| Chamillionaire Biography |
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Hakeem Seriki, better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (pronounced Ka-MIL-yin-air, IPA: /kəˌmɪljəˈnεər/, a portmanteau of "chameleon" and "millionaire")[1] is an American rapper, CEO, singer, & musician from Houston, Texas and the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment.[2] He stated that his aim is to prove that the South can produce quality lyricists. He is also a hook writer and usually sings and harmonizes with himself (using multi-tracked vocals) on his own hooks. Chamillionaire is a founder and original member of The Color Changin' Click.[2] In 2007, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his number-one single "Ridin'", a number-one hit in the United States for two weeks in 2006.[3] He is a former artist on Michael 5000 Watts' Swishahouse label.[2]
Early lifeHakeem Seriki was born November 28, 1979[2] in Washington, D.C. to Nigerian immigrants[4] and moved to Houston, Texas at the age of four. As the eldest child in his household, he had to hold numerous jobs to care for his family, including stocking trucks and transporting blood and urine for a medical lab.[5] Chamillionaire said that at first lived in a section of Houston zoned to Eisenhower High School and that his parents moved to the Jersey Village High School attendance zone so he could play in a more advanced basketball program; he attended Jersey Village.[6] Music careerChamillionaire has stated that he has been recording mixtapes as early as 1998.[7] While promoting themselves in an event, he and Paul Wall met Michael "5000" Watts, a popular mixtape DJ from northern Houston. After proposing to do promotions for Watts's company Swishahouse, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall came to Watts's studio and convinced Watts to allow them freestyle on an intro to Watts's radio show on Houston hip-hop radio station KBXX-FM. Watts, who himself was convinced to rap on the record, enjoyed the freestyle so much that he put the verses on one of his mixtapes. Soon, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall became regular staples on Houston's mixtape circuit, appeared on several of Watts's mixtapes, and became permanent members of Swishahouse.[8] Chamillionaire and Paul Wall soon started their own group, The Color Changin' Click. In 2002, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall collaborated for the album Get Ya Mind Correct, would go on to sell over 100,000 copies.[2] The Source magazine named the album the independent album of the year around 2002.[7] 2005–2006: The Sound of RevengeChamillionaire's first major solo release The Sound of Revenge was released through Chamillitary Entertainment and Universal Records in November 2005. The album debuted and peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States.[9] The album's lead single was "Turn It Up", featuring Lil' Flip produced by Scott Storch, followed by "Ridin'", featuring Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony; "Ridin'" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] Its video also was named "Best Rap Video" in the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.[11] Comedic performer Weird Al Yankovic made a parody of the song, titled "White and Nerdy", for his own album Straight Outta Lynwood.[12] The third single from the album was "Grown and Sexy".[10] Additionally, the bonus track "Grind Time" was featured in the video game NBA Live '06.[13] The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and a chopped and screwed version, screwed by OG Ron C, was released in February 2006.[14] Guest appearances for the album included Lil' Flip, Natalie, Krayzie Bone, Bun B, Lil Wayne, Pastor Troy, Killer Mike, Scarface, Rasaq, and many others. In January 2006, Chamillionaire entered a feud with BCD Music Group, a company that used to distribute his music, as BCD claimed that Chamillionaire was making slanderous remarks about the company in his songs. Consequently, Shila Mitra, a partner of BCD, fueled the feud further with her own diss track.[15] Later in 2006, Chamillionaire was featured in the singles "That Girl" by Frankie J and "Get Up" by Ciara. 2007–present: Ultimate VictoryChamillionaire released his second mainstream album Ultimate Victory on September 18, 2007. Guest appearances included UGK, Krayzie Bone, Lil Wayne, Famous, Tony Henry, Devin the Dude, & Lloyd. The first single was "Hip Hop Police", featuring Slick Rick, which both Chamillionaire and Slick Rick performed on the CBS television network program Late Show with David Letterman on September 14, 2007.[16] The following single was "Won't Let You Down", featuring singer K-Ci of the R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo on the chorus. The song was later released as a "Texas Takeover Remix", featuring numerous other rappers from the state of Texas such as Slim Thug, Lil' Keke, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, UGK, Trae, and Z-Ro.[17] Chamillionaire recently signed back to Chamillitary Entertainment the rapper Yung Ro, a former member The Color Changin' Click. He is also planning to tour and is also planning a group album with Famous and Yung Ro called Money, Power, and Fame. Both of them will be working on solo albums to drop in the future after the group album. Chamillionaire will release the Tony Henry R&B project through the label Chamillitary Soul.[18] Mixtape Messiah 4, the fourth title in Chamillionaire's Mixtape Messiah series, was initially set for release on December 18, 2007[19]; however Chamillionaire's own website now reads that the recording will be released August 27, 2008.[20]. As told first by Chamillination[21] Chamillionaire is also starting a live video stream which he can chat with fans on the internet on UStream[1] it is currently still being set up. It was told first to Chamillination[22] by "Jeff". Chamillionaire has also put a new hidden message on his website that now says: "Okayyyyy so all my fans have been patiently waiting for awhile now. I am very close on getting everything ready. Check back real soon for a new freestyle since you been waiting for so long." Go to his website www.chamillionaire.com and highlight the page and you can see for yourself. Discography
Awards
References
External links
Categories: 1979 births | American rappers | American singers | American male singers | American Christians | Freestyle rappers | Grammy Award winners | Houston rap artists | Living people | Nigerian Americans | People from Houston, Texas | People from Washington, D.C. | Southern rappers | Hip hop singers |
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