Texas may be known as the Lone Star State, but the southern hotbed has been responsible for birthing dozens of rap stars. While Houston, and even Dallas, has gotten a majority of the national spotlight over the years, newcomer Chalie Boy is set to change all of that. Representing Hearne and Calvert, Texas—two of the state’s smaller and overlooked cities—the rapper/singer possesses a unique style that offers up a refreshingly different sound than the chopped & screwed and candy coated content fans have come to expect from the region.
“I was heavily influenced by artists that fused hip-hop and R&B, like Nate Dogg and Screwed Up Click legend, Big Moe,” says Chalie, who also sites UGK, Scarface, Luther Vandross and Gerald Levert as musical influences. “I started singing in church when I was a kid and with my love for both R&B and hip-hop, I saw that there was an avenue for my particular style—it’s a hybrid of the two genres.”
Listening to various types of music coming up, Chalie, who got his start in the church choir, focused on singing in high school. While other kids were spittin’ verses at the lunchroom table, he was belting out harmonious melodies. It wasn’t until 2000 that Chalie decided to add rhyming to his musical repertoire. That year, he made his rap debut on local hip-hop group The Freestyle Kingz’ mixtape with Dirty 3rd Records’ DJ Bull. “I actually fused my singing with rapping,” recalls Chalie. “People really responded to it, so I felt like I had a lane to move in.”
Chalie did more than move in, he took over. Eventually signing with Dirty 3rd Records, the Texas titan went on to build up his buzz, performing alongside DJ Bull and The Freestyle Kingz on stage and on several hot mixtapes. It wasn’t long before Chalie and Freestyle Kingz member Tite formed a self-titled duo that released four successful tapes. By 2004 Chalie was ready to break out on his own and dropped his first solo mixtape, Makin’ My Way, which sold a respectable 20,000 units. A year later, a collection of original tracks and mixtape records were released as Chalie Boy’s Greatest Hits. The series was so successful that it spawned three more volumes that were equally popular. Chalie’s coming out party, however, would be via his 2006 mixtape, Versatyle Child, which included his first regional hit, “Bumpa Grill.” Return of The Versatyle Child would follow a year later, but 2009 would be when Chalie broke into the mainstream with his smash summer anthem, “I Look Good.” The feel-good record, and its remix featuring Slim Thug, Juvenile and Bun B, was such a huge success—cracking the top 50 on the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B chart—that the rap rookie and Dirty 3rd Records were able to sign with Battery/Jive Records in September 2009.
“Signing a major deal with a label like Jive/Battery Records is one of the highlights of my career,” says Chalie. “’I Look Good’ being a nationwide hit and the video being on MTV and BET’s 106 & Park countdown for several weeks are as well. Since 2000, I have constantly been doing shows and I have a very solid fan base. It’s really just been consistency, a lot of hard work and determination on the part of me, my label and my team.”
Over the course of the past few years, Chalie has opened for such high profile artists as Young Jeezy, T.I., Slim Thug, Gorilla Zoe, and The-Dream, among others. In addition, he’s been featured on over 200 mixtapes, including 12 solo and 10 group tapes. Constantly growing as an artist, the multi-faceted artist continues to perfect his craft and earn the respect of his peers. In 2009, he collaborated with Grammy Award-winning rapper Chamillionaire on “Call Me,” off Chalie’s I’m Here mixtape. Through his artistry and constant hustle, Chalie has proven that Texas is more than a lone star state. Now the determined to introduce his brand of hip-hop to mainstream audiences with his still-untitled major label debut. “I want to let the world know that there is more to my artistry than just the hit single, ‘I Look Good,’” says Chalie. “I want to let the world know that I’m here. I’ve had tons of fans in my region that have supported me for several years, but now it’s time for me to show the world what I have to offer.”