It was only moments into his set before he said it. He told the full house at Peabody’s on Sept. 15 something they already knew, and they loved him for it: “Bitch, I’m from Cleveland.” It’s only four words, but for King Chip, formerly known as Chip Tha Ripper, and his loyal horde of hometown fans, it’s a verbal pound on the chest and a declaration of hometown pride. And now this battle cry is being heard all over the country, because Chip (real name: Charles Worth) has been crowned. After a run of seven mixtapes that began in 2007 and culminated with the well-received “Tell Ya Friends,” Chip was signed by the high-profile Cara Lewis and Creative Artists Agency in August, and is officially busy at work on his debut album. Along with announcing his signing, Chip let the world know he was embracing his true self with his new stage name via Twitter:“My birth name is Charles Jawanzaa Worth. Jawanzaa is Swahili, and it means ‘great leader and great warrior.’ Look it up. I am King Chip.’” His homecoming show at Peabody’s was electric. Much of the crowd had been waiting through a landslide of opening acts since 6 p.m. His face wrapped in trademark dark shades, Chip landed on stage a little after midnight, and several hundred people lost their minds. He played old hits like “Movie,” “Feel Good,” and even freestyled over the blunt-smoking epic, “I Got Five On It.” The crowd was equally excited to hear new material, including one cut from an upcoming album featuring a spacey, electronic beat. What separated this show from others was a feeling of intimacy. Chip walked the stage of Peabody’s like it was his living room. He truly was home. Atypical for a rap artist beginning to reach new heights of success, Chip humbled the crowd by reminding them his beginnings included living out of a van. “We some real survivors in Cleveland,” he told the crowd. Naturally, Chip closed with Cleveland on his mind, performing his verse from Kid Cudi’s latest single, “Just What I Am.” The set was upbeat, filled with moments like Chip demonstrating the “Cleveland way” of slapping someone, and dispensing such philosophically profound statements as, “Smoke weed for the rest of your life.” Clearly, despite an album in the works, California has not slowed his roll. Be on the lookout for the album and his new mixtape, “Clevelifornia,” coming soon.