Chamillionaire: The Sound of Revenge

HHH Official Rating: 3.5/5
Beats rating: 3.5/5
Lyrics rating: 4/5
Music Quality: 3.5/5

Written by: Redman122...The talk of Brooklyn

As 2005 begins to come to a close, it would be idiotic to deny the success that the city of Houston has had this year in hip hop. From Slim Thugga to Mike Jones to "the people's champ" Paul Wall, Houston is now definitly on the map when it comes to mainstream rap. Houston's next playa, Chamillionaire, has developed what I like to call a cult following, especially in the past say 3-4 months. All over the internet you could find die-hard cham fans preaching that this guy is the king of the south, the best up n coming rapper, and a savior. Now, I certainly didnt think any of that, and Chamillionaire was just another abover average rapper to me, but certainly nothing special. For me, Cham fell victim to the criticism that the Houston rappers receive from true hip hop heads and other reviewers alike---content. You would be hard pressed to find a song on a Mike Jones, Slim Thug, or Paul wall album without the words 'fo fo's' 'swervin' 'candy paint' or 'my diamond grill.' Nevertheless, with all that being said, this latest release from Chamillionaire is both dynamic and lyrical, something Houston has failed to offer so far.

Although Cham still shows his love for the Houston culture, this album will provide listeners with a different side to Houston rap. The dude has an intriguing flow and definitly more complex, rewind worthy rhymes then his predecestors. Now don't be mistaken by the albums first lead single, "Turn it Up." While this cut is definitly an effort to appeal to the mainstream, Chamillionaire is able to diversify his album with all different types of tracks, making this record a truly enjoyable listen. My favorite joint off 'The Sound of Revenge' has to be "Rain" featuring the true king of the south, Scarface. Here, Cham is able to draw apart from the typical southern content and talk about his troubles over a dark but defintly dope beat. Like the last joint of Paul Wall's album, this cut is definitly the best song I've heard from Chamillionaire, mainly because Scarface and Cham seem to flow naturally together. Other tracks that will appeal to critics of the Houston movement are "Void in my Life" and "No Snitchin," one of my personal favorites.

Despite the surprising number of creative tracks, Chamillionaire did include the typical, blue print tracks that listeners have come to expect from a Houston release. However, dont get it twisted, tracks such as "Frontin," "In the Trunk," and "Riding Dirty" are all pretty dope and shows Cham's "50 cent esq" ability to create a catchy hook, especially with the first two tracks mentioned. On the other hand, the tracks "Grown and Sexy" and "Think i'm Crazy" could have been left off the album, as they display no creativity whatsoever and feature Chamillionaire at his weakest.

Now if I gonna criticize Three Six Mafia for the overload of guest appearances on the album, I do have to give Cham some flack as well. Although "The Sound of Revenge" doesnt feature as many artists as "The Most Unknown" did, there is an ubundant number of features that could have been left off. Some of the guest appearances include Lil' Flip on the albums lead single, Krayzie Bone, Killer Mike, Pastor Troy, Bun-B who seems to be all over everything these days, the previously praised Scarface, Lil Wayne, and Rasaq. Now the majority of these features arent half bad, but for a release that is basically cham's first mainstream offering, more verses from chamillionaire would have, most likely, been better and would have given the album a better flow. Furthermore, the production on the album, despite being polished, is too much of the same thing. I had the same problem with Paul Wall's album, where the record becomes boring because of the repetitive production. Luckily, Chamillionaire's diversified lyrics and flow make the repetitive production almost an after-thought.

With all thats been said, "The Sound of Revenge" is the best album I have heard out of Houston. Now that is saying alot, considering the success that Mike Jones and Paul Wall's albums are having. However, record sales dont always tell the whole story, and if Cham doesnt sell as much as those two, dont be fooled. This album features doper lyrics and better content, with all the same production that you'll find on Slim Thug, Mike Jones, and Paul Wall's album. Although fans of southern music might be dissapointed with the lack of "banger's" on this album, those hip hop head, such as me, who are fans of dope lyrics, will actually enjoy this album more then they think. Cop "The Sound of Revenge," cause I dont think you'll be dissapointed.



1.Sound Of Revenge, The (Intro)
2.In The Trunk: 3.5/5
3.Turn It Up - (with Lil' Flip): 3.5/5
4.Ridin' Dirty - (with Krayzie Bone): 3.5/5
5.No Snitchin' - (with Bun-B): 4/5
6.Southern Takeover - (with Killer Mike/Pastor Troy): 3/5
7.Radio Interruption
8.Frontin: 4/5
9.Grown & Sexy: 2.5/5
10.Think I'm Crazy - (with Natalie): 2.5/5
11.Rain - (with Scarface): 4.5/5
12.Picture Perfect - (with Bun-B): 3/5
13.Fly As The Sky - (with Rasaq/Lil Wayne): 3/5
14.Peepin' Me: 3.5/5
15.Void In My Life: 4/5
16.Outro