December 9, 2009, New York, NY -- When Hurricane Chris hit the scene in 2007 with his Top 10 hit single "A Bay Bay," he opened the world up to the "ratchet" sound of his hometown Shreveport, Louisiana. His new single "Headboard" featuring Mario and Plies has shown fans a different side of the young rapper, all leading up to the release of his Polo Grounds Music/J Records sophomore album Unleashed on December 21, 2009.
Touting appearances from Beenie Man, Mario, Bobby V, Plies, Cherish and Superstarr, Unleashed has been a work in progress for Hurricane Chris. Production on the album includes tracks from Shawty Red, Play N Skillz, Don Vito and The Inkredibles amongst other amazing talent.
The idea behind the album title is pretty straight forward, as Hurricane explains: "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."
The media has championed the young MC, realizing that there is more to him than meets the eye. "Hurricane Chris can no longer be looked at simply as a radio rapper," wrote Eric Perrin of Ozone Magazine in their July 2009 issue."He has gotten to the point where his lyrical prowess, uncanny freestyling ability, and knack for creating club bangers is undeniable - even his biggest critics can't argue with the fact that HC has talent."
Needless to say, Polo Grounds Music President Bryan Leach is thrilled with the young star's second release on the label: "It's been a journey to see Hurricane go from where he was when Mr. ColliPark bought him to Polo Grounds as a 17-year-old freshman to where he is now, entering into his sophomore album. Letting him find himself through this album was important to Hurricane, and I hope the fans enjoy the ride. He's still so young, and has a huge career in front of him."
With over 3.5 million combined ringtones and downloads for "A Bay Bay," and his second single "Hand Clap" certified Gold, the young lyricist's debut album 51/50 Rachet made quite an impression on fans. 2009 has also proven to be an exciting year for Hurricane Chris as he gears up for the release of Unleashed.
In early 2009, Hurricane Chris returned in a big way with another hit single, "Halle Berry (She's Fine)," which hit #7 on both the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks Charts. In March, Ellen DeGeneres and Oscar winner Halle Berry made up their own dances to "Halle Berry (She's Fine)" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, resulting in a YouTube video that received over 330k views in its first week. To date, the video has received nearly 1.6 million views, and became the #3 most watched in the Music category, #23 overall.
Along with astounding radio play reaching over 56 million listeners, there have been several career moves that have positively impacted Hurricane Chris' ability to reach fans. Between albums, he toured with Chris Brown, Soulja Boy, Bow Wow and Sean Kingston on the Chris Brown tour. The demand for his unique style led to collaborations with various stars, including Mike Jones on "Drop N Gimme 50" and with Chris Brown and Bow Wow on "Picture Perfect."
Despite formidable successes so early in his life, Hurricane Chris stays focused on giving back to his community and advancing his entrepreneurial opportunities. He started a foundation aimed at helping his community, and has facilitated giveaways to hundreds of people during the holidays. Chris and his mother have delved into real estate, and he also launched the Helsman sneaker in affiliation with FILA, selling over 400,000 pairs nationwide.
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