Chamillionaire has definitely seen his share of struggles on his road to redemption. Born to a Muslim father and Christian mother, secular music was banned in his household. Chamillionaire was barely a teenager when he moved to a low-income neighborhood in the notorious North Side of Houston, following the separation of his parents. By the early '90s, however, rap rebels such as NWA, Public Enemy, as well as hometown heroes The Geto Boys, 8-Ball & MJG and UGK would inspire a young Hakeem to write his own rhymes.
At 17, Chamillionaire, along with childhood friend and fellow hip-hop fiend Paul Wall, started doing promotional work for various Texas events. The duo would eventually bump into Michael "5000" Watts, the influential founder and co-owner of Swisha House. What started off as a savvy business proposition by the two enterprising young men became a career-altering transformation, with Watts letting the duo to record the freestyle intro for his popular radio show on Houston's 97.9 Box.
Soon after, the young MC's found themselves rhyming on a string of Watt's trademark chopped and screwed mix tapes, which transformed Cham and Paul into local rap celebrities. Street props came before any financial rewards, however. "You'd have all these fans screaming for you at shows, then you'd go back afterwards to that poverty," Chamillionaire says. "I didn't want to be one of these rappers that holds his chain up just faking like he has money. I wanted more"
By 2002, the tandem known as Color Changin' Clique exited Swisha House and signed an album deal with local on-air radio personality Mad Hatter's Paid In Full label. The move proved to be a smart one as their full-length debut Get Ya Mind Correct became one of the best-selling independent releases of the year, reaching six-figure units sold. It would also earn a Source nomination for Indie Album of The Year. Lil' Flip featured Chamillionaire on his platinum album Underground Legend. Major labels were forced to pay attention. However, Chamillionaire later left the label to focus on his own mixtape hustle and label, Chamillitary Records. Now with a team that includes his brother/rapper Rasaq and former Swisha House CEO, chopped, and screwed icon O.G. Ron C, Cham has set out to finally take control of his business vision.
Which makes the title of his major label set The Sound Of Revenge an even more powerful statement of dedication, perseverance, and raw talent. Chamillionaire, the confident, determined kid from the North Side of Houston, Texas will no longer be denied.
