Hurricane Chris

When it comes to energy and stage presence, Hurricane Chris sits at the top of a short list. His hand-clapping, head-rocking debut single, “A Bay Bay,” sold over two million copies in 2007. Fast forward two years later and his new single, “Halle Berry (She’s Fine)” featuring Superstarr, off his sophomore album, Unleashed (July 28), is geared to do much of the same. The record has women across the country convinced they too can keep up with the Oscar winner.

staging-rapup.kinsta.cloud caught up with the Louisiana rapper right after his latest appearance on BET’s “106 & Park” to pick his brain on his love life, the latest toy in his garage, and the Snapple cap he’s got tucked away in his back pocket.

1. How do you get inspired to make music?
I’m inspired by my ‘hood and the people around me. When I first started, I was freestylin’, entering into school competitions at local high schools, and winning first place. I won first place so many times my friends kept telling me to keep going and going. From then on, every event in the city I was hopping on and taking my spot.

2. Is there anyone at the top of your producer wish list?
I can go in the studio and bang it out with just about anybody, man. It don’t even matter, all you gotta do is have a fire beat and I’m rocking like a cut-out stocking.

3. So you’re a studio junkie?
I stay in the studio. You gotta keep giving them that hot lava, you can never slack off. You slack off, you gon’ lack off. Simple as that.

4. Your first single is called “Halle Berry (She’s Fine).” Is Halle your ideal chick?
Halle Berry is the one who got her self-esteem right, her mind right, her attitude right, everything right about her—hair done, nails done, good hair, all dat. If you keeping yourself up to par, you Halle Berry.

5. How are the ladies treating you? Do you have a girl down South?
They be loving me and I be loving them back. But nah man, no girl. I’m single like a Pringle.

6. What do you do with your time when you’re not rapping?
I’m probably in the country somewhere, laid-back, chillin’ around my family. I like to ride around in race cars with the top off chillin’ with the people that I like to be around. We got that land out in the country so we can wild out.

7. What’s the wildest thing a fan has done for attention?
These chicks followed the tour bus from like Tallahassee to Atlanta. When I got out of the store, I realized that was the same car full of people still going crazy, screaming and yelling. It was crazy.

8. What’s the newest toy in your garage?
I got that Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, gray with the black inside. Black feet, black top.

9. What’s in your pockets right now?
I just popped the tag on these pants, so nothing major. A business card some random dude gave me backstage at “106 & Park” and the top to a Snapple. [The Snapple fact on the cap reads], “A crocodile cannot move its tongue.”

10. Who’s your favorite rapper?
My favorite rapper in the entire industry got to be Hurricane, by far.

–Bilal Morris