Chamillionaire

Chamillionaire

Styling on 2005's "Ridin'," from major label debut The Sound of Revenge, Chamillionaire found himself in unfamiliar territory as a rapper considered both commercial and political. In an effort to build on that Top 10 success, follow-up Ultimate Victory posits the Houston rapper as an MC he isn't. Failing to pick up where Revenge left off, Victory fizzles as a disorganized laundry list of what Cham sees as society's troubles, rapped over beats ranging from the half-assed "Rock Star" to the effectively soulful "We Breakin Up." At the heart of things broadcasts "The Morning News," a track that jumps from Osama to O.J. to Katrina without offering a single solution. That's not to say the Mixtape Messiah's concerns aren't legitimate. They are. Yet Chamillionaire's inability to delve below the surface of any single issue leaves you wondering whether he really cares or if he's just "Ridin'" a specious trend.