The Peoples Champ
| The Peoples Champ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Paul Wall | ||||
| Released | September 13, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2004–05 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop, southern hip hop | |||
| Length | 70:18 | |||
| Label | Swishahouse, Atlantic, Asylum | |||
| Producer | Paul Wall (also exec.), DJ Paul, Juicy J, DJ Michael "5000" Watts, Grid Iron, Sanchez Holmes, Khao, Kojack, Salih Williams, KLC, Mr. Lee, Kanye West, Speez, A. Sampson | |||
| Paul Wall chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Blender | |
| HipHopDX | |
| Okayplayer | |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.9/10 |
| RapReviews | 8/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Situation | 3/5 |
The Peoples Champ is the second studio album by American rapper Paul Wall. It was released on September 13, 2005, by Swishahouse, Atlantic Records and Asylum Records. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 176,000 copies in its first week. This serves as his first number one in two solo studio releases, after Chick Magnet (2004). The album was supported by four singles: "Sittin' Sidewayz" featuring Big Pokey, "They Don't Know", "Girl" and "Drive Slow" (Kanye West featuring Paul Wall and GLC). Both "Sittin' Sidewayz" and "Girl" are certified gold by the RIAA for selling more than 500,000 copies each in the United States.
The limited edition of The Peoples Champ features two CDs: disc one contains the original album, while disc two contains the "screwed and chopped" version by DJ Michael "5000" Watts. The Watts mix was released as a stand-alone CD the following week.
The Peoples Champ received generally positive reviews from music critics who found Wall better than fellow Houston rapper Mike Jones. Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media credited newcomer producer Grid Iron for providing some consistent beats throughout the album and Wall for being an above-average rapper saying, "So Wall is a good rapper, but not a great one. But then, this is 2005, and all a rapper needs to make a good album is enough great, complimentary beats and guest appearances to keep the whole thing interesting all the way through." Andy Kellman of AllMusic also praised Wall as a rapper, saying his flow is something that "always fits into the fabric of the track." Jonah Weiner of Blender lauded Wall's ability to lace crafty wordplay about the typical hip-hop tropes, saying that "This is materialism at its most mesmerizing." K. B. Tindal of HipHopDX praised the album for its party tracks but was looking for some substance throughout it, saying that "After actually listening to the project it was worth the wait but still could have been a little more introspective with more heartfelt tracks. [...] For the most part it is what it is; shit talking made to sound good." Usman Sajjad of The Situation praised the album for its production and catchy party tracks, concluding that "With new hustles like his grills and various endorsements with Reebok and other companies, Paul Wall gives evidence with his debut 'The People’s Champ', that Houston still flows strongly through his blood, whilst moving one foot into mainstream Hip Hop."
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