Ultimate Victory (CD - 2007)

Illustrator: Will Clark .

Photographer: Jonathan Mannion.

Two years after his multi-platinum smash debut, THE SOUND OF REVENGE, Chamillionaire comes back stronger than ever on his sophomore release, ULTIMATE VICTORY. Fueled by a fresh batch of outrage, Cham focuses on politics and the darker side of success--screaming on underhanded gold diggers ("Industry Groupie") and shady former friends ("The Bill Collecta"); lamenting the rap industry's pervasive materialism ("I Think I Love You"); attacking a racist media culture in general and Bill O'Reilly in particular ("The Morning News," "The Evening News"); and examining a different kind of police profiling ("Hip Hop Police").

The Mixtape Messiah manages to put together some highly challenging hip-hop while keeping his lyrics squeaky-clean. Featuring a cohesively moody production sound that's heavy on seething synths and fevered drum tracks, ULTIMATE VICTORY is a compelling listen from start to finish. Beats come courtesy of Jonathan Rothem, Happy Perez, the Beat Bullies, the Runners, Kane Beatz, Dave M.G., and Play-N-Skillz, and Chops. Lil Wayne, Bun B, Krayzie Bone, Pimp C, Devin the Dude, and Slick Rick make up the guest-list. minimize