Hurricane Chris – 51/50 Ratchet
RCA/Polo Grounds Music (10/23/07)
Rap
Well, it’s finally here.
After hitting it big with the summertime ring-tone anthem “A Bay Bay” and an execrable mixtape, Hurricane Chris drops his debut album, 51/50 Ratchet. On the positive side, there are only 14 tracks and no skits. On the negative side… well, read on.
If Hurricane Chris were content with releasing radio-friendly, 18-and-under club cuts like the aforementioned “A Bay Bay”, then we could easily file him away—as we did almost a generation ago—with other cotton-candy rap acts like Tone Loc, Young MC and A.B.C. Unfortunately, Chris isn’t content with being just an awful lyricist.
On “Bang”, he shouts out to hip-hop’s “Hatfields and McCoys” with love for both Bloods and Crips. Chris, himself, seems to claim Crip, for those who needed to know. And, let’s hope Suge Knight is still reading these reviews. There’s also a pair of lines that rhyme “bimbo” with “Nintendo”. But, in Chris’s defense, that gem comes from one of the two guest rappers here. Sorry, but I have no clue whether it’s Big Poppa or Bigg Redd.
“Beat in My Trunk” is the obligatory ode to the black man’s stereo. Here’s the hook: “I got that beat up in my trunk (x3) Yeah, yeahhhhhh…” It includes a reference to Mike Tyson’s first-round-knockout prowess, which is… oh, for God’s sake, Chris, it’s 2007! When’s the last time that meant anything? 1988?!
At least the line would’ve made sense 20 years ago. On “Doin’ My Thang”, Chris spits:
“Look at me, I got the pants that I got from Pakistan / My pants so expensive that they came in a can…”
What? Pants in a can? This is a good thing?
Chris is “exposing nigg@z like a peep show” on “New Fashion”, which is notable because a gay slur appears to have been edited out of the hook. You stay classy, Hurricane. Oh, and speaking of feminine, Chris has his “invent a new dance” track on “The Hand Clap”, which includes lyrics like “One for the money, two for the show…” and “Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream…”
None of the above is worse than the Earth, Wind and Fire sample-based “Playas Rock”. At some point, these old-school acts need to just quit letting bad rappers crap all over their material.
The “A Bay Bay” remix, featuring a few infinitely more talented acts is here and remains the album’s sole saving grace. And, to be fair, “Getting Money” is at least listenable. Still, this album and its inevitable 20,000 total units moved represent the current state of the rap game.
And that is not a good thing.
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