Hurricane Chris' 51/50 Ratchet: Album Review

Shreveport, Louisiana, rapper Hurricane Chris is not new on the hip-hop scene. He has been rapping since a very young age locally and is now known on the national level. Off the strength of one hit single, he is one of the newest big things in hip hop. Will his debut album be able to live up to the strength of his chart-topping single?

The first single off of 51/50 Ratchet is the club smash hit A Bay Bay. The song features the traditional sound of the Ratchet Music Movement which is prevalent in Shreveport. The track features a catchy if not annoying hook and a radio friendly beat. Also on the album is the Ratchet City Remix featuring The Game, Lil Boosie, Baby, E-40, Angie Locc and Jadakiss. The remix adds a bit to the original song featuring good verses from Jadakiss and The Game.

The second single is The Hand Clap featuring Big Poppa of Ratchet City and HollyHood Bay Bay. The track was produced by Phunk Dawg. The song is another club track; however it is not as catchy as A Bay Bay. The song also features many elements of the Ratchet Music Movement.

On Momma, Hurricane Chris is joined by R&B singer Nicole Wray. The song is the typical devotion song to your mother. The song features a fairly bouncy beat for such a serious topic. The song however although decent in content, just does not stand out whatsoever.

On Getting Money, Chris is once again joined by Nicole Wray. The song is decent however the singing does not fit the beat at all. The singing sounds completely out of tune.

Leaving You is one of the mellower tracks on the album. It is a welcome change of pace from the rest of the frenetic pace of the album. The song features some singing from Hurricane Chris which is down right awful. The beat is average and the lyrical content is the same.

Touch Me is one of the brightest spots on the album. The Mr. Collipark produced track is one of the few songs on the album that is easy on the ears. The track definitely has the most potential to be a radio friendly single. The beat is definitely not what you expect from Mr. Collipark who is traditionally known for his club anthems.

51/50 Ratchet is the album you would expect to hear from Hurricane Chris. The track follows the same pattern as his first single; however the tracks just are not as catchy. Overall 51/50 Ratchet gets 6.5 out of 10. If you're a fan of Hurricane Chris or the Ratchet City Movement, make sure you pick up his new album 51/50 Ratchet when it is in stores on October 23^rd.