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Chamillionaire
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Hakeem Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (pronounced Ka-MIL-yin-air, , a portmanteau of "chameleon" and "millionaire") is an American rapper, CEO, singer and musician from Houston, Texas and the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. 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.
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Encyclopedia
Hakeem Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (pronounced Ka-MIL-yin-air, , a portmanteau of "chameleon" and "millionaire") is an American rapper, CEO, singer and musician from Houston, Texas and the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. 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. 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. He is a former artist on Michael 5000 Watts' Swishahouse label.
Early life
Before becoming a rapper he held numerous jobs, including stocking trucks and transporting blood and urine for a medical lab. In a January 2006 interview with The Austin Chronicle, Chamillionaire stated that he 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 its more advanced basketball program.
His father is an immigrant from Nigeria, and his mother is African-American.
Music career
Chamillionaire stated that he has been recording mixtapes as early as 1998. While self-promoting at 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 to 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.
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 150,000 copies. The Source magazine nominated the album for independent album of the year in 2002.
The Sound of Revenge (2005–2006)
Chamillionaire'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. 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. Its video also was named "Best Rap Video" in the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Comedic performer Weird Al Yankovic made a parody of the song, titled "White and Nerdy", for his own album Straight Outta Lynwood. The third single from the album was "Grown and Sexy".
Additionally, the bonus track "Grind Time" was featured in the video game NBA Live '06. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and a chopped and screwed version, screwed by OG Ron C, was released in February 2006. Guest appearances for the album included Lil' Flip, Natalie, Krayzie Bone, Bun B, Lil Wayne, Pastor Troy, Killer Mike, Scarface, and his brother Rasaq.
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. Later in 2006, Chamillionaire was featured in the singles "Get Up" by Ciara, "That Girl" by Frankie J, "Bet That" by Trick Daddy, "King Kong" by Jibbs, and "Dope Boy Fresh" by Three Six Mafia in 2007.
Ultimate Victory (2007–2008)
To promote his new album, Chamillionaire released Mixtape Messiah 3 as a prelude to his new album on July 18, 2007 at exactly 11pm Eastern Time on his website. Chamillionaire 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 and 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. The following single is "The Evening News."
Chamillionaire recently signed back to Chamillitary Entertainment the rapper Yung Ro, a former member The Color Changin' Click, but released him from Chamillitary Entertainment shortly after. He is also planning to tour and is also planning a group album with Famous called Money, Power, and Fame, who will be working on a solo album to drop in the future after the group album. Chamillionaire will release the Tony Henry R&B project through the label Chamillitary Soul.
Mixtape Messiah 4, the fourth title in Chamillionaire's Mixtape Messiah series, was initially set for release on December 18, 2007, but was released on August 27, 2008.
Venom (2008–present)
Mixtape Messiah 5 was released on November 23, 2008. Chamillionaire is also starting a live video stream which he can chat with fans on the internet on UStream. Mixtape Messiah 6 is set to be released January 13, 2009. Chamillionaire also mentioned on a Mixtape Messiah 4 track that his untitled 3rd studio album would be released in the Q4, 2008. This album would later be titled Venom and be pushed back to Q1, 2009. The near release of Mixtape Messiah 7 was also mentioned by Chamillionaire via his website's voice-mail system, on December 29, 2008. On January 3, 2009, the mixtape Hangin' Wit' Mr. Koopa was released with Tosin of The Screw Shop. On this mixtape, Chamillionaire also mentioned the upcoming releases of Mixtape Messiah 8 & Mixtape Messiah 9. Chamillionaire said on the bonus track of "Mixtape Messiah 6" that "Mixtape Messiah 7" would be released before his third studio album "Venom". Also on the bonus track of Mixtape Messiah 6 Chamillionaire promised that if his third studio album Venom sold well, he would put up "Mixtape Messiah 8" and "Mixtape Messiah 9" for free on his website . Chamillionaire has released a new version of Creepin' (Solo) which features The Game and Ludacris.
Discography
Awards
External links
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