Almost all of the people on this site dismiss Chamillionaire as mainstream pop-rap crap. Well, almost all of the people on this site are wrong. Chamillionaire is an incredible rhymer, and doesn't use that incredibly annoying "screwed and chopped" rapping style that many of his Houston peers do. Not only are his flow and rhymes top-notch, he also has a good singing voice, singing his own hooks for the most part in this album. Unfortunately, Chamillionaire brags constantly about how great he is on this album. Nearly every song on this album has Chamillionare bragging about being "the answer" and "the finest." While people who have only heard his two singles, Ridin' and Turn It Up, may dismiss this as another cocky southern rapper in the same vein as T.I., they need to give this album a listen. Chamillionaire is at least as good as he claims. Not even kidding around, Chamillionaire may be one of the top five rappers in terms of rhymes and flow. Seriously. With Eminem and Jay-Z retired, only the very best like E-40, Nas, and Ludacris can really claim to be better than Chamillionaire. Another thing that is nice to hear is that Chamillionaire is not as held back and reserved as most rappers. He throws out a lot of disses on this album, dissing among many: rapper Mike Jones (or "Dyke Jones") and Paul Wall (or "SwalloW all). While he is certainly as not controversial as 50 Cent or Eminem, he definitely isn't a wimpy Juvenile or Lil' Wayne either. Only two singles have come off this album so far. Turn It Up was the lead single, and was what motivated me to buy this album. Chamillionaire is definitely not on top of his game on that track, the focus is more on Scott Storch's production. The second and more successful single Ridin' is not at all like that. Chamillionare's rhymes and flow are seamless on that song, and it is infinitely more catchy than Turn It Up. I am going to try a new rating system for this album, so be ready.
Best Track: Rain
Although in a close contest with a few other songs, this song probably comes out on top. Scarface joins Chamillionaire on this song and Billy Cook joins in for the hook and backing vocals. The beat on this song does what it is supposed to: it sets the mood, and keeps your focus on the lyrics. There are some backing vocals during the verses by Billy Cook. This song is about being broke, and it is done well. While Chamillionaire tries to keep a hopeful outlook throughout the song (although he shows plenty of hopelessness) Scarface shows absolutely no hope, his rhymes offer no chance of making out of debt and out of poverty. There is a great vocal solo by Billy Cook at about 3:55. One of Chamillionaire's best rhymes on this song is "Walk out to see three of your tires that be on flat, and that one tire left is a sign of hope. That helps you to keep on grinding when you kinda broke, that helps you to keep composure up around your folk, that keeps you from trying to wrap a rope, around your throat." Scarface's rhymes aren't as great, but still are good. Overall, this is an amazing song. This is a hard album to pick a best one from. While no song is a real killer, there are tons of good to great songs. This song probably is on top, though.
Honorable Mentions
Ridin'. Yes, you knew it was going to be on here somewhere. For a single, this one is great. Chamillionaire's guest, Krayzie Bone is probably the best guest who appears on this CD. More than great rhymes, his flow fits the beat perfectly. Also, he does his part and doesn't try to overshadow Chamillionaire. There is that intro that everyone knows, with that distorted synth and the sporadic drumming. The beat features a lot of synth slams, and pretty good drums filling the gaps. Some really great singing by Chamillionaire in the hook of this song, and Krayzie Bone is also a very good singer. What isn't so good? There is some really childish insults at police, such as "This is a message to the law: we hate you." That line really bothers me. It just sounds so juvenile. This song closes out with a funny skit that is about Chamillionaire and some of his homies getting in a car crash, while they are all drunk. Very good song.
Frontin. Another good song that passes mostly below the radar. The beat on this song is very ominous, and keeps up tension throughout the song. Again, the beat fits the topic perfectly. However, the topic of this song is the most generic subject possible in hip-hop: a song dissing Chamillionaire's legion of anonymous "haters." That said, individual rhyme for rhyme Chamillionaire is very good. One line that sounds particularly great to me is "Put some lipstick in my fist, throwin you a kiss. Since I see that you a sucker, suck a gasoline d*ck. Put it right up to your lip, put a lighter to the tip." To me, that line sounds that something Eminem would say, and that is great. Another good song on this album.
In The Trunk. This is another popular song of this album, many people feel that this song should be the next single. This song has the chopped up style that many artists include for one song in their albums. Not chopped an screwed, just not continuous beat or lyrics. Some other examples would be Mudvayne's Prod, System of a Down's Prison Song, or Eminem's Kill You. The beat in this song is very upbeat and lively, with a lot of synths again. Chamillionaire jumps around topics a lot in the song, but all of them center around the theme of "I'm great! I'm rich!" Also, he claims that most of the rappers today are on "Jigga's (or Jay-Z) d*ck." His individual rhymes are also good again, and the chorus is cool. In the choruses, there is a three-second break in the middle where the only sound is somebody humming. That is pretty cool to hear, not something you usually hear in a hip-hop hook. Overall, this song is probably the worst of the honorable mentions, but nonetheless a good one.
Most Overrated Track
Southern Takeover. A lot of people on the internet and other message boards are like "OMFG!!! Southern Takeover is, like, the sweetest!" I can't tell you why people are so stupid. There is almost nothing to like about this song, unless you are a very proud southerner who needs their ego inflated. Chamillionaire's rhymes don't have his usual quality. The beat is really slow and laid back, with I think even some trumpet playing. Not a good beat to fit the aggressive lyrics in this song. The worst part, though, is whoever starts rapping at 3:27. He has a terrible timbre to his voice, it his high and whiny. As if anyone is discriminating against southern rappers anymore. Maybe that was sort of true in 1998, but certainly not in 2005. One of the album's worst.
Worst Track
Peepin Me. Not too much to say about this song. It is really, really bad. The beat is more annoying than anything. The lyrics are about a pimp, probably Chamillionaire, getting into some hot girl's pants. Very unoriginal. The chorus is very bland, and rhyme for rhyme isn't much better. FILLER! is stamped all over this song. Really one of only two fillers on this album (Radio Interruption is the other). Just skip it.
So there you have it. The highlights and lowlights of Sound of Revenge. This was probably the most important rap album released in 2005, as it introduced a key new player to the game. Overall, Chamillionaire's individual rhymes and flows are great, but he needs to think up some more original topics. You should really check this out if you're a fan of rap.
