Editing Chingy (section)

== Early life ==
Chingy grew up in Walnut Park, [[St. Louis]]; he has referred to the neighborhood as the "Bad Blocks."<ref name="defjam.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.defjam.com/site/artist_bio.php?artist_id=671 |title=Chingy official website |publisher=defjam.com |access-date=September 16, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518081140/http://www.defjam.com/site/artist_bio.php?artist_id=671 |archive-date=May 18, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Shapiro">Shapiro, Peter (2005) ''The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop'', Rough Guides, {{ISBN|1-84353-263-8}}, p. 60</ref>

He began writing lyrics when he was 9 and was recording raps at 10. He was originally known as H Thugz and was in the St. Louis group Without Warning on 49 Productions with M.G.D. & Mysphit. They recorded "What's Poppin Off" together, which became a local hit. H Thugz and Augustin also recorded a music video for the song. H Thugz later chose the alias Chingy, a slang term for money.<ref name="FactMonster.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.factmonster.com/biography/var/chingy.html |title=Chingy Biography |publisher= FactMonster.com |access-date=September 16, 2008}}</ref>

Chingy attended [[McCluer North High School]] in [[Florissant, Missouri]] which is a suburb of St. Louis. During high school, he was known to his friends as "Howie," and he continues to prefer that name from close friends and family.<ref name="Shapiro" />