Chamillionaire

Known as "the Mixtape Messiah," Houston rapper Chamillionaire entered the major-label arena after much of his hometown's 2005 dominance in mainstream rap had already occurred. His Top Ten debut, Sound of Revenge, surfaced in November of that year, trailing projects by Mike Jones, Slim Thug, and Paul Wall—his one-time Color Changin' Click associate—yet he had already cultivated a devoted audience beyond the South while earning considerable attention in print media. A steady stream of mixtapes helped establish Chamillionaire, born Hakeem Sediki, for his resonant and flexible vocal range, including his own effective hooks, along with his sharp lyricism. After beginning with Swishahouse, he moved to Paid in Full, teaming with Paul Wall on the 2002 release Get Ya Mind Correct, which moved 100,000 units. Before signing with Universal, he launched Chamilitary Entertainment and started developing the careers of his brother Rasaq and 50/50 Twin. The Sound of Revenge yielded "Ridin'," which topped the Billboard singles chart and later earned a pair of Grammy Award nominations. Ultimate Victory, the sequel to Revenge, arrived in September 2007.