In an industry where it seems like artists care more about the album and ring tone sales then they do the actual quality of the music, it is always a bit of a surprise when an artist comes out and shows that there are still a few good men left. They understand that they need to sell records, but they are passionate that if they continue to put out quality music that the sales will come in due time. They usually stray away from the fads, and try to follow by their own paths/styles, and in most cases, they are natural born leaders.

Chamillionaire is one of those few good men. His first album “Sounds of Revenge” went platinum but not without work, during the time that “Sounds of revenge” was out, Chamillionaire did not see his home for an entire year. If he wasn’t in the studio, he was on the road. It was this hard work and dedication that got him his first platinum plaque, and now with his newest album “Ultimate Victory” already on the shelves of music stores everywhere, he feels the same effort that he put forth towards the previous album will bring him a platinum plaque for this one.

On his journey to make this sophomore album a success, he was able to stop by and chop it up for a bit. So now we get to enter into the universe of one of the few good men left in hip hop…..to experience and understand his ultimate victory.

Defsounds: Your first album “Sounds Of Revenge” went platinum while “Ultimate Victory” only sold 79,000 records in its first week. Are you disappointed, or do you compare it to the first album sales?

Chamillionaire: Well you’re comparing a years worth of work to a week. I’m gonna do the same thing I did last time… get out there, grind it out and just stay on the road and work. Nowadays with hip hop not feeling the way it used to, its a lot harder, but at the same time a lot of artists aren’t doing what they used to. You used to be able to just put out a record and just blow up, but that’s not the case anymore. Even people with big names are coming out and not selling any records. So you just gotta get out on the road and just connect with the people and that’s what I plan to do. As we speak, I’m in Toronto Canada and then I return to The States and go on my tour bus. People act like it was easy for me to go platinum last time, it was hard. I was on the road everyday and I never went home for an entire year.

Defsounds: A lot of people were focused on the 50 cent and Kanye album and there was a big hype of who would sell the most. Do you think because of this, people may have missed out on your album, and if so what did they miss?

Chamillionaire: . I think that was a real good marketing tool for them to do that to get a hype because nowadays you have to do some kind of publicity or some kind of hype, to get people to pay attention to an album. Its not really focused on the music anymore. It’s really just about how you can draw attention to it. But I still believe that if you make good music and you go out there and let people know you have good music, you will be able to get a good outcome. I feel like the 50 and Kanye thing, it was cool but that may have honestly shifted the whole rap industry. Even at this moment, 50 Cent is still under platinum and to me that’s crazy. I think nowadays people are too focused on first week numbers and that’s the problem. That is why the industry is where it’s at now, because labels and everybody gives up on a project after seven days of sales… on a project that an artist might work a year on. So you have a whole bunch of projects that aren’t doing anything. They’re not putting long term money into these things. Artists go out and do a run for like two weeks then they stop and go home. That’s crazy to me. I know people pay attention to the 50 and Kanye thing but I’m not even paying attention to all of that. I’m just gonna do what I do. I got kind of an old school formula. I came from the underground and mix tapes, so my formula is kind of grass roots.

Defsounds: Can fans ever expect a Paul Wall/Chamillionaire album ?

Chamillionaire: Nah I don’t see that happening. I think people that appreciate that old sound can still go get that old music. Those albums are still there. All of the old mixtapes (like) “Swisha House”…if they want that sound, they can go get that. I think that over the years people have gotten attached to the music. They listen to it and they hear this “Bling Bling” style that we used to do and they think if me and Paul get together, they’re gonna hear that same style again. That’s not the case. I don’t even want to mislead people by making them think that’s gonna happen. Me and Paul don’t got no beef. We got past all of the problems that we had. We cool and are actually on speaking terms but as far as doing an album together that’s not gonna happen.

Defsounds: Is there a reason or meaning for you not cursing on your album ?

Chamillionaire: With me, I was never really an artist that used a lot of profanity. People didn’t really realize that. I didn’t want it to be such a big deal, but it ended up being a big deal because of all the Don Imus stuff and all of the controversy going on in hip-hop. So, in this album I didn’t say the N word thats the only difference. I decided I wasn’t gonna say that because, I’m going to shows and all of these white kids are showing up and when I’m singing my freestyles or whatever and I hear them saying the N word to me, and this time around I’m going global I’m traveling all over the world and its like I’m teaching white kids all across America to say that. Thats why I didn’t wanna do it on this album but like I said I didn’t wanna make a big deal out of it. Initially it wasn’t my intention to put out the album completely clean, I told people I wasn’t cursing there are other artist who curse on there. But there was a political decision that had to be made at the last minute.

Defsounds: Tell us about your new single “Industry Groupie”, produced by J.R. Rodo. Is it a concept record?

Chamillionaire: “Industry Groupie” is a sample from “Final Countdown”. J.R. Rodo produced it. The record talks about a groupie. Really I’m shouting out all the people in hip hop and like Kanye said, you’re a “gold digger” and T-Pain said you’re a “stripper” stuff like that. But basically I’m talking about music and how music has went through so many phases and jumped on so many different artists. Like back in the days when I used to write in my pad, I used to think music was just mines, but now its every body’s. So I’m like, oh you’re a groupie, you’re letting everybody in. There’s like a little hidden meaning it in, but you kind of got like a club track and even if people, some people, get the simpler meaning of it, that’s cool with me.

Defsounds:. It reminds me of the song by Common “I used to love her”.

Chamillionaire: Somebody else told me that, but I don’t know, I cant really compare it to that because that Common song was more of a classic type of conscious type of record. This one has a little bit of a hidden meaning but still done in a playful way.

Defsounds: How do you feel when you get high reviews for this current album ?

Chamillionaire: It feels good. The overall response has been really, really good. People appreciate that because it is definitely a risk to do something like that, because nowadays it seems like if you even try to put any kind of social commentary or some kind of message in there, people kind of stray away from it and say “what are you doing ?”. But its good that people are giving good responses because I’m one of those people who prides himself in being a leader and not following what everybody else do. So it’s good to get rewarded by getting good comments about it. I want people to like it.

Defsounds: With the way that hip hop sales have been, do you see yourself making more albums or are you going to step back into more of an entrepreneur role ?

Chamillionaire: I definitely want to build an empire. My brand “Chamillitary” I want it to be bigger, and put some other people on. I got an R&B artist. I got two rap artists I signed. Right now, I’m my biggest investment, but for the most part I don’t wanna be rapping forever, I really don’t. I don’t wanna be 40 years old on the stage telling people to put their hands up. It’s a stepping stone to so much other stuff and business is my thing; I like that and it’s something I think I’m good at. It’s actually kind of hard when you’re on the stage rapping and trying to handle all of the business at the same time. If I could fall back, I think I would be more successful in all of my business.

Defsounds: We heard that you have a color changing kicks shoe line, and tell us some more about your upcoming artists.

Chamillionaire: I actually don’t. I think it’s a fan that made some color changing kicks. I actually saw the shoe and didn’t even like them (because) they were too colorful, I’m a person that dosen’t like that kind of stuff. I keep it simple. The clothing line stuff is kind of cool, but I’m doing that on a small level, merchandising-wise. On a big scale, all of these people that say they got clothing lines most of them don’t even make no money, so I ain’t really about doing stuff for the hype to say that I make money when I’m not. If its not something thats a money maker, I don’t wanna do it. With my artists, Tony Henry, he’s an R&B artist. I’m gonna put him out through Chamillitary Soul. I’m not even gonna rap on his stuff. I’m just gonna put him out because he’s just pure R&B. I think he’s an incredible writer and his voice is real dope. He’s actually on a skit on my album called “The Stuck in the Ghetto Skit”. It’s kind of a little introduction to Tony Henry. Another artist named Lil Ken, also known as Famous is rapping on my album on the song “You Must Be Crazy”. Another artist named Young Rho, he used to be with me on the color changing click, but I went back and signed him so me him and Ken will do an album together.

Defsounds: Is little wayne the best rapper alive ? Why or why not ?

Chamillionaire: I feel that Little Wayne has the right to feel he’s the best rapper alive. I think T.I. has the right to feel he’s the king. It’s just about how much confidence you have in yourself. One thing about Wayne that I can say, is that Little Wayne likes to rap. When I send him a song, he sends it back real quick, quicker than anybody, like he’s always in the studio. To me he puts out more material than a lot of people, and maybe if he says that he’s the best, it’s up to you to dispute him if you feel otherwise. But I don’t get mad at everybody putting out their titles…I don’t even care about titles.

Defsounds: Where do you see yourself five to ten years from now?

Chamillionaire: I just say successful. It might not even be rapping, but just successful. I’m one of those people who wanna get to the money. Whatever I’m doing, I wanna be successful. Build my empire Chamillitary and maybe doing some other stuff, acting etc.

Defsounds: A lot of your fans download your music, how do you feel about people who illegally download your music ?

Chamillionaire: People are going to see the cause and effects for that in a little bit. Right now it seems to be the turning point in the industry, where all the downloads are really going to change the fate of hip-op. All of the bigger artists that you see, when they come out, none of them sell records. So when the next phase of hip-hop comes in and its just a bunch of ring tone rappers and one hit wonders that are disposable, and (all) the ones that you loved they’re not here anymore, then you’ll see the effects of downloading. They’ll be like “Oh I wish so and so was here”. people always say that… they talk about old artists that they wish was doing their thing but its because you didn’t support them while they were out. Some people are lucky enough to have a good business mind. Like me, I feel like I can stay in the game for as long as I want because I’m smart enough to know how to maneuver around all of this junk. People say all of this stuff about 50 cent but I honestly believe like 6 7 million people have 50 cents album. But record sales may show under a million. That ain’t really cool but at the end of the day that’s just the way it is. So now its all about ring tones, but I’m one of those people who actually care about the booklet, actually care about the quality of the album. But time will tell who last.

Defsounds: How do you feel when people categorize you as a southern rapper ?

Chamillionaire: It’s cool because I’m a southern rapper. But when people say it in a way where southern rappers can’t rap or that we’re simple and stereotype us, I don’t like that. I feel its unfair to categorize everybody in the south as being simple. I understand there’s a whole bunch of that type of music out there but they shouldn’t put me in that box.

Defsounds: Is there anything that I haven’t asked that you want us to know ?

Chamillionaire: I want all the fans to know that I’m pretty active online. I stay on the Myspace page, myspace.com/Chamillionaire, myspace.com/Chamillitary. All of that type of stuff is stuff that I’m really doing its not like an intern doing that. I take the online community very seriously. We’re doing all kinds of contests and my schedule and everything will be up there for the fans, so just stay posted with me because I’m about to be on the road grinding it out.