CRUISIN’ WITH...Chingo Bling

A tamale distributor by trade, Chingo Bling grew up hard in the Houston streets selling meat–filled masa snacks, a life that led him to the rap game with a unique story to tell. Now he’s entrenched inmusic promotions on top of his mafia–style lockdown of the Texas tamale world. We follow the Mexican artist as he prepares for a trip to the Latin Billboard Awards, promotes his album Chingo Bling 4 President and satisfies a few fiends along his beat in southeast Houston.

7:45 AM : Just as Chingo Bling’s hot new single “Taco Shop”—a 50 Cent parody featuring his protégé, Stunta—hits the airwaves of Houston’s reggaeton station, Mega 101 FM, the Tamale Kingpin bounds into the studio, high atop the Clear Channel building in Houston’s Galleria neighborhood. He’s been called here to cohost with the Mexicanz, Rascal and Chico, for a game called Gender Contender, in which a male and female listener match wits. The contest ends abruptly when the female contestant’s cell phone cuts off, and the discussion turns to Chingo’s place in the bustling Houston rap community. “Por favor belieeeeeve dat,” he bellows. “This is going to be my year.”

10:25 AM : After a 20–minute drive down I–45 South in his fully wrapped ’03 Chevy Suburban, Chingo slyly changes cars in a Fiesta grocery store parking lot off the freeway, hopping into his fully customized candy–red ’83 Chevy Monte Carlo. Two TV screens hover over his special tamale stash in the trunk, and a pair of longhorns emblazoned with “Chingo Bling The Tamale Kingpin” rest on the hood. Next stop? Jesse’s Shoe Repair and Western Wear in south Houston, the exclusive supplier of Chingo’s custom Nike–style ostrich boots.