I-20 – Flicking Ashes video

I-20 – Down South video

Playaz Circle – Dear Mr. LA Reid video

Disturbing Tha Peace’s Playaz Circle single from their album “Supply and Demand”

Chingy Bio

Hate It Or Love It

In 2007, it’s all about change for a rapper named Chingy. From his rejoining his Disturbing Tha Peace family to his joining with Def Jam to relocating to Atlanta to unveiling his newest disc Hate It or Love It, Chingy is making all the right moves. “It’s not like I’m trying to prove anything,” Chingy states “For me, it’s all about trying to make good music for everybody around the world. The one thing I wanted to do on my new disc Hate It or Love It was to try and dig a little deeper. I’m older now, and I want to talk about more things than money and cars. I’m a grown man now, and vocally I’m better at expressing myself.”

Though it has been four years since Chingy released his popular first single “Right Thurr,the world has not been the same for the popular rapper. “I come from a neighborhood known as the Bad Blocks,” he says. “I grew-up around pimps, dope fiends, whores and gangs. Thankfully, it
was music that gave me a way out. To go from being a Blood to touring Japan was unreal. Now, Japan is one of my favorite places in the world.”

Growing-up as the middle child with two older brothers and two younger sisters, Chingy has been a music fan since he was a boy. “I was already trying to rap when I was a kid,” he says, citing Run-DMC and Ice Cube as early beatbox heroes. “I also listen to my share of old school music, so I know as much about Luther Vandross as I do about NWA.”

Already writing lyrics by the time he was nine and recording raps at ten, he says, “I wish I had kept those old lyric books that I used. I had so many of them.” He pulls from these older days on one of Chingy’s favorite new tracks from Hate It or Love It, “Kick Drum,” where he laces the lyrics with some of that old school inspiration. “I just wanted to do something that was pure hip-hop,” he says. “That’s why I gave it a little Das-EFX flavor.”

Besides rhyming, in the last few years Chingy has spread his acting wings, making appearances on sitcoms My Wife and Kids, The George Lopez Show and One On One. “Acting is something I really want to take seriously,” he says. “I also would like to have my own cologne. We can call it, Confident.”

Traveling the world has also made Chingy a bit of an expert on life abroad. “Australia is another one of my favorite countries, because I feel so much love when I go over there,” Chingy says. “But, being a real history buff, I want to go to Egypt to see the pyramids. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

While signed to Capitol/Disturbing Tha Peace Records (the powerhouse team behind Ludacris), Chingy released the Double platinum selling Jackpot in 2003, which propelled the laid-back rapper into a household name, teen dream sex symbol and fly-boy lyricist. Still, his success
was not without trouble.

In a public dispute with his managers over money, Chingy broke away from the crew at DTP in 2004 and released Powerballin’ in the same year, dropping the singles “Balla Baby” and “Don’t Worry.” Putting out his third album Hoodstar in 2006 under his own label, Slot-A-Lot
Records and Capitol, the album had two popular singles–”Pullin’ Me Back” and “Dem Jeans.”

In April 2007 Chingy signed back with DTP, and left Capitol Records for Island Def Jam. “It was all a mistake,” says Chingy. “I was new to the industry, and I trusted people I shouldn’t have. However, after the Billboard Awards last year, me, Luda, Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon met. Afterwards, I was back with the DTP; we left all our issues in that room at the MGM Grand.”

The first single is “Fly Like Me,” produced by L.T Moe and features Amerie. “Many of my fans are women, so I wanted to create a track that spoke directly to them.”

From the hypnotic debut single “Fly Like Me” to the cultural commentary of “They Don’t Know” (featuring Anthony Hamilton), Chingy is on a mission to be taken seriously.” In addition, Hate It or Love It (whose title track is hotter than the third rail) features appearances from Ludacris, Amerie, Rick Ross, Bobby Valentino, Trey Songz, and Anthony Hamilton. Still, while there is no shame in the party vibe, Chingy also wanted to pay tribute to the “real women” in his life on “Lovely Ladies.”

Produced by Khao, the sizzling song, says Chingy, “Was written with my mom, my sisters and my two grand mothers in mind. If it wasn’t for women guiding me when I was younger, who knows where I would be. Just because I’m not considered a ‘conscious rapper’ like my man Common, doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking about things.”

Another track that Chingy is quite proud of is “They Don’t Know,” which loudly speaks to critics from Bill O’Reilly to Oprah who has verbally slammed hip-hop culture. “Those who are attacking rap need to take a closer look at the communities that produce this music,” Chingy
says. “They are ignoring the real problems like poverty and poor school systems, then they blame the very people who are the victims. Rappers aren’t creating these problems, we’re just telling the world about the dramas we see.”

Unafraid of showing his true colors, the beauty of Hate It or Love It can be heard in Chingy’s honest lyrics, impeccable flow and precise production. If you are ready for a flight, this is the disc that will take you there.

DTP Records artist Playaz Circle will release their debut album, Supply And Demand, on October 30.

Lead single Duffle Bag Boy ft Lil Wayne is blowing up. #21 at Urban Radio!

Playaz Circle ft Lil Wayne – Duffle Bag Boy

Playaz Circle
Supply And Demand – Oct 30
DTP/Def Jam
www.dtprecords.com

About Playaz Circle

The history of music is replete with dynamic duos, all of whom have made an indelible impression on this genre of music called hip-hop. Over the years great acts like EPMD, Raekwon & Ghostface, Outkast and 8ball & MJG have made history by consistently releasing classic material that has impacted the lives of generations to come. With the release of Atlanta based duo Playaz Circle’s fantastic debut LP entitled Supply And Demand, Tity Boi and Dolla Boy will make history by expanding the list of seminal hip-hop duos by one more entry.

Formed back in 1997 by two childhood friends, Playaz Circle (AKA the Duffle Bag Boys) did whatever it took to make ends meet even if it meant hustling. “We were a small crew from College Park,” says Tity Boi (Tauheed Epps). “We were making money and going from one level to the next, so we came up with Playaz Circle. It’s an acronym for Playaz that stands for Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A to Z (A to Z meaning from beginning to end). We wanted to make a “legal” hustle, stay out of jail and stay out of the grave.”

One of the moves that the crew decided involved pooling their monies together and recording an independent CD that eventually made its way to the streets called United We Stand, United We Fall. It would later prove to be one of the smartest moves they ever made.

“What happened was when we put together our lil’ CD it actually sounded good, explains Tit. We had everybody on there including Lil Fate, I-20, and other DTP members and just the people that we mess with…our friends. For a lotta of us, it was our first or second time recording anything, but we actually sounded good to where it gave us confidence-getting feedback from our fans and friends and whatnot. We were like maybe we can do it. So me and Dolla just kept it going.”

Another aspiring rapper who moved to their College Park apartment complex and would soon become a part of their circle was a loquacious MC named Chris Bridges (AKA Ludacris), who would one day be the opening act for PC. According to the Circle, Luda first befriended Lil’ Fate and the two of them soon started working on demo tapes at his place. Shortly afterwards Lil’ Fate introduced Luda to Tit and they all became friends, who shared a common dream making it in the rap game day. But as fate would have it, Dolla and Tit ended up taking a little detour before reaching their ultimate goals.

“I had gotten locked up so they couldn’t really promote like they wanted to,” explains Dolla, (AKA Earl Conyers.) I was gone for two years.” Eventually the streets would catch up to Tit when he got shot in a low income housing complex. Upon hearing about his friend’s tragedy Ludacris reached out to help immediately. “Chris basically sent Chaka Zulu (co-CEO of DTP) to my house and said man let’s do [the rap thing] for real.” Tit accepted his offer and joined the Disturbing Tha Peace family, but like Ludacris, he didn’t forget his family. When Tit was offered a spot on DTP gold-selling Golden Grain LP he got Dolla and got Jook, his producer from back in the day. The result of their collaboration was “From the Playpen to the State Pen,’ a song that generated a small buzz and showed the DTP family that Playaz Circle had good chemistry. Encouraged by the reception that they got from the Golden Grain album, Tit and Dolla continued collaborating behind the scenes, recording more and more songs, waiting for their moment in the spotlight.

I’d do some songs with Dolla and present them to Ludacris and he’d say man y’all sound good together,” recalls Tit. “And I’d say y’all oughta do something with this; holla at Dolla and let’s do it. And Luda would say talk to Chaka. But whenever I would go to Chaka, he would always say it wasn’t the right time. By the time it was time for DTP to come out with other artists I think that Chaka kinda felt it was the right situation for us and we agreed so they just put it down on the table.”

Supply And Demand is Dolla and Tit magnum opus debut on DTP/Universal records. According to the two the albums basic theme is derived from their own life experiences, which has taught the harsh realities of supply-side economics. “We were raised to be hustlers,” says Tit. “You know coming up through the struggle you learn quick that if it is something around you that will sell or if there’s a demand for it then you need to be the one who supplies it.”

Produced by a throng of super-talented producers, among them DJ Paul and Juicy J (of 3-6 Mafia), Jazze Pha, DJ Toomp, Mannie Fresh, Ice Drake, LT, Midi Mafia and the Heatmakers and filled with riveting songs that capture both the joy and pain of ghetto living, Supply And Demand provide the sonic syllabus for ghetto economics 101. “Gucci Bag,” the first single is a crunk, club-friendly joint that expounds upon Playaz Circle’s hustler’s mentality. Built around a thunderous 808 driven beat, intense high hats and funky string, “Gucci Bag” has created quite a buzz on the streets and radio. “Gucci Bag is a big song for us,” says Dolla. “It’s a commercial song that doesn’t compromise who we are as artists because it still has a street edge to it. It’s all about how we like nice things and how we go out there and hustle for it. It’s a banging track!”

On the Jazze Pha, produced joint entitled “Playaz Circle” Tity Boi and Dolla Boy spit game to all the haters and lames over a slinky 70’s style groove. Check out this heated rhyme by Dolla: “I’m out the game, got no time to coach you/ But if you run through the snow with no shoes/ I’m hell on ho’s and even worse on Pro-Tools.” On the track “You Can’t Believe It,” the playas continue the 70’s pimped out vibe. This time they are joined by their old friend Ludacris, who after hearing how hot the song was, insisted that he get on it.

With all the hype surrounding Playaz Circle and their fantastic DTP/Universal debut Supply And Demand, Dolla and Tit are set to teach their brand of ghetto economics to the world. “I don’t think that hip hop has really seen anything like we have to offer,” says Dolla. “Nobody has ever done what we do and nobody can do what we do. That’s because as artist we are unique individuals. We know who we are. We know what we’re doing and we do it well.”

LUDACRIS AND DISTURBING THA PEACE RECORDS READY FOR STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, 3rd DTP ALL-STAR COMPILATION, DUE AUG. 28th

Starring: Ludacris, Bobby Valentino, Block Xchange, Brolic D, Chingy, I-20, Serius Jones, Steph Jones, Lil’ Fate, Playaz Circle, Shareefa, Shawn Jay, Shawnna, Small World, Smoke, and Willy Northpole

TWO ADVANCE TRACKS IMPACTING NOW AT RADIO MIX SHOW FORMATS:

“Duffle Bag Boy” by Playaz Circle feat. Lil’ Wayne (impacts at Urban radio July 23rd)

“Celebrity Chick” by Ludacris, Chingy, Steph Jones, and Small World (impact at Rhythm format, on August 27th, and at Pop radio on Aug. 27th)

(July 9, 2007 – New York, NY) Call it the ultimate mixtape event of 2007, as STRENGTH IN NUMBERS showcases the label’s family of artists on 12 brand new previously unreleased tracks, set to arrive in stores on August 28th.

In addition to multi-platinum DTP core artists Ludacris, who is CEO of the company (distributed worldwide by Island Def Jam Music Group), and Bobby Valentino, the new comp­ila­tion stars (in alphabetical order): Block Xchange, Brolic D, Chingy, I-20, Serius Jones, Steph Jones, Lil’ Fate, Playaz Circle, Shareefa, Shawn Jay, Shawnna, Small World, Smoke, and Willy Northpole.

With one exception, every track on STRENGTH IN NUMBERS is a collaboration of two or more DTP artists. In advance of the album’s street date, two tracks have been singled out for impact last week and this week at all radio Mix Show formats: “Duffle Bag Boy” by Playaz Circle featuring Lil’ Wayne; and the album’s opening track, “Celebrity Chick” by Ludacris, Chingy, Steph Jones, and Small World. Looking ahead, “Duffle Bag Boy” will impact at Urban radio on July 23rd; on the same date, “Celebrity Chick” will impact at the Rhythm format, and on August 27th, it will impact at Pop radio.

The video for “Celebrity Chick” was filmed earlier this week in Los Angeles, and is expected to premiere in mid-July, date to be announced shortly. Also, look for a special BET “Access Granted” feature on the making of the video on July 18th. The video for “Duffle Bag Boy” will be shot soon.

As of this writing, the track sequence for STRENGTH BY NUMBERS is as follows:

1. “Celebrity Chick” – by Chingy, Steph Jones, and Small World
2. “Hot Tamales” by Small World, Chingy, and Serius Jones
3. “Jealous Of Me” by Small World, Shawn Jay, and Tity Boi
4. “Don’t Check Me” by Ludacris, Playaz Circle, and I-20
5. “Windy City” by Block Xchange, Shawnna, and Ludacris
6. “The Game” by Shareefa, Serius Jones, Chingy, and Small World
7. “DTP” by Willy Northpole and I-20
9. “Speakers In the Trunk” by Brolic D and Tity Boi
10. “Let’s Go”(Remix) by Bobby Valentino featuring Lil’ Fate
11. “Duffle Bag Boy” by Playaz Circle featuring Lil’ Wayne
12. “Live On Stage” by DTP Family (including Small World, Brolic D, Playaz Circle, Smoke, Willy Northpole, and Ludacris)
13. “Act Like Us” by Playaz Circle, Serius Jones, and Willy Northpole
14. “We Ain’t Worried ‘Bout U” by Ludacris

STRENGTH BY NUMBERS marks the third time that Ludacris has dedicated an entire album to spotlighting his label roster. After debuting in 2000 with his triple-platinum Incognegro (aka Back For the First Time, with “What’s Your Fantasy” and “Southern Hospitality”), followed in 2001 with the triple-platinum Word Of Mouf (with “Area Codes,” “Move B***h,” and “Saturday (Oooh Oooh!)”) – 2002 brought Golden Grain. The 15-track album presented tracks with Shawnna, Lil’ Fate, Tity Boi, I-20, and others (as well as guests Scarface, Mystikal, and Too Short).

Luda came back strong in 2003 with the double-platinum Chicken-N-Beer, the #1 Pop/#1 R&B, success that gave him his first across-the-board #1 Rap/#1 R&B/ #1 Pop cross­over hit, “Stand Up.” It was followed by the double-platinum The Red Light District in 2004.

The second DTP compilation was released in December 2005, Ludacris Presents … Disturbing Tha Peace. The 17-track package that starred Ludacris, Bobby Valentino, Shawnna, Playaz Circle, Lil’ Fate, I-20, Shareefa, Field Mob, Lazyeye, Norflck, as well as guest shots by Jamie Foxx, Stat Quo and others. The platinum Grammy Winning Release Therapy, the most recent solo album by Ludacris, was released September 2006, and spun off the #1 single “Runaway Love” featuring Mary J. Blige.