Powerballin' [CD & DVD]

Personnel: Chingy; Gary James, Erik "Baby Jesus" Coomes, Dee Dee James (guitar); Zaneta Bailey (background vocals); David Banner, Janet Jackson, Lil Wayne, Nate Dogg, R. Kelly, Ziggy, Lil' Flip, G.I.B., Boozie, Bun B.
Audio Mixer: Leslie Brathwaite.
Audio Remixer: Leslie Brathwaite.
Recording information: Full Deck Studios, St. Louis, MO; Larrabee Sound Studios, CA; Trak Meet Studios, St. Louis, MO.
Director: Steve Reissner.
Editor: Steve Reissner.
Photographers: Mark Seliger; Robb Epifano.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Greg Goad; Chris Shader.
Chingy became an instant hip-hop celebrity with his ear-turning, slang-baked single "Right Thurr" and its accompanying multi-platinum debut album, JACKPOT. With 2004's POWERBALLIN', the laid-back St. Louis rapper with the slurred flow faces the always-daunting task of following up a triumphant first record. What's more, Chingy returns without the backing of Ludacris's Disturbing Tha Peace posse, with whom Chingy parted ways in the prior year.
Chingy harbors no bitterness towards his former crew, at least not in his lyrics, and more importantly, suffers no apparent drop-off from his opening salvo. POWERBALLIN' provides more of his lighthearted tales of clubs, cars, and women, delivered with Chingy's special sort of charm, bombastic and unaffected at the same time. After the most understated of intros, he starts the party quickly with the brash "Give Em Some Mo" and, from that point, the action never slows. On the R&B-flavored "Don't Worry," he collaborates with Janet Jackson and, on the beat-heavy "26's," he teams up with Lil Wayne. Chingy doesn't forge any new ground on POWERBALLIN', nor does he have to; as with JACKPOT, POWERBALLIN' is pure fun from a man with a knack for twisting words.