The Sound of Revenge

Chamillionaire may hail from the bustling hip-hop mecca of Houston, but he doesn’t sound like it. His major label debut eschews the syrupy, screwed-and-chopped sound of H-town in favor of nimble lyricism, sharp beats, and inviting hooks. Whether dismissing fakes on the rattling, “In The Trunk,” or intermingling disses and 50 Cent–style crooning on “Radio Interruption,” Cham spends most of the album smacking down his many tormentors. All this petty vengeance might get old after a while, except that he’s really good at it.