Hakeem Seriki (born November 28, 1979 in Houston, Texas) is a Grammy Award … Read Full Bio ↴Hakeem Seriki (born November 28, 1979 in Houston, Texas) is a Grammy Award nominated rapper, member of The Color Changin' Click and founder of Chamillitary Entertainment. Better known as Chamillionaire, he also uses nicknames such as The Mixtape Messiah, King Koopa, Color Changin' Lizard, Chamillinator, Chamillitary Mayne, Major Payne and The Truth From Texas. He began rapping in 1998, releasing mixtapes and a collab album with fellow Houston rapper Paul Wall. He released his debut album, The Sound of Revenge, in 2005, and his sophmore release, Ultimate Victory, in 2007. He plans to release his yet untitled third album at the end of 2009 or early 2010.

After his parents, a Muslim father from Oyo State, Nigeria and a Christian mother from the United States, separated in his early teenage years, Chamillionaire settled into a notoriously dangerous inner-city neighborhood in North Houston called Acres Homes, which he elaborated upon during an interview with Houston's 104.9 KPTY on October 3. Rap and other forms of secular music, which his parents had highly opposed in their household, became very appealing to the young Hakeem Seriki. Inspired by local 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, Chamillionaire began to compose his own ponies.

At a young age, Chamillionaire along with fellow rap music artist and childhood friend Paul Wall, had decided to make music their careers. One day while promoting themselves at a Texas event, Paul Wall and Chamillionaire ran into Michael 5000 Watts, a popular mixtape DJ from the Northside. After proposing to do promotions for Watts' company, the Swishahouse, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall came to Watts' studio and convinced Watts to allow them freestyle on an intro to Watts' radio show on Houston’s 97.9 The Box. 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. The freestyle became so popular in the streets that Chamillionaire and Paul Wall became regular staples on Houston's mixtape circuit, appeared on several of Watts' mixtapes, and became permanent members of Swishahouse.

Although Paul Wall and Chamillionaire were making much noise in the streets by rapping on Watts' mixtapes, they, along with several other members of the Swishahouse, became frustrated with the lack of money they were receiving from the mixtapes. After fellow member Slim Thug left the label, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall followed and started their own mixtape group known as The Color Changin' Click. Each successive mixtape released by The Color Changin' Click led to more business opportunities; the most notable of which being a contract to do a full album for Paid in Full Records. A one album contract was then negotiated between the Color Changin' Click and Paid in Full's label head, DJ Madd Hatta from 97.9 The Box, and the CCC's first album, Get Ya Mind Correct, would go on to sell over 100,000 copies.

The sale of all these albums without the backing of a major deal caught the attention of several major labels wanting to sign Chamillionaire and Paul. Chamillionaire and his labelmates decided to remain independent, however, until the right deal came along. While working on his second album with the Color Changin' Click, Chamillionaire began to have creative differences with Paul Wall, so much so that it was decided that the two emcees should each release solo albums that would be packaged together. When Chamillionaire became dissatisfied with how things were being resolved, he left Paid in Full and his almost complete album after fulfilling his contractual obligations to focus on promoting his mixtape label Chamillitary instead. As a kid, Chamillionaire was a big fan of MANKind, also known as Big June.

Chamillionaire's Myspace

This kid from Houston, Texas has some nerve. That's what came to mind as you watched an MTV special in early 2005 showcasing H-Town's commercial and artistic re-emergence on the rap scene. Following his brazen freestyle, the focused and much-heralded MC known as Chamillionaire faced a national audience and launched a swagger-filled proclamation on camera: "I'm the truth from Texas..." While such boasting may seem par-for-the-course in the prideful 25-year-plus history of hip-hop, the latter ambitious statement aptly describes Chamillionaire. It's the reason why he earned the lofty alias "The Mixtape Messiah," a title Cham was crowned after independently selling over 100,000 copies of the Get Ya Mind Correct album, and by selling thousands of his numerous mix tapes. It's why the former member of Houston's legendary mix-tape power Swisha House garnered coverage in such major hip-hop publications as Source and XXL without the backing of a major deal. When the Houston lyricist set off a major label bidding war to distribute his Chamillitary Records, it became abundantly clear throughout the 'hood and the music industry Chamillionaire is indeed the truth.

With his major-label debut The Sound Of Revenge set for release on Universal Records, Chamillionaire is poised to take his place among Houston's current hip-hop elite, including the new generation of rhyme-spitters such as Lil' Flip, Slim Thug, Mike Jones and Paul Wall, as well respected vets UGK and Scarface. "You call out a lot of rappers and ask them why they are the best and they are going to tell you everything but the music," Cham laughs. "They will tell you that they are the best because they have some nice rims, a chain, and a mansion." He then adds in a straight-no-chaser tone, "You've heard all the hype about Chamillionaire; that he's sick with the lyrics, sings hooks, and represents the streets and the clubs. But I just want to come as close as possible to living up to my reputation."

Chamillionaire recruits an impressive list of talent on his debut effort, including Lil' Flip, Bun B, Scarface, and Krayzie Bone, as well as in-demand producers Scott Storch (50 Cent), Mannie Fresh (Lil' Wayne, Baby, Juvenile) and Cool & Dre (The Game). But, it's his work with Atlanta studio kings The Beat Bullies (1Big Boi/OutKast) that sets the tone for much of The Sound Of Revenge's diverse platform. "They understand me," Cham says of the in-house producers. "There are a lot of producers that have dope beats, but they don't know me as an artist. [The Beat Bullies] being from Atlanta, can take it to the strip clubs, the streets and to the radio."

The name Chamillionaire represents the unique style that defines the talented urban artist, and his ability to change and adapt on the fly, forcing people to respect the true breadth of his talent. And just as this MC moniker exemplifies, Chamillionaire is anything but predictable and most certainly versatile. "Picture Perfect" featuring Bun B comes off as a lyrical nod to the classic 'hood swagger of UGK, while the Beat Bullies'-anchored "Radio Interruption" showcases Cham's prowess for walking the blurred line between street praise and mass appeal. The storytelling brilliance of "No Snitching" (Cool & Dre), finds Cham detailing the unwritten laws of 'hood politics. On the Scott Storch produced "Turn It Up," Cham tag-teams with freestyle king Lil' Flip as they spit over an infectious track that is Houston's answer to a summer club banger. And the soulful "Here Comes The Rain" finds Chamillionaire exploring the daily struggles of life with heartfelt lyricism and ghetto angst.

"It's a very personal song and the title says it all," Cham says of the revealing track. "In a person's life the rain symbolizes the struggles we all go through. Whether you are dealing with losing a loved one or your rent is due on the 1st, but it's the 3rd and you don't have it. I'm just talking about surviving the tough times."

Chamillionaire has definitely seen his share of struggles on his road to redemption. Born to a Muslim father and Christian mother, secular music was banned in his household. Chamillionaire was barely a teenager when he moved to a low-income neighborhood in the notorious North Side of Houston, following the separation of his parents. By the early '90s, however, rap rebels such as NWA, Public Enemy, as well as hometown heroes The Geto Boys, 8-Ball & MJG and UGK would inspire a young Hakeem to write his own rhymes.

-------------------------------------------------------
(C) Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia
Chamillionaire's Myspace

Leanin'
Chamillionaire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus:]
Soon as it get dark (darrrk)
We can hit the town (we can hit the tooown)
Let ya sit down (let ya seat doownn)
And we leanin, we leanin

Pull up in my car (carrr)
Turnin up my sound (turnin up my souund)

Let's ride around (let's ride arouund)
And we leanin, we leanin

Uh

[Verse 1:]
Went got the crib in cali but still pay the texas taxes
I live with heat incase they try to stick me like a cactus
I took the spur and put the custom paint on just for practice
They sleep on me but I'm never sleeping like what's a mattress
Tellers the only girl that call me by my government
Make a withdrawl by tommorrow il probably double it
I left a stack in the benz and valet discovered it but I also left my strap in the back so yea I recovered it
Shout out to short dawg, both short dawgs
I'm jammin that pimp c I'm bout to knock some dows off
They say the cost of livings high that's why I pole vault
Over the money till shes lyin there no cloth
Look how we do can't say them boys from texas ain't the trillest
I hit em with a what the heck you talkin bout like willis
Or gary they ask me how profitable that my deal is
I say forget the deal let's hit the streets I'm bout to kill it

[Chorus]

[Hook:]
Sunday morning pullin out my benz I'm lookin good

[Verse 2:]
Yea I know I rep texas where we talk wreckless about the checks and addicted to gripping wood
All-star weekend she talkin bout freakin wet as a pool then I go hop in the deep end till ya insides weaken and ya can't stop reachin, for cover because ya feel like ya need help breathing.
Never be more than a fling cause you and your little sister
Always want to be next to it like morticia
Cause I'm 10 times crisper but il never kiss her
Price will always come after that like fisher
But I ain't feelin that plus when I let that ceiling back
She gon forget that she ever wanted to get a stack
Like eww and your ceiling that the fat lady likes it's a rap
The streets will applaude I hit the corner and hear em clap

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Chamillionaire's song "Leanin'" describe a night out with friends, complete with cruising in a car with loud music and leaning back in the seats. The chorus sets the scene, with the singer urging his friends to join him as they venture out for the evening. The first verse highlights the singer's success, but he remains cautious and vigilant; he wants to be always prepared to defend himself (even if it means carrying a firearm). He boasts of his skills at making money but ultimately declares that he's more interested in achieving success on his own terms, rather than relying on others (i.e., record labels).

In the second verse, the singer boasts about his confidence with women and his ability to keep them interested without getting too attached. He disparages women who are only interested in his wealth, however, and dismisses them as superficial. The hook reinforces the singer's confidence and self-assurance, as he cruises around in his luxury vehicle.

Overall, "Leanin'" is a song that celebrates success, independence, and the freedom to enjoy life on one's own terms.

Line by Line Meaning

Soon as it get dark (darrrk)
As soon as the night arrives

We can hit the town (we can hit the tooown)
We can go out

Let ya sit down (let ya seat doownn)
I will let you have a seat

And we leanin, we leanin
We are relaxing, enjoying ourselves

Pull up in my car (carrr)
I will arrive in my vehicle

Turnin up my sound (turnin up my souund)
I will increase the volume of my music

Let's ride around (let's ride arouund)
We will drive aimlessly

And we leanin, we leanin
We are relaxing, enjoying ourselves

Went got the crib in cali but still pay the texas taxes
I own a house in California but still pay taxes in Texas

I live with heat incase they try to stick me like a cactus
I own firearms in case someone tries to rob or harm me

I took the spur and put the custom paint on just for practice
I added custom paint to my car for fun

They sleep on me but I'm never sleeping like what's a mattress
People underestimate me, but I am always working hard

Tellers the only girl that call me by my government
A woman named Tellers is the only person who calls me by my real name

Make a withdrawl by tommorrow il probably double it
I can make a significant profit quickly

I left a stack in the benz and valet discovered it but I also left my strap in the back so yea I recovered it
I left a large amount of money in my car, and the valet found it, but I also left my gun in the car and went back to get it

Shout out to short dawg, both short dawgs
I want to give a shout out to two rappers named Short Dawgs

I'm jammin that pimp c I'm bout to knock some dows off
I am listening to music by a rapper named Pimp C and preparing to perform well

They say the cost of livings high that's why I pole vault
People say that the cost of living is high, so I need to make a lot of money

Over the money till shes lyin there no cloth
I am focusing on making money, even if it means neglecting my personal relationships

Look how we do can't say them boys from texas ain't the trillest
People cannot deny that we are the realest people from Texas

I hit em with a what the heck you talkin bout like willis
I respond to people who say ridiculous things, like the character Willis from a TV show

Or gary they ask me how profitable that my deal is
People ask me how much money I make from my music career

I say forget the deal let's hit the streets I'm bout to kill it
I am confident in my musical abilities and want to focus on performing live

Sunday morning pullin out my benz I'm lookin good
On Sunday morning, I drive my Mercedes-Benz and feel confident about my appearance

Yea I know I rep texas where we talk wreckless about the checks and addicted to gripping wood
I acknowledge that I represent Texas, where people speak boldly about money and are obsessed with car rims

All-star weekend she talkin bout freakin wet as a pool then I go hop in the deep end till ya insides weaken and ya can't stop reachin, for cover because ya feel like ya need help breathing.
During All-Star weekend, a woman talks about being sexually aroused. I have sex with her so vigorously that she becomes exhausted and feels like she can't breathe

Never be more than a fling cause you and your little sister
This woman will never be more than a temporary relationship because she and her little sister are both interested in me

Always want to be next to it like morticia
This woman always wants to be close to me, like the character Morticia from The Addams Family

Cause I'm 10 times crisper but il never kiss her
I am much cooler than her, but I do not have romantic feelings for her

Price will always come after that like fisher
Money is more important than relationships

But I ain't feelin that plus when I let that ceiling back
I do not agree with that philosophy

She gon forget that she ever wanted to get a stack
This woman will forget about her desire for money

Like eww and your ceiling that the fat lady likes it's a rap
I am uninterested in her once I realize that she is obsessed with money and has poor taste in decorations

The streets will applaude I hit the corner and hear em clap
People will appreciate my music when I perform live

Writer(s): Chamillionaire

Contributed by Austin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS