Hurricane Chris

When Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry goes on national television and makes a point to dance to your song, you know you’ve tapped into something remarkable. And that’s exactly what happened when Berry and Ellen DeGeneres broke out their own moves on the Ellen DeGeneres Show to Hurricane Chris’ “Halle Berry (She’s Fine).”

“When I saw that Halle endorsed the song, that just made me appreciate her even more,” Hurricane Chris says. “That let me know that the song was going to the moon.”

Already an underground phenomenon thanks to the multitude of people who made up their own dances and posted them on YouTube prior to Berry’s own routine, the Superstarr and Play N Skillz-produced cut has become the No. 1 anthem for saluting beautiful women. Hurricane Chris felt the magic as soon as he recorded the song. “Everybody was like, that’s a hit right there,” he says. “That’s a hit. Now we got the whole world hollering ‘Halle Beeeeerrrrrry.’”

His “Halle Berry (She’s Fine)” mixtape remix featuring Ludacris, Beenie Man, Pitbull, Yo Gotti, Yung Joc and Lil Boosie provided a perfect platform for Hurricane Chris’ smash second album, Unleashed. Best known for his triple platinum 2007 single “A Bay Bay” and for introducing his signature “ratchet” flavor to the world, the Louisiana native has learned a lot about life and the music business and feels that he’s been freed, literally and figuratively.

“Being fresh in the game, a lot of things come with that, like restraints,” reveals Hurricane Chris, whose new album also features production from Shawty Redd (Young Jeezy, Snoop Dogg), Phunk Dawg (“A Bay Bay”) and Don Vito (Cherish). “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.”

The “Ratchet” flavor is to do you no matter what, to be yourself regardless. And for Hurricane Chris, Unleashed provides his creative, distinctive take on a variety of musical sounds and styles, from slow jams to club bangers to street music to songs with heavy meaning. “Last Call,” for instance, features Bobby Valentino and Chris detailing their adventures when the DJ at the club lets everyone know that the bar is about to be shut down.

Other distinctive cuts include the Cherish duet “Secret Lover” and “No Worries,” which features Beenie Man. Hurricane Chris then taps into more traditional territory with Mario and Plies on the sexually intense “Headboard.” This song features a quick, bouncy tempo, much like a lively lovemaking session.

But life isn’t all about fun. Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Hurricane Chris learned how to deal with pain at an early age. Although the city is the third largest in Louisiana, nearly a quarter of its population lives below the poverty line. That’s what makes Hurricane Chris’ bond with his family — by blood and by friendship — so critical. They didn’t have much else.

“I come from not having anything,” he says. “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.”

No wonder Hurricane Chris calls his label 5150, meaning that he’s 101 percent real. His debut album, 2007’s 51/50 Ratchet, established Hurricane Chris as a capable hitmaker thanks to his irresistible club sensation “A Bay Bay.” The tune’s easily chantable chorus and mesmerizing keyboard patterns helped propel the single to triple platinum success.

From there, Hurricane Chris inked a deal with Fila via Polo Grounds Music to represent the popular shoe brand, resulting in the Helmsman shoe, which sold more than 400,000 pairs. He recorded songs with Chris Brown, Bow Wow, Mike Jones and others, and was featured on the Chris Brown tour with Soulja Boy Tell ’Em, Lil Mama, Sean Kingston and Bow Wow.

He also launched charitable initiatives in Shreveport, toured in Japan and Europe and will be launching his own artists, Louisiana Will and Calico. There’s also the impending release of A Bad Azz Hurricane, a collaborative mixtape with Lil Boosie.

Yet regardless of the project, Hurricane Chris will always bring his all. “I’m going to give you that energy every time,” he says. “I go crazy in my music and on stage. I don’t hold back nothing. I give you that high voltage every time. My fans love that energy and I’m going to keep feeding it to them.”

So when Hurricane Chris tells you that he feels Unleashed, believe it.

For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net

Headboard feat. Plies and Mario

Hurricane Chris