Howard Bailey, Jr. (born March 9, 1980 in St. Louis, Missouri), better known by his stage name Chingy, is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur. Following in the footsteps of his heroes Ice Cube and RUN-DMC, he began writing lyrics at age nine and was recording at ten. ...show more

Howard Bailey, Jr. (born March 9, 1980 in St. Louis, Missouri), better known by his stage name Chingy, is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur. Following in the footsteps of his heroes Ice Cube and RUN-DMC, he began writing lyrics at age nine and was recording at ten.

He originally considered the stage name H.Thugzy before settling on Chingy, a slang term for money. With the release of the track "Right Thurr" Chingy became an overnight sensation, with the track peaking at number four on the Billboard 100. His highly anticipated debut album Jackpot was released in 2003, and it was received well by critics and fans alike. Within a year of its release, Jackpot was certified RIAA 3x Platinum.

Chingy released his second album, Powerballin', on November 16, 2004, and his third album Hoodstar was released on September 19, 2006. Hate It or Love It is the fourth studio album by Chingy, released in 2007. His newest album, Success And Failure, will be released sometime in 2009. His hits date back to 2003 and include: "Right Thurr," "Holidae In," "One Call Away" featuring J-Weav, "Balla Baby" and more recently, "Pullin' Me Back" featuring Tyrese and "Dem Jeans featuring Jermaine Dupri." He has also taken part in the "Get Low (Remix)" music video. ...show less