# Chamillionaire
**Chamillionaire** is the stage name of Hakeem Seriki (born 1979), an American rapper from Houston, Texas, known as "the Mixtape Messiah," whose 2005 single "Ridin'" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award, and who later became a technology investor.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109) The name is a contraction of "chameleon" and "millionaire."[3](https://universalmusic.fr/artistes/30019226390) He was an original member of The Color Changin' Click and founded the Chamilitary label.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Hakeem Seriki, 1979; sources differ on birthplace, with Houston, Texas, given by Universal Music Japan and Washington, D.C., by AllMusic[4](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/chamillionaire/biography/) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109) |
| Breakthrough | *The Sound of Revenge* (November 22, 2005) on Universal Records, a platinum-selling Top Ten album[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) • [5](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-sound-of-revenge-mw0000170804) |
| Signature single | "Ridin'" featuring Krayzie Bone: No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Grammy winner for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group, and the first ringtone certified triple platinum[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-victory-mw0000748355) |
| Second album | *Ultimate Victory* (September 18, 2007, Motown), Metascore 71 based on 15 critic reviews[7](https://metacritic.com/music/ultimate-victory/chamillionaire/critic-reviews) |
| Labels | Swishahouse and Paid in Full early on; Universal from 2005; his own Chamilitary label thereafter[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109) • [1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) |
| Later career | Tech investing, including early backing of Lyft, and entrepreneur-in-residence at Upfront Ventures[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) |
## Houston beginnings
Chamillionaire got his start on the KBXX-FM radio show of Michael "5000" Watts, a popular Houston mixtape DJ who owned the label Swishahouse.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) Originally part of Swishahouse, he switched to the Paid in Full label, where he and [Paul Wall](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-wall) collaborated on *Get Ya Mind Correct* (2002), an album that sold 100,000 copies.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109) Through a prolific succession of mixtapes he became known for a deep, versatile voice, singing his own hooks very effectively, and sharp lyricism.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109)
His family background shaped his path. The *Los Angeles Times* reported in 2007 that his parents, Nigerian immigrants, banned rap from the home.[8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-sep-18-et-chamillionaire18-story.html) Universal Music France describes him as the son of a Nigerian immigrant father and an African American mother.[3](https://universalmusic.fr/artistes/30019226390) A UBS profile notes that he was raised in Houston, shuttling between his divorced parents, and that in his community the perceived paths to success were basketball or rap; as he put it, "I wasn't tall enough to play basketball."[9](https://advisors.ubs.com/robert.stoker/mediahandler/media/344558/athletes-entertainers-white-paper.pdf)
## Mainstream breakthrough, 2005 to 2006
Chamillionaire emerged as a major-label act near the end of Houston's 2005 dominance of mainstream rap, coming after releases from [Mike Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-jones), Slim Thug, and Paul Wall, once his collaborator in the Color Changin' Click, yet he had by then attracted a devoted fan base beyond the South and earned considerable attention in print.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109) *The Sound of Revenge*, his debut solo album, was released on November 22, 2005, and became a Top Ten, platinum-selling release.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-sound-of-revenge-mw0000170804) • [1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249)
"Ridin'" (with [Krayzie Bone](https://www.edgepedia.org/krayzie-bone)) topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) Its ringtone became the first ever certified triple platinum, the song drew a "Weird Al" Yankovic parody, and it won Best Rap Video at the 2006 [MTV Video Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/mtv-video-music-awards) over 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, and T.I.[6](https://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-victory-mw0000748355) • [4](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/chamillionaire/biography/) AllMusic reports the track as earning a pair of Grammy nominations overall.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109) He also collaborated with Ciara on "Get Up," featured in the 2006 film *Step Up*.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249)
## Ultimate Victory and the move away from major labels
*Ultimate Victory*, released on September 18, 2007 on Motown, opened with the single "Hip Hop Police" featuring [Slick Rick](https://www.edgepedia.org/slick-rick), which the *Los Angeles Times* profiled for its weighty subject matter and dramatic video.[7](https://metacritic.com/music/ultimate-victory/chamillionaire/critic-reviews) • [8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-sep-18-et-chamillionaire18-story.html) Critics scored it favorably, with a Metascore of 71, 12 positive reviews out of 15, and notable praise from RapReviews (90) and Sputnikmusic (80), the latter arguing that the same-week attention to [Kanye West](https://www.edgepedia.org/kanye-west) and 50 Cent was misplaced.[7](https://metacritic.com/music/ultimate-victory/chamillionaire/critic-reviews)
Afterward he continued with the *Mixtape Messiah* series, releasing volumes 4 through 6 between 2008 and 2009, while *Venom* remained a planned album that was never released.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-sound-of-revenge-mw0000170804) He then parted ways with Universal over unresolved legal issues surrounding his unreleased third studio album, and released the 2013 EPs *Elevate* and *Reignfall* on his own label.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249)
## Business and investing
Chamillionaire's primary focus since leaving the major-label system has been technology investing.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) He was an early backer of companies such as Lyft and held the title of entrepreneur-in-residence at the venture capital firm Upfront Ventures.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249) The UBS white paper on athletes and entertainers cites his music career, including *Ultimate Victory* and the *Mixtape Messiah* compilations, as the base for this second career.[9](https://advisors.ubs.com/robert.stoker/mediahandler/media/344558/athletes-entertainers-white-paper.pdf)
## Artistry
Critics have singled out his vocal versatility. Pitchfork's review of *The Sound of Revenge* called him sly and quick-tongued with a deadpan singing voice that nails hooks, while noting that the album's attempt to serve every rap audience diluted his personality.[10](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1823-the-sound-of-revenge/) AllMusic likewise emphasizes his deep, versatile voice and effective self-sung hooks, honed across a large mixtape catalog.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109)
## References
1. [Chamillionaire, Apple Music artist biography](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/chamillionaire/21807249)
2. [Chamillionaire, AllMusic artist page (biography by Andy Kellman)](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000802109)
3. [Chamillionaire, Universal Music France](https://universalmusic.fr/artistes/30019226390)
4. [BIOGRAPHY - CHAMILLIONAIRE, Universal Music Japan](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/chamillionaire/biography/)
5. [The Sound of Revenge, AllMusic album page](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-sound-of-revenge-mw0000170804)
6. [Ultimate Victory Review, AllMusic (David Jeffries)](https://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-victory-mw0000748355)
7. [Critic Reviews for Ultimate Victory, Metacritic](https://metacritic.com/music/ultimate-victory/chamillionaire/critic-reviews)
8. [On his own terms, Los Angeles Times (2007)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-sep-18-et-chamillionaire18-story.html)
9. [Star power staying power, UBS Sports & Entertainment white paper](https://advisors.ubs.com/robert.stoker/mediahandler/media/344558/athletes-entertainers-white-paper.pdf)
10. [The Sound of Revenge Album Review, Pitchfork (2005)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1823-the-sound-of-revenge/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Artist and group discographies › Hip-hop and rap artist discographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license