What's Hot

CHAMILLIONAIRE
Ultimate Victory
Chamillitary/Universal, 2007
7.0/10, Solid [scale]

Chamillionaire - Ultimate Victory

The best way to take in Chamillionaire’s latest release, Ultimate Victory would be to go buy it. Now. Don’t finish this. Reading this review (or other publications for that matter) might sharpen your ear to what sets it apart. It might force you to give this CD a good hard listen. You might pay close comparative attention to the lyrical content and themes. But if you avoid researching this release, you can enjoy it- analysis free.

Okay, so Ultimate Victory lacks a parental advisory sticker. There isn’t a single N-word. Misogyny is non-existent. There are no rhymes about violence or sex. If your grandma can handle that southern-boy bass, you can play Ultimate Victory for her. The question is, how big of a deal is that? Can hardcore rap be without hardcore content? This author, despite his views on freedom of speech, believes that this record is proof that hip-hop can self-censor and still produce a quality product. Layman will pop this into their stereo without even thinking twice about whether or not Chamillionaire is being real enough. You wouldn’t even have noticed without any research.

This censorship, while just as blatant as Will Smith’s forced cleanliness, has a similar purpose. Cham cites his discomfort with white kids singing along to his n-word laced rhymes. This reasoning is similar to Smith’s, but not something that he gets on a high horse about. Ultimate Victory is still a solid urban commentary that ignores the fact that it itself does not ride dirty and proceeds to address real issues. Both “The Morning News” and “The Evening News” take interesting angles on American culture, racial platitudes, and current events. Socially aware and rhythmically imposing, Cham spits verses like,

“White man BALLIN’/ black man STARVIN’/ looks like Al Sharpton found another cause to get involved in/ and I can’t hate ‘cause he a black man/ but I don’t hate to see a black hand/ crawlin’ into that cookie jar ‘cause there’s plenty of dough up in that man/ when your black and you educated people say ‘You ain’t black man!,”

Similarly, the single, “Hip-Hop Police”, addresses the topic of murder… without gun cocking sounds or threats. To mainstream Cham fans, it’s unnoticeable. The chorus and beat are just too fun for it to matter.

Krayzie Bone returns for another collaboration produced by Play-N-Skillz. It’s called “Bill Collecta” and it sounds like “Ridin’” with a less quotable refrain. Even with the same hip-hop batting order, is it that hard to be different?

Other subtle misnomers include the Weezy featured “Rock Star”. If Cham knows his record is going to be clean, he’s gotta let Wayne know before he lays down his verse. The blank bleeps - as well as the ‘Guitar Hero’ green - blue - blue - red hook - are so irritating that it’s hard to give the song a chance.

As far as positives go, Jonathan “JR” Rotem’s production on “Industry Groupie” is one of the more gutsy jobs of the year. “The Final Countdown” by Europe doesn’t seem like the easiest song to successfully sample. Like Nelly on “Heart of a Champion”, Chamillionaire somehow finds a way to flow over an iconic synthesizer progression. Other surprise standouts include the sexy “Pimp Mode” and “Rocky Road (ft. Devin the Dude)”. But if one were to choose one worthwhile cut off of this album, it’d have to be the title track. “Ultimate Victory” is the ultimate victory for an honest and candid perspective. Of all the rappers expressing displeasure with the industry, Cham’s lament - “Put some nonsense out and I bet’cha this one will stick/ Or put some real music out and I’m gonna catch a brick” - seems the most noteworthy… probably because he’s actually trying to change things.

by Brian Meredith