Chingo Bling
| Chingo Bling | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Pedro Herrera III |
| Born |
September 5, 1979 Houston, Texas, USA |
| Genres | Hip hop, Mexican rap, Southern hip hop, Chicano rap |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, record producer |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | Big Chile Enterprises / Asylum Records |
| Associated acts |
South Park Mexican Stunta Lucky Luciano Paul Wall Pitbull Trae Akwiddropped |
| Website |
www |
Pedro Herrera III (born September 5, 1979 in Houston, Texas), better known by his stage name Chingo Bling, is an American rapper and producer of Mexican descent.
Early life and education
Chingo attended Peddie School, a private college preparatory boarding school in Hightstown, New Jersey, on a scholarship.[1] Chingo graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a bachelor's degree in Marketing in 2001.[2]
Career
Herrera started rapping as the Mexican/Chicano self-parodying alter ego Chingo Bling around 2000, and by 2001 he released his first mixtape called "Duro En La Pintura" followed by "El Mero Chingon". In 2002, Herrera founded Big Chile Enterprises. At the 2003 Houston Press Awards, Chingo Bling won Best Comedian of the Year. Herrera managed to get on MTV twice before ever releasing a music album. Herrera's debut album was set to be released by late 2003 named "What Did He Said?", but was later changed to "Tamale Kingpin." The album was released on May 5, 2004 and contained the hit single "Walk Like Cleto" .The album was an underground hit with over 150,000 copies sold and was notable in the Houston underground rap scene, giving Chingo Bling underground fame. Herrera released "Chingo 4 President" in April 05, 2005, he broke out of the underground and earned mainstream fame resulting in big labels trying to sign Chingo Bling as an artist in 2005. By 2006, Chingo Bling and Big Chile Interprises were at the top of their career. In Early 2006 all the major labels started to offer Herrera major distribution for Big Chile Enterprises, Herrera signed a $80 million distribution deal with Asylum/Warner on April 1 ,2006. His big worldwide debut album was set to be released for late 2006 called "Welcome to the Border" but was later changed to "They Can't Deport Us All" and was set for May 05, 2007, but was later setback to August 14, 2007. It debuted at #123 on the Billboard 200 Chart in its first week selling 6,000 copies. The album sold over 500,000 copies in just five months, it was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 2008. It has sold over 830,000 copies to date.
Label bidding war
In early 2006, Chingo Bling made headlines when he drew the attention of major record labels eager to sign him because of his unique lyrical abilities, notably Bad Boy Latino, Universal Records, Asylum (owned by Warner Music Group), Capitol Records, and Atlantic Records.[3] On April 1, 2006, he made the announcement on Chicano Radio Network (www.CRNLive.com) that he has signed a distribution deal with Asylum Records.[4] While he still maintains his independent status from the label, his distribution deal will manage to give him major financial backing for his upcoming projects.[5]
Controversy
Chingo Bling had been criticized for the title of his second album They Can't Deport Us All. He was interviewed on CW39 News and said his family's tamale truck has been shot at, vandalized and even, on one occasion, stolen. He also stated he has been receiving racist threats from White nationalist groups, but still does not wish to change his album's title.[6] Chingo also alleges that he was refused the opportunity to appear at a scheduled in-store album signing at a Dallas shopping mall as a direct result of the controversy surrounding his clothing and album name.[5] He also asserts that he is the target of numerous Conservative journalists and right wing bloggers who criticize him because of his music and marketing concepts related to immigration.[5]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | RIAA | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 200 |
US R&B/Hip-Hop |
US Heatseekers Albums |
US Rap Albums | |||
| 2004 | The Tamale Kingpin | 66 | - | 25 | ||
| 2005 | Chingo Bling 4 President | - | - | - | ||
| 2007 | They Can't Deport Us All | 123 | 28 | 2 | 11 | |
| 2009 | Me Vale Madre | - | - | - | - | |
See also
References
- ↑ Chingo Bling, MTV. Accessed February 5, 2011. "To keep him away from the city's turbulent city life, his parents sent him away to the prestigious Peddie School, a private boarding school in New Jersey, on a scholarship."
- ↑ John T. Edge (May 24, 2011). "Rapping About Tamales and Deportation". The New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
Mr. Herrera conceived the persona in the late 1990s, while studying at Trinity University in San Antonio and working as a D.J. for fraternity parties and radio shows. By 2001, soon after he graduated with a marketing degree...
- ↑ Bolden, Janee. Chingo Bling Label Bidding War. SOHH.com. March 31, 2006. Retrieved on February 10, 2007.
- ↑ Mears, Bill. Chingo Bling Signes Distribution Deal with Asylum. xxlmag.com. August 10, 2006. Retrieved on September 16, 2010.
- 1 2 3 Latin Hip Hop Interview - "Chingo Bling Knocks Down Industry Borders"
- ↑ Houston Press - "Chingo Bling: They Can't Deport Us All"
External links
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