Dubbed “the Mixtape Messiah,” Houston’s Chamillionaire arrived late as a major-label artist during the city’s 2005 takeover of mainstream rap – the Top Ten Sounds of Revenge, released during November of that year followed albums from Mike Jones, Slim Thug, and Paul Wall – but he had already built a loyal fanbase ourside of the South and received significant press coverage. Through a prolific succession of mixtapes, Chamillionaire became known for his deep, versatile voice and lyrical ability. Originally part of Swishahouse, he moved to Paid in Full, where he and Paul Wall collaborated on 2002’s Get Ya Mind Correct, which sold 100,000 copies. Prior to signing his deal with Universal, he founded the Chamilitary label and began grooming the careers of brother Rasaq and 50/50 Twin. “Ridin’,” off Sounds of Revenge, reach the top of the Billboard singles chart and was later nominated for two Grammys.