Chamillionaire, Ammunition

It’s been a while since Chamillionaire made his music available for purchase. His first two major label albums, 2005's The Sound of Revenge and 2007's Ultimate Victory were commercial and critical successes, and helped put a new generation of Texas-bred rhymers on the map. His debut brought the two successful singles “Turn It Up” and “Ridin” to the masses and even garnered some hardware: “Ridin” won Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone the Grammy for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. Though he's put out a slew of mixtapes in the years since, the Houston native returns to the retail game with his Ammunition.

The release is a tight, 9-track EP that shows that Chamillionaire is back with a vengeance and put the project up for sale for a good reason. Ammunition starts off with a bang, with the drop “Running Laps” and “Let’s Get That,” two strongly produced tracks that the Texas emcee slays. It's evident early on that Chamillionaire's craft is sharp as ever.

Ammunition is a great example of how sometimes, big things come in small packages. The project's high point comes in the form of an impressive collabo with Saigon on the track “You Gon Learn.” Back two talented MCs with some boom-bap, and the result is often a winning combo, as is the case here. Even the redux of “Let’s Get That,” featuring Houston upstarts Doughbeezy and Marcus Manchild shines. The only real misstep comes in the form of the “On My Way," the obligatory, but, in this case, unnecessary track for the ladies.

Ammunition may be Chamillionaire’s best release since The Sound of Revenge. It's a project that flourishes in its focus. Still a talented wordsmith and more than capable of incorporating melodies to add character to his songs, Chamillionaire still has plenty of Ammunition in his barrel. —Nene Wallace Reed