point in time. Independent and free of former conflicts, he’s moving lighter and smarter, releasing music at his own pace on his own topics. His newest project, Chinglish, released in June 2023, adds another dimension to his career by introducing music that focuses equally on his success and struggles.

But although he’s intent on leaving the past in the past, Chingy acknowledges how monumental JackPot has been for him all these years later. 

“If it wasn’t for JackPot, I wouldn’t be where I’m at so I consider it my most valuable project. It stands the test of time. Just think, my biggest record- Right Thurr- is just me”.

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