"One Call Away" is a song by American rapper Chingy, featuring actor Jason Weaver singing the chorus, credited as J-Weav. It's the third and final single off his debut album Jackpot (2003). The song was kept from being number one by Usher's "Yeah!" for five consecutive weeks, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. It became a number one hit on the Hot Rap Songs chart for three weeks and peaked at numbers 3 and 6 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts respectively. It also reached the top 40 in countries like Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. A video for the single (directed by Erik White) was released that featured actress Keisha Knight-Pulliam and streetball player Philip "Hot Sauce" Champion.
Critical reception
Matt Cibula of PopMatters was positive towards the song, admiring Chingy for taking on a rap ballad saying "It’s kind of adorable that he’s talking to her on the phone about politics and life when he can’t be with her, and his voice gets all softened when he talks about her, and his homeboys call him weak when he gives her a kiss on the cheek, but he doesn’t care, because he knows that she’s always just one call away from him, and vice versa."[1] In retrospect, however, the song has not fared as well; music critic Todd in the Shadows placed "One Call Away" at #6 on his list of the "Top Ten Worst Hit Songs of 2004", citing the rapper's weak flow and poor lyricism in particular as dragging the song down.[2]
Music video
Directed by Erik White,[3] the video takes place during autumn and follows Chingy going to the DTP Bank, where he attracts the attention of a bank teller (played by actress Keisha Knight-Pulliam) by giving her his phone number along with the deposited money in a canister tube for her to have. Their relationship starts out slow with her hanging out with his friends in his apartment, she and her friends watching him play streetball to both of them going back to his apartment to get intimate with each other. The video features the chorus of "Chingy Jackpot" at the end. Streetball player Philip "Hot Sauce" Champion appears in the streetball scene in the video.