Chamillionaire

Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire ( kə-MIL-yə-nair), is an American rapper and businessman. He began his career in Houston's hip hop scene in the late 1990s. He was briefly signed with the local record label Swishahouse until forming the hip hop duo The Color Changin’ Click with labelmate Paul Wall in 2002. The two signed with Houston's Paid in Full Entertainment to release the collaborative album Get Ya Mind Correct (2002), which entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Seriki signed with Universal Records as a solo act in 2005. His debut studio album, The Sound of Revenge (2005), peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and received critical praise, along with his second album, Ultimate Victory (2007). The former was preceded by the singles "Ridin'" (featuring Krayzie Bone) — which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Rap Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards — and "Turn It Up" (featuring Lil' Flip), while the latter was preceded by "Hip Hop Police" (featuring Slick Rick) and notable for its lack of profanity. His 2009 pop rap single, "Good Morning", peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 was intended to lead 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. Prior, he released the mixtape series Mixtape Messiah from 2004 to 2009.

He was the founder of the Color Changin' Click, which was formed in 2001 and disbanded in 2005. Chamillionaire founded Chamillitary Entertainment in 2004. 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 now-defunct social media app Convoz in January 2018.

Chamillionaire was born to a Muslim Yoruba father from Nigeria 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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. Chamillionaire won the Best New Artist award for the 2006 BET Awards

The second installment to the Mixtape Messiah series, Mixtape Messiah 2, was released January 5, 2006. Later in 2006, Chamillionaire was featured in the singles "Get Up" by Ciara, "That Girl" by Frankie J, "Bet That" by Trick Daddy, "King Kong" by Jibbs, and "Doe Boy Fresh" by Three Six Mafia in 2007.

In addition to being a musician, Seriki has embarked a business career and established himself as an entrepreneur in a number of industries. In 2003, he ventured into one of his earliest investments in a Houston-based auto dealer and car customization shop, Fly Rydes Kustom Toy'z. Chamillionaire's partner, Big Ernest, created the company years back, and Chamillionaire decided to collaborate with him to get "corporate money" for the business and build its clientele. Chamillionaire has since let Ernest take over the whole company, due to his career. He says; "Out here in Texas, that car thing is big. We'll do videos and rent all kinds of cars and people will waste all kinds of money on them, and instead, they can come spend that money with me."

Seriki founded his own record label; Chamillitary Entertainment. Seriki created the label after he had left his previous record labels, Swishahouse and Paid In Full Entertainment, as he was unsigned. It was distributed by Universal Records but has been independent since January 15, 2011, due to Chamillionaire and the label parting ways.

Seriki opened up a modelling company, called Masterpiece Mind Frame. He believes it is his way of giving back to those who have things to offer, he says, but do not know how to get there.

"I will go out and see people and everybody wants to make money, and I will meet video girls who want to live the good life and all, but it is like, you gotta have a plan, you know?" Chamillionaire stated. "That is why it's called Masterpiece Mind Frame because in the word mind frame, your MIND comes before your frame. Print modelling can turn into movies and other stuff, and you can just step all the way up the ladder. It's like that with males and females, and if you're trying to go somewhere, just walk up the ladder, you know, and take it to the next step."

It is reported that Chamillionaire also owns a Tour Bus company. He founded the company in 2006 after seeing the business potential from touring around the US after the release of The Sound of Revenge as a rapper. In addition, most of the tour buses have internet, cable, studio, DVD, surround sound and a shower.

Chamillionaire announced through a video log that he has a son born on May 14, 2010. He points out that his son's name, Xavier, means "new house". Chamillionaire has stated that despite being a Texas native, he has always been a Los Angeles Lakers fan. He goes on to say that "I know a few people think I'm on the bandwagon because the Lakers are a hot team but I was on the Lakers when people wasn't really rooting for them."

On June 3, 2010, Chamillionaire's third mortgage property home was foreclosed on by the bank. The rapper told TMZ in a public video claiming to have given it back to the bank after paying just over US$2 million on it and claims it was a bad investment and he was never in it.

On November 19, 2004, Chamillionaire's younger brother, Rasaq Seriki, was allegedly attacked by Paul Wall and his entourage at a nightclub. Chamillionaire expressed his disappointment in Paul Wall, arguing that they all used to be family and that these events should not have happened. Before the entire incident between Paul Wall and Rasaq they were all part of the group called "The Color Changin' Click" which now has become fragmented. Chamillionaire released a diss track with Rasaq titled "Go Head".

The dispute ended in 2010, when the pair reunited for a full tour. Paul Wall stated "It took a long time and us growing. You know, we started off as a group and a lot of times when you go your separates ways, a lot of people say, "Oh you can't do it without him" and so you wanna prove them wrong. I know for me, I wanted to prove everyone wrong and prove that I could make it on my own." Chamillionaire replied; "We had been bumping into each other a lot. It's kinda been died down for a little bit now but we just kinda needed that stamp of approval. I think the tour kinda just solidifies it for other people. It's not like today we just stopped beefing, we stop beefing a long time ago, but nobody believed us."