Chingy Albums (4)
'Hate It or Love It'
Release Date 12/11/2007
Tracks 14
Label DTP Recordings
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Newly realigned with Ludacris' Disturbing the Peace, Chingy looks hard to repeat the success he had with "Right Thurr" on Hate It or Love It, trying to mix his singsongy vocals with synth-and-bass-heavy beats. He's all swagger and tough talk, but the production's so fluffy, moving from club-ready to third-rate Casio beats that do nothing to aid Chingy's already suspect rhymes, that it's hard to believe he's anything more than, well, the man who brought the world "Right Thurr." The rapper's certainly not known for his lyrics, relying instead on catchy riffs and drums to propel his songs across radios nationwide. "2 Kool 2 Dance" (is that like "2 Legit 2 Quit"?) uses a decent L.T. Moe half-hyphy beat, but the hook (the title repeated ad infinitum) can't quite redeem itself as dance- or rock-worthy, and the other songs follow suit, whether they're boasts about his cars, his women, his clothes, or the sheer amount of cash he has. To his credit, Chingy speaks repeatedly of one woman he's fallen for, who he wants to be with and spend money on ("What's mines is yours," he says in "Spend Some $"), and two tracks toward the end of the album even border on the reflective ("Lovely Ladies," about his love for his mother, grandmother, and sisters, and "How We Feel," about the way blacks are treated in America, and containing the perhaps subversive Obama endorsement "I don't think we ready for a lady president/It's evident that it's a man's world, so it's irrelevant"). ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Only two singles came from Chingy's second album, 2004's Powerballin', neither of which matched the successes or strengths of Jackpot's "Right Thurr" and "One Call Away." Hoodstar makes it more apparent that the St. Louis MC's overnight popularity was like lightning in a bottle. Like a number of rap albums from the distant and recent past (Cassidy's Split Personality, for instance), Hoodstar is broken into sections with themes, but the themes in this case -- the "hood" side and the "star" side -- aren't all that distinct. The hood side has songs titled "Hands Up" and "Nike Aurr's & Crispy Tee's," while the star side has songs titled "Ass N da Aurr" and "Brand New Kicks," so we're not exactly dealing with a modern-day Death Certificate. Once again, Chingy does his best to balance his softer side (which he still does best, as in the Tyrese feature "Pullin' Me Back") with some menace (as in the Three 6 Mafia feature "Club Gettin' Crowded"). Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, Mr. Collipark, Mannie Fresh, Kwamé, and longtime collaborators Trak Starz make for an impressive lineup of producers. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Delivered a little over a year after the multi-platinum debut, Powerballin' initially comes across as an attempt to position Chingy closer to the street and further away from pop. However, it eventually becomes apparent that the album is not much different in scope from Jackpot. Apart from further emphasis on fame and riches -- as indicated by the addition of one more vehicle, three women, and a lot more jewelry on the otherwise similar cover -- what separates this from the debut is the smaller number of effective hooks. So, in effect, it seems less pop-oriented. The Trak Starz are on board again, but they share a good amount of the production duties with a couple newcomers. David Banner produces and Nate Dogg assists on "All the Way to St. Lou," unsurprisingly one of the best tracks on the album. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A pop-rap sensation weeks before his debut album was even released, Chingy didn't really need a solid effort to move platinum-level units, as his massive breakthrough debut single, "Right Thurr," was certainly enough in itself. The track borrows everything wonderful about Nelly's "Hot in Herre" smash hit from the summer before. From the bouncy, bassy beats to the Southerrn dialect, and from the sexual overtones to the teen pop accessibility of the hook, "Right Thurr" is an instant party rap classic. The remainder of Jackpot -- especially "Holidae In," featuring both Ludacris and Snoop Dogg -- is nearly as tailor-made for pop-rap appeal. Credit largely goes to the Trak Starz, whose Neptunesque productions fill the album (they produce all but one song). On the downside, the quality of the hooks sometimes doesn't match up to that of the beats, and Chingy himself lacks the substance to match his style. Still, there are enough well-crafted songs on Jackpot to make it an entertaining listen from beginning to end, provided you skip past a few songs here and there. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
