Chamillionaire

Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper.

He began his solo career with locally-tailored releases in the early 2000s, including the collaborative album Get Ya Mind Correct (2002) with fellow Houston rapper and childhood friend Paul Wall.

He was the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click from 2001 until the group disbanded in 2005.

In 2002, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall collaborated for the album Get Ya Mind Correct, which went on to sell over 150,000 copies.

The Source magazine nominated the album for independent album of the year in 2002.

Prior, he released the mixtape series Mixtape Messiah from 2004 to 2009.

Chamillionaire is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment, which he founded in 2004.

Chamillionaire and the Color Changin' Click, dubbed "Houston's answer to 50 Cent and his G-Unit posse", performed at the SXSW music festival in 2004.

He signed with Universal Records in 2005 to release his debut studio album, The Sound of Revenge in November of that year.

It included the singles "Ridin'" (featuring Krayzie Bone)—which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group—and "Turn It Up" (featuring Lil' Flip).

Chamillionaire's first major solo release The Sound of Revenge was released through Chamillitary Entertainment and Universal Records on November 22, 2005.

The album debuted and peaked at number 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 produced by Play-N-Skillz; "Ridin'" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Its video also was named "Best Rap Video" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.

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, singer Billy Cook, and his brother Rasaq.

His second album, Ultimate Victory (2007) was met with similar commercial success; it became notable for its lack of profanity and lead single "Hip Hop Police" (featuring Slick Rick)—as well as its accompanying music video.

In 2007, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Ridin'".

He was at that time signed with Michael 5000 Watts' Swishahouse label.

Comedic performer "Weird Al" Yankovic made a parody of the song entitled "White & 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.

His pop rap-influenced 2009 single, "Good Morning" peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 was intended for inclusion on his third album Venom, which was never released.

In 2011, Chamillionaire left Universal Records and released his first independent extended play (EP), Ammunition in March 2012.

His second EP, Elevate, was released in February 2013, followed by his third, Reignfall in July of that year.

He joined Los Angeles–based venture capital firm Upfront Ventures in 2015, and has since focused on numerous entrepreneurial and business endeavors.

He co-created the social media app Convoz in January 2018.

Chamillionaire was born to a Muslim Yoruba father and an African-American Christian mother in Washington D.C., and moved to Houston, Texas at the age of four.

Chamillionaire's parents separated in his early teenage years.

He settled into the Acres Homes neighborhood of northwest Houston.

He attended Jersey Village High School alongside rap partner Paul Wall.

Rap and other forms of secular music, which his parents had highly opposed in their household, became very appealing to Chamillionaire, who was still in his teens at the time.

Chamillionaire has stated that he was inspired by southern rap acts such as the Geto Boys, 8 Ball & MJG, and UGK, as well as other national acts such as N.W.A and Public Enemy.

At a young age, Chamillionaire, along with fellow rap music artist and childhood friend Paul Wall, had decided to make music their careers.

Chamillionaire has a brother, who is three years younger than him, Rasaq Seriki, who is also an occasional rapper and a past member of The Color Changin' Click.

Seriki's stage name Chamillionaire is a portmanteau of "chameleon" and "millionaire" While promoting at an event, Seriki and fellow rapper 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, Seriki (performing as 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.