December 27th, 2007POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC
Chingy has been known to drop booty-shakin’ jams ever since "Jackpot," his 2003 debut.But now, at 27, he’s ready to make us … think?On the St. Louis rapper’s new CD "Hate It or Love It" — easily his best — Chingy has turned away from songs like "Make That Ass Talk" and let us see his more thoughtful side. "Lovely Ladies" pays homage to the women in his life, including his mother, aunts and sister. "How We Feel," featuring Anthony Hamilton, is Chingy’s version of "What’s Going On."The CD also features female-friendly "Fly Like Me" featuring Amerie; "Gimme Dat," a reunion with Ludacris and Bobby Valentino; an angry-sounding title track; and several other worthy party jams such as "Check My Swag" and "Kick Drum."The thoughtful side has been there all along but has been overshadowed by his irresistible and popular club songs, he says."I’ve always made music like this, since I was 13 or 14," says the Walnut Park native who now spends most of his time in Atlanta.Like any good rapper, Chingy has been paying attention to current events and is speaking out. "A lot of messed-up stuff has happened, and people need to hear some of that so they can be aware," he said. "It’s time to start paying attention to what’s going on in the ghettos and ‘hoods, rather than attacking hip-hop. Attack the problem hip-hop was built from, and then fix that." "Hate It or Love It" is Chingy’s first CD since reuniting with the Atlanta-based, Ludacris-Chaka Zulu-fronted Disturbing Tha Peace camp a year ago. They fell out publicly a few years ago over money. It’s also his first album with Def Jam Records after three on Capitol.During a recent interview in New York the day before "Hate It or Love It" dropped, Chingy had more to say about the new CD, declining CD sales, his return to the Disturbing Tha Peace camp, haters and more.That comes from me getting back with Disturbing Tha Peace. I know there will be haters, people who didn’t want to see this happen. But there are also people who want to see me back.There was a little anger involved, but I’m not an angry individual at all. I get mad like everyone else, but I keep a smile on my face so you’d never know it.These are people who don’t like another man’s situation because they’re not in that position. They’re on the outside looking in, and they’re judging. I come across that a lot, almost every day.It’s a beautiful thing. The whole situation was a misunderstanding … like falling out with a family member, when you’re not cool for a while and then you get back cool. Now, it’s like I never left. Everyone’s on the same page.A lot of politicians say we degrade women, so I did that song to show appreciation to all the women in my life, let them know we don’t just call them bitches and hos. But that is a reality. There are bitches and hos out there.Capitol promotes singles more than albums, and they kept dropping the ball. They didn’t go full throttle. Peoples’ expectations are so high nowadays, if you don’t do three or four (million), it’s not good enough. They overlook that you’re still doing good. They want you to do great-great-great.









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