Chingo Bling, Blame the Comic, Jon Stringer

As one Texas' premier underground rappers/entrepreneurs, Chingo Bling has achieved a level of independent success that only a few in his generation have accomplished. Dubbed the Latin Russell Simmons because of his ability to skillfully parley himself into a remarkably successful brand, selling thousands of CDs, bobble-head dolls, coloring books, DVDs, t-shirts, hot sauce and tamales.

In 2002, Chingo Bling formed Big Chile Records and released his first mix tape as a solo artist called Duro en la Pintura, which means Hard in the Paint. The tape became an underground success, selling thousands of units and still considered a cult classic by fans of Texas rap. Chingo continued to expand his fan base by releasing a series of all flows mix tape that ultimately created the buzz for his independently released debut LP The Tamale Kingpin. Released in the year 2005, The Tamale Kingpin sold a whopping 10,000 units within the first few weeks. Unfortunately, the momentum of the record was marred because it had to be pulled due to his distributor 's unscrupulous payment practices. But Chingo remained undaunted and continued to drop mix tapes. Big Chile Records expanded its merchandising to include t-shirts, DVDs and bobble-head dolls. It even sold children's coloring books, hot sauce and tamales.

By 2006, Houston had become one of the major hubs for hip hop and Chingo Bling was in the forefront of it all. He was featured twice on MTV, once on MTV's My Block segment and on MTV News.

His incredible independent buzz led to an unprecedented deal with Warner/Asylum.

In May of 2007, Chingo Bling released his national debut They Can't Deport Us All to rave reviews and much controversy. The album dealt with issues affecting Mexican emigrants and thrust Chingo Bling into the national spotlight as an advocate for social justice.

Chingo Bling continues to lend his celebrity to charitable causes, doing things like speaking on college campuses and conferences such as the Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit. He also continues to be a viable force with the Southern and Latino hip hop community. He is currently delving into acting and working on new music that he promises will be a return to the humorous and witty music that his fans have come to know and love. " I'm just gonna continue having fun and making art," says Chingo. "I'm just talking shit and keeping it fresh and funny." Por favor, believe it!


Photo: Chingo Bling via Facebook