Chamillionaire

With his inescapable 2006 hit “Ridin’,” Chamillionaire flipped the script on the old Kurt Cobain axiom—that an artist hasn’t truly made it until he’s been parodied by Weird Al—by giving Yankovic his biggest hit ever (“White And Nerdy”), and commanding the charts for the better part of the year with both versions. Although 2007’s Ultimate Victory lacked anything as instantly loveable, it proved the Houston rapper is about more than just rattling trunks—he’s also rattling a cage surrounded by enemies, greedy associates, and even Bill O’Reilly. That rancor is reflected in both the title of his forthcoming Venom and single “Good Morning,” on which Cham once more addresses his “haters” over a sample nicked from Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.” 

Updated 04/30/2010