Chingy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and began rapping in his late teens. He toured as an opening act with Nelly in the summer of 2002 and then became a protégé of Ludacris, who signed him to his newly formed Disturbing Tha Peace (DTP) record label. The rapper's 2003 summer debut single, "Right Thurr", put him on the musical map as a good-time rapper who specialized in catchy, club-friendly beats and simplistic lyrics delivered in a sing-song, nursery rhyme style.

Chingy's 2003 debut album, Jackpot, sold three million copies, thanks to the boost from "Right Thurr". A second album, Powerballin', was released in 2004 to mixed reviews, and his 2006 release Hoodstar spawned the hit singles "Pullin' Me Back" (featuring Tyrese Gibson) and "Dem Jeans" (featuring Jermaine Dupri). In 2007, his fourth album, Hate It or Love It was released under Disturbing tha Peace, preceded by lead single "Fly Like Me" (featuring Amerie). A studio album, Success & Failure, was released in 2010. In 2018, he made his official debut as a record producer with his single "Sparks Fly" which debuted on July 4, 2018.