Chalie Boy Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 10th 2010 10:20AM by Caroline Collier
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Growing up a teacher's son in rural central Texas, rapper Chalie Boy sang in his church choir and worshiped blues artists like B.B. King. Now, the 30-year-old is a major label hip-hop artist for Jive/Battery Records with a hit single, 'I Look Good,' but he retains his family-centered morality and R&B roots. Chalie, born Charles Williams, has been hustling his mix tapes as a solo artist and as part of the group Freestyle Kingz for a decade, and his success has been hard-earned. With a major label debut in the near future, Chalie Boy is proving that small town Texas and the wide world of modern rap music do intersect. Spinner recently spoke with Chalie Boy about the happenings in his musical life.

Describe your sound in your own words.

[It's] just soulful and heartfelt.

How did you start making music?

I've been singing all my life. I got with the label Dirty 3rd Records, and they had a group called Freestyle Kingz. This was in 2000. We started doing mixtapes, and I've been with the label since.

What's it like now that you're on a major label?

Signing to Jive/Battery Records was no surprise. This was the whole goal -- it's every artist's goal. You work hard and establish yourself. It was time to take that to the next level. Signing to a label that fits you is always what you're looking for. Nothing changed, really. It gives me notability and puts me in a lot more places, but my work ethic hasn't changed.

What are your musical influences?

All types of music: gospel, hip-hop, Latin, music I can't even understand, just the sounds ... Santana, the Isley Brothers. On the rapping side, Bun B played a big part in my lyricism.

Why did you decide on hip-hop?

I didn't choose hip-hop. It chose me. I really didn't expect to be rapping. I've been singing all my life. I just jumped on a mixtape, and these guys heard it. They liked it. They asked me if I wanted to do some more, so I gave it a shot from 2000 to 2010, and here I am.

Why do you go by Chalie Boy?

My great-uncle is Chalie. I'm Charles. I played guard and tackle on offense and defense in high school football. Football guys give you nicknames. Chalie Boy was a blend of family and friends. It stuck.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Ear plugs -- it gets real loud sometimes. A lot of water -- you spend a lot of energy. A lot of promo because you need that at SXSW. People from all over the world are coming to listen to music in one spot. And I have some food handy. You're going to be on the go a lot.

Who was your first celeb crush?

Angela Bassett. No, wait, Jada Pinkett ... Smith. I gotta show some respect to Will.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Slow jams. Not blatantly sexual music, but sensual [and] in the mood to get you physical. That whole tradition of panty-dropping music.

What's the craziest thing you've experienced while on tour?

Once, I got tackled by a real petite fan. On the football field, I couldn't be stopped, but this lightweight caught me off guard. It was one of those hug tackles.

How do you see the future of hip-hop?

The future of radio is going to end up being more pop. The genre runs in cycles. I'd advise people to stay with their style, but if you're looking for radio, that's where it's going.

What makes hip-hop in Texas unique?

We're so diverse. It started out being all we had to offer was [a] laid-back, slow type of music. We have so much more to offer. The sounds from Dallas blend with the sounds from Houston. We change our tempos and things.

Caroline Collier is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.