Chingy is ready for his second wind of music success, but he's wary of the industry -- telling us he's been burned by bad rumors and beef, and doesn't want to see future artists suffer the same fate!!!
TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the "Right Thurr" rapper ahead of the debut of his "Unsung" episode on TV One. He's on his "Nu Beginnings" wave courtesy of his brand-new single released today, but still has a sour taste in his mouth over the Sidney Starr situation he says killed his career climb.
Chingy recalls being blackballed when Sidney, a transgender model, lied about sleeping with him back in the day, and tells us her eventual apology barely did any real damage control.
The St. Louis rapper came out the gate with a multi-platinum debut in 2003, and put many bullets on the Billboard charts.
However, he says he saw, firsthand, how easily fans can forget about you when the mainstream machine isn't pumping your product.
Speaking of the mainstream, Chingy also fears Drake and Kendrick Lamar's current clash is getting way too intense ... and the back-and-forth stingers could escalate to violence if they're not careful.
Rap hasn't been keeping the peace as of late, but Chingy feels it can be done.