Pittsburgh Slim

In late 2007 a straightforward, catchy rhythm paired with lyrics celebrating a widespread male fantasy elevated Sied Chahrour—professionally known as Pittsburgh Slim—from Pittsburgh local to national hip-hop prominence. Of Mexican and Algerian descent, Chahrour first entered the scene in 1996 by co-founding the city’s rap collective Strict Flow. The crew independently issued its debut album Homegrown in 1997 and later secured a deal with J-Live’s Raw Shack imprint in 1999, the same year the single “People on Lock” surfaced. Their 2002 follow-up Without Further Ado carried a title that alluded to the group’s sluggish momentum; once that record appeared the crew disbanded, prompting Slim to relocate to Los Angeles. There he supported himself waiting tables while pitching his material after hours, until the desire to witness “Girls Kiss Girls” inspired a new track. Although recorded in California, the song first gained traction on Pittsburgh’s KISS FM, then spread across both coasts and drew re-release offers from major labels. None of those offers included an album commitment, yet Slim recognized the track’s novelty appeal while still valuing the underground credibility Strict Flow had earned; consequently he declined short-term proposals in search of a lasting arrangement. That arrangement materialized following a discussion with Def Jam’s Jay-Z, and the label issued the seven-track project Tastemaker in December 2007. Its rollout included a “Girls Kiss Girls” video starring Krista Ayne, runner-up for Penthouse’s 2007 Pet of the Year.