Hoodstar
Studio Album by Chingy released in 2006Hoodstar review
Many of Chingy’s songs deserve a praise
Howard Bailey, Jr., professionally known as rapper Chingy was born in St. Louis, Missouri and have become recognized for exaggerating the accent typical for his native city in his texts. Chingy has started to release albums in 2003, the debut work was called Jackpot and sold over 3 million copies only around the USA. His second record Powerballin has been classified as Gold today, and his latest album Hoodstar released this September has already reached the honorable 8 place of the world charts. Despite his commercial success and the fact that the artist can boast a substantial fan base and a certain reputation among rappers, Chingy has been never enjoying a high critical acclaim, though many of his songs surely deserve a praise. Being a typical representative of the hip-hop music, on his new album Hoodstar Chingy plays the part of a talented story teller and adheres to the topics of problems in relationships, luxurious lifestyle and establishing his authority. The work has been recorded with the participation of a number of prominent producers such as Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland, the Trak Starz, Mannie Fresh and Mr. Collipark and is refined by collaborations from Tyrese, Fatman Scoop and Three 6 Mafia.
Hoodstar offers enough summer songs and gangsta compositions of all time
The album Hoodstar is divided into two parts ‘Hood’ and ‘Star’ with different musical styles. The first one has got a more gangsta flavor while the second suits best for playing at night clubs and really makes one want to move. Opening with a promising Intro (Rid'in Wit Me), the record offers a slow, though a bit aggressive composition Hands Up as the first full-length track. Three 6 Mafia joins Chingy on a hot and bellicose song Club Getting’ Crowded with powerful beats, and Nike Aurr's And Crispy Tee’s is one of the songs on which the rapper gives himself full swing articulating his inimitable pronunciation. If Cadillac Door featuring Midwest City is quite a serious song telling a rag-to-riches story symbolizing a kind of American dream, the single Dem Jeans performed with Jermaine Dupri finds Chingy rapping a funny tirade to a girl who is wearing jeans that seem too tight to him. One of the album’s best tracks is by all means another single Pullin’ Me Back, in many respects due to the participation of the charismatic and artistic singer Tyrese who has generously brought a part of himself in. Among Hoodstar’s other standouts it is worth while mentioning U A Freak (Nasty Girl) featuring Mr. Collipark, a classy rap about intimate relations, and the closer Let’s Ride, refined by the verses from Fatman Scoop. On the whole Hoodstar offers enough sultry summer songs and tough gangsta compositions of all time.
Chingy knows how to make a good team to assist him
Whenever an album is sold well there is little doubt that the critics have praised it. Yet with rapper Chingy this is not exactly the case. People like his music for some reasons that probably never appeal to critics, or perhaps it is his irrefutable charisma that attracts so many fans to this quite young artist. He is often compared to another famous rapper Nelly for similar manner of performance, and some time ago the two guys even had a conflict. Fortunately now everything is all right between them and each attends to his own affairs. Chingy in particular has released an album that has come in well to the series of his works and does neither stand out nor brings a defect to the whole picture. The production is done perfectly well, and the lyrics are mostly the same as before – Chingy just cannot live without mentioning different parts of woman’s body, expensive cars and life in the streets. He has joined the number of the authors who create the best selling albums and knows how to make a good team of rappers to assist him. So, although Hoodstar has little to surprise with, it definitely attracts attention and leaves to Chingy the reputation of a real gangsta and a rude joker as a good rapper is supposed to be.