How Chamillionaire got into Technology

Deon Egenti

2006 and 2007 were big years for the Houston rapper Chamillionaire. Both of his albums were platinum and gold, “Ridin’” was one of the biggest songs in the world, and he won a Grammy for it. He had put in the work from the mixtape days and it started to pay off. However, something changed after that year. Yes, he still dropped mixtapes from time to time but it seemed like Chamillionaire was quietly heading towards a different direction. A direction that would change his career and his life as we know it.

In 2009, Chamillionaire started getting into the tech industry when Venture capitalist Mark Suster admired the rapper for his ability to engage an audience while at a tech convention. However, before that, Chamillionaire was already making investments early in his career. He invested in Maker’s Studio, which would later be sold to Disney for a reported $675 million. This gave him a significant profit.

In 2015, he joined Upfront Ventures as the Entrepreneur in Residence. His role is to invest early in rising tech companies and the portfolio he has speaks for itself. He has invested in companies such as the home security system Ring (acquired by Amazon), self-driving car technology Cruise (acquired by GM), and ride-sharing app Lyft which went public in 2018.

In 2018, Chamillionaire created his own app called Convoz. It is a platform that encourages collaborative video conversations around current topics. It helps stars enhance their brand while giving fans true access. You can say that it’s Twitter and Tik Tok with a more personal connection with your audience. Many of Chamillionaire’s peers in the music industry have invested in this app. Artists such as Snoop Dogg, Big Boi from OutKast, and E40 just to name a few.

Chamillionaire is also heavily involved in making sure women and people of color get the resources they need to start up their tech ideas. In 2019, Chamillionaire, E40, and portfolio company Republic held a contest to invest $25,000 in a start up venture because so few start ups had a female founder and so few people of color had their start ups venture-backed. He then did a second start up contest which he invested $100,000 into the winner. Pierre Laguerre’s company Fleeting was selected as the winner. Laguerre is a Haitian-born college dropout who recognized the shortage of qualified truck drivers in the US. As our shipping needs grew, he wants to bridge the gap by connecting truck drivers to on demand jobs.

Chamillionaire went from the Mixtape Messiah to Tech Entrepreneur and he has no signs of slowing down. He has made a tremendous effort to serve communities that are underrepresented by investors. He wants to continue his legacy as a founder and innovator. His resume speaks volumes and accomplishments are worth acknowledging. He’s an example of investing in your business and yourself.