By Ismael AbduSalaam
Fresh off the success of his “Halle Berry” single, Hurricane Chris is looking to cap off the summer with the August release of Unleashed.
The sophomore LP will mark Chris’ first offering since 2007’s 51/50 Ratchet, which was powered by the triple platinum single “A Bay Bay.”
Halle Berry herself was seen dancing to Chris’ tribute track a few months ago on the Ellen Degeneres Show.
Last month, Hurricane Chris was granted permission by the Louisiana House of Representatives to perform the song during a meeting.
“When I saw that Halle endorsed the song, that just made me appreciate her even more,” Chris told AllHipHop.com. “That let me know that the song was going to the moon.”
The new album also represents the Louisiana native’s attempt to showcase his growth as an artist.
To that end, Unleashed boasts production from Shawty Redd, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Phunk Dawg, Don Vito, and DJ Montay.
“Being fresh in the game, a lot of things come with that, like restraints,” Chris explained. “You’re going to be held back in a lot of minor ways. Now I’m Unleashed. I’m off the collar. I’m off the chain. I’m not held back by anything anymore. I’m educated and I know the game. I’m Unleashed and I’m ready to hit ‘em with this ratchet flavor.”
Although he admits the album will have the club tracks he originally made his name on (“Rocolate,” for example), the young rapper pointed out his serious side as shown on the Lil Boosie collaboration “Mr. Grim Reaper,” which has the two emcees holding a metaphorical conversation with Death over its possession of young lives.
“It’s talking about how a lot of people have been lost,” Hurricane Chris detailed. “We’re talking to the Grim Reaper in our verses, asking him why he’s taking so many of our young people at an early age. We’re losing people that we’d never expect to lose…I come from not having nothing. Coming from that, you really learn how to appreciate people who really care for you, who do for you in any kind of way. I have a lot of people around me who were in the same situation I was in.”
Hurricane Chris’ Unleashed is due in stores on August 18.