Chingy - Powerballin'

Genre hip hop Publisher Capitol Records External Links Official Website Capitol Records

Today, Chingy is everyone's favorite rapper to call out. Perhaps some of the heat he's taken recently is deserved; the rapper boasts one of the most ridiculous voices ever heard in hip-hop and he goes out of his way to make the world aware of his southern drawl. Chingy only lost fans after a highly publicized falling-out with Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace crew, of which he was once a part. And sales on his sophomore LP, Powerballin', have only reflected that slide.

Let me be the first to say that it's a fantastic sign when an album like Powerballin' isn't 4 times platinum, like say the rapper's debut Jackpot is. While that record did boast two decent singles that helped it sell millions, Powerballin' is monotonous and drags with few memorable tracks whatsoever. This is the kind of album you want to hear in a club, each track so familiar in sound and subject matter that you could theoretically dance uninterrupted for the album's entirety. Unfortunately, the R & B and Hip-Hop charts have been clotted with this type of fodder for nearly the past decade.

This album is noteworthy in that Chingy does what he does well; make hip-hop records for clubs; but innovative, he is not. The rapper uses the same bland production team for nearly all of his last two LPs, and the obligatory 'I Love You Girl' slow jam "Don't Worry" is about as adventurous as the rapper gets thematically on his newest release. Throughout listening to Powerballin' one can't help but take notice of what is lacking. Club records do not have to be artistically bankrupt, but Chingy's sophomore release doesn't do anything to lift that stereotype.