Chamillionaire’s smooth Southern drawl and effortless flow make him a distinctive voice in hip hop. Unfortunately he has very little to say beyond cookie-cutter gangsta themes told over garden-variety mainstream production. Unlike the rest of his Houston contemporaries that broke out nationally this year (Slim Thug, Mike Jones and Paul Wall), Chamillionaire’s album feels far less Southern and frequently employs formulaic r&b hooks. The brightest spots on The Sound of Revenge occur when he just lets hard-edged rhymes fly at a rapid pace, but those moments are too rare on this much-anticipated debut. If he can find some unique lyrical inspiration and make more exciting production decisions, he has great potential in the future.
Heavy Rotation tracks: none
Medium Rotation tracks: “In the Trunk“; “Ridin’” (featuring Krayzie Bone); “Turn It Up” (featuring Lil’ Flip); “No Snitchin’”
Grade: C+