According to so-called hip-hop “purists” Hurricane Chris might have a few strikes against him. He’s from the South. He makes radio friendly hit records. And he’s still a teenager. But the bottom line is that whether you care to admit it or not, Hurricane Chris can rap. Unlike a lot of rappers, Chris doesn’t rely solely on catchy hooks or dances to get his point across. Even in his biggest hit to date “A Bay Bay”, Chris shows his lyrical prowess.
Only nineteen years old and already releasing his second album, Chris has also been a much sought after MC for guest appearances, dropping a verse on Mike Jones’ popular single, “Drop & Gimme 50”.
Not many rappers of his age can say that they were once an underground rapper and built there way up to the big leagues but Hurricane Chris can. He’s mature beyond his years as an MC and as a person. Sixshot.Com caught up with Hurricane Chris to discuss his upcoming album, his 5150 record label, and the importance he places on his lyrics.
Sixshot.Com: Everybody might not notice but your lyrics are pretty advanced for a young dude. How are you able to make the hit songs and still keep up the lyricism?
Hurricane Chris: I mean, I’m young but I think I seen a whole lot. I tend to talk about things that peopl e can relate to. I’m not trying to go over people’s head though either. The things that I seen and the things I done been through are the things that made me so advanced as far as my lyrics go. Where I’m from you’re just going to learn a lot early and be ahead of the game and ahead of the curve. From that point I think it just snowballed. I’m only 19 but I feel like I’m in the mind frame of somebody who is anywhere from 17 all the way to 50, you heard me?
Sixshot.Com: Your music has that real Louisiana sound to it. Was growing up there a big part of how your sound and your music was shaped?
Hurricane Chris: Oh yeah man, growing up in Louisiana was a big part of that. But before I got in the game I was listening to the Isley Brothers, The Temptations, you know what I’m sayin’? I was listening to people that really had something to talk about. It wasn’t even rap so it’s crazy, crazy, crazy, how I got into that at such an early age. You got a lot of artists coming out and they all say they grew up listening to the same things but I was listening so different things so I just love music as a whole, you feel me? I love all types of music. I love Louisiana music. I can battle rap and that’s more of a New York thing. I do got a swag though and people do expect me to bring that. I want to stay in they league without goin’ out of they league. It’s really like a universal thing at this point man. I just came home from doing shows in Japan and Germany and I rocked them shows just like I was at home, you feel me?
Sixshot.Com: When you were recording “A Bay Bay” did you have any idea that it was going to be that big?
Hurricane Chris: Nah man I had no idea it was going to be that big. That was just something that started as a hometown thing. We were just hollerin’ the DJ’s name in the club when a record came on and I made it a word, you know? It came to a point where it’s like everyday speech.
Sixshot.Com: You were just talking about performing overseas. Is there a big difference between performing over there and performing in the States?
Hurricane Chris: It’s a big difference. They don’t understand English. (Laughs) They don’t understand English so you better have a song that’s really hot. If they don’t remember it you’re going to be looking real dumb because the crowd is going to be upset. Another difference is that here in America you can be a big time star or a small time star. Over there, there is no such thing as a small time star. You’re movie star status and there’s no minimum to it. They look at everybody the same. Everybody is a superstar like Michael Jackson. You’re like Michael Jackson when you go overseas.
Sixshot.Com: Let me ask you Chris, how do you feel about the music that’s coming out from other dudes in your age range?
Hurricane Chris: You know there ain’t too many people in my age range really. Let me see, you got that boy Sean Kingston doin’ his thing. He’s close to my age range and he could spit it for real. He got a real sick flow. He’s definitely doin’ his thing. I got a couple people around me that hot but they ain’t popped off yet and I think they need to be heard.
Sixshot.Com: That makes sense. A lot of successful artists put other artists on. Do you plan on doing that?
Hurricane Chris: Yeah man I got my record label, which is called 5150, and I’m just grindin’ with that. I got a few artists I want to put out and that’s what it is. This is really the only way to do it. The only way that I see to get bigger in this industry is to run your own thing. If you’re gonna sit on a throne of any kind you have to be a businessman and there’s no question about that. I’m trying to hit everybody from the younger generation to the older generation and just give them that good music they’re going to love.
Sixshot.Com: You’re in the studio recording your second album right? How’s it coming?
Hurricane Chris: Yeah man we getting’ ready to do it way big on this joint right here man. I’m always in the studio just doin’ my thing and tryin’ to make this a classic album. I’m in the studio with Toomp and cats like that. It’s gonna be a crazy album. I’m working with two producers from Louisiana as well, Rodney and Rafael. They did some stuff on Plies’ album. The production is really all over the place at this point and I’m killin’ it on the mic. It’s gonna be coming out towards the first quarter and I’m getting ready to just crush them and break they necks.
Sixshot.Com: Would you say that this album is a lot different from the first album?
Hurricane Chris: This album right here is like everything the last album was times ten. The last album represented where I was then but now seeing the business and havin’ some success and all that, that’s what this album reflect. I would say it’s definitely a more mature album. I feel like I’ve grown a lot since the first. I did my thing on that album but I really stepped it up for this one. If you really want to do your thing you have to be able to progress, you heard me? I’m gonna step it up every time I drop something.
Sixshot.Com: Your sound is real unique and it’s hard to pinpoint where it comes from. Who would you say are some of the artists that influenced you coming up?
Hurricane Chris: Man I listened to a lot of different artists coming up. I was listening to the Isley Brothers, B.B. King, and a lot of soul and blues artists like that. As far as hip-hop goes I was into Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh. I was really feelin’ them because they told stories, you know what I’m sayin’? I would fall asleep listening to The Temptations so a lot of my soul comes from them.
Sixshot.Com: Records aren’t’ selling like they used to Chris. Do you have any feelings about that, as you get ready to release your second album?
Hurricane Chris: Yeah man I definitely see it and I just feel like you gotta grind man. That’s all you can really do is grind. 5150 all the way man, you heard me?
Sixshot.Com: All right Chris tell us what you have coming up that we could look out for.
Hurricane Chris: We about to drop another single so make sure you look for that. Make sure you check out the Myspace page at www.myspace.com/hurricane. I’m getting’ ready to shoot a couple more videos and hit them over the head with them things man, you heard me? We gonna keep the clubs rockin’ man. I got the Southern Smoke CD comin’ out. Shout out to all the fans. I appreciate the love and all that.
Only nineteen years old and already releasing his second album, Chris has also been a much sought after MC for guest appearances, dropping a verse on Mike Jones’ popular single, “Drop & Gimme 50”.
Not many rappers of his age can say that they were once an underground rapper and built there way up to the big leagues but Hurricane Chris can. He’s mature beyond his years as an MC and as a person. Sixshot.Com caught up with Hurricane Chris to discuss his upcoming album, his 5150 record label, and the importance he places on his lyrics.
Sixshot.Com: Everybody might not notice but your lyrics are pretty advanced for a young dude. How are you able to make the hit songs and still keep up the lyricism?
Hurricane Chris: I mean, I’m young but I think I seen a whole lot. I tend to talk about things that peopl e can relate to. I’m not trying to go over people’s head though either. The things that I seen and the things I done been through are the things that made me so advanced as far as my lyrics go. Where I’m from you’re just going to learn a lot early and be ahead of the game and ahead of the curve. From that point I think it just snowballed. I’m only 19 but I feel like I’m in the mind frame of somebody who is anywhere from 17 all the way to 50, you heard me?
Sixshot.Com: Your music has that real Louisiana sound to it. Was growing up there a big part of how your sound and your music was shaped?
Hurricane Chris: Oh yeah man, growing up in Louisiana was a big part of that. But before I got in the game I was listening to the Isley Brothers, The Temptations, you know what I’m sayin’? I was listening to people that really had something to talk about. It wasn’t even rap so it’s crazy, crazy, crazy, how I got into that at such an early age. You got a lot of artists coming out and they all say they grew up listening to the same things but I was listening so different things so I just love music as a whole, you feel me? I love all types of music. I love Louisiana music. I can battle rap and that’s more of a New York thing. I do got a swag though and people do expect me to bring that. I want to stay in they league without goin’ out of they league. It’s really like a universal thing at this point man. I just came home from doing shows in Japan and Germany and I rocked them shows just like I was at home, you feel me?
Sixshot.Com: When you were recording “A Bay Bay” did you have any idea that it was going to be that big?
Hurricane Chris: Nah man I had no idea it was going to be that big. That was just something that started as a hometown thing. We were just hollerin’ the DJ’s name in the club when a record came on and I made it a word, you know? It came to a point where it’s like everyday speech.
Sixshot.Com: You were just talking about performing overseas. Is there a big difference between performing over there and performing in the States?
Hurricane Chris: It’s a big difference. They don’t understand English. (Laughs) They don’t understand English so you better have a song that’s really hot. If they don’t remember it you’re going to be looking real dumb because the crowd is going to be upset. Another difference is that here in America you can be a big time star or a small time star. Over there, there is no such thing as a small time star. You’re movie star status and there’s no minimum to it. They look at everybody the same. Everybody is a superstar like Michael Jackson. You’re like Michael Jackson when you go overseas.
Sixshot.Com: Let me ask you Chris, how do you feel about the music that’s coming out from other dudes in your age range?
Hurricane Chris: You know there ain’t too many people in my age range really. Let me see, you got that boy Sean Kingston doin’ his thing. He’s close to my age range and he could spit it for real. He got a real sick flow. He’s definitely doin’ his thing. I got a couple people around me that hot but they ain’t popped off yet and I think they need to be heard.
Sixshot.Com: That makes sense. A lot of successful artists put other artists on. Do you plan on doing that?
Hurricane Chris: Yeah man I got my record label, which is called 5150, and I’m just grindin’ with that. I got a few artists I want to put out and that’s what it is. This is really the only way to do it. The only way that I see to get bigger in this industry is to run your own thing. If you’re gonna sit on a throne of any kind you have to be a businessman and there’s no question about that. I’m trying to hit everybody from the younger generation to the older generation and just give them that good music they’re going to love.
Sixshot.Com: You’re in the studio recording your second album right? How’s it coming?
Hurricane Chris: Yeah man we getting’ ready to do it way big on this joint right here man. I’m always in the studio just doin’ my thing and tryin’ to make this a classic album. I’m in the studio with Toomp and cats like that. It’s gonna be a crazy album. I’m working with two producers from Louisiana as well, Rodney and Rafael. They did some stuff on Plies’ album. The production is really all over the place at this point and I’m killin’ it on the mic. It’s gonna be coming out towards the first quarter and I’m getting ready to just crush them and break they necks.
Sixshot.Com: Would you say that this album is a lot different from the first album?
Hurricane Chris: This album right here is like everything the last album was times ten. The last album represented where I was then but now seeing the business and havin’ some success and all that, that’s what this album reflect. I would say it’s definitely a more mature album. I feel like I’ve grown a lot since the first. I did my thing on that album but I really stepped it up for this one. If you really want to do your thing you have to be able to progress, you heard me? I’m gonna step it up every time I drop something.
Sixshot.Com: Your sound is real unique and it’s hard to pinpoint where it comes from. Who would you say are some of the artists that influenced you coming up?
Hurricane Chris: Man I listened to a lot of different artists coming up. I was listening to the Isley Brothers, B.B. King, and a lot of soul and blues artists like that. As far as hip-hop goes I was into Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh. I was really feelin’ them because they told stories, you know what I’m sayin’? I would fall asleep listening to The Temptations so a lot of my soul comes from them.
Sixshot.Com: Records aren’t’ selling like they used to Chris. Do you have any feelings about that, as you get ready to release your second album?
Hurricane Chris: Yeah man I definitely see it and I just feel like you gotta grind man. That’s all you can really do is grind. 5150 all the way man, you heard me?
Sixshot.Com: All right Chris tell us what you have coming up that we could look out for.
Hurricane Chris: We about to drop another single so make sure you look for that. Make sure you check out the Myspace page at www.myspace.com/hurricane. I’m getting’ ready to shoot a couple more videos and hit them over the head with them things man, you heard me? We gonna keep the clubs rockin’ man. I got the Southern Smoke CD comin’ out. Shout out to all the fans. I appreciate the love and all that.
