| The Peoples Champ | |
| Type: | album |
| Artist: | Paul Wall |
| Cover: | The peoples champ cover.jpg |
| Alt: | A close-up image of a man showing his platinum grilled teeth. Beside him is a shield symbol with eight stars, showing the record label's name, artist's name and album title colored in platinum. |
| Released: | September 13, 2005[1] |
| Genre: | Hip hop, southern hip hop |
| Prev Title: | Chick Magnet |
| Prev Year: | 2004 |
| Next Title: | Get Money, Stay True |
| Next Year: | 2007 |
The Peoples Champ is the commercial debut and second studio album by American rapper Paul Wall. It was released on September 13, 2005, by Atlantic Records, Asylum Records, and Swishahouse. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 176,000 copies in its first week.[2] 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" became a certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 500,000 copies each in the United States.[3]
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.[4]
The song "They Don't Know" also appeared on his debut studio album Chick Magnet and the song "Drive Slow" also appeared on Kanye West's album Late Registration
The Peoples Champ received generally positive reviews from music critics. Pitchfork writer Tom Breihan 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, complementary beats and guest appearances to keep the whole thing interesting all the way through." AllMusic's Andy Kellman 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."
| Chart (2005) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[5] | 147 | |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[6] | 43 | |
| Chart (2006) | Position | |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 191 | |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[8] | 62 |