Paul Wall “Fast Life” Album Review

Paul Wall – “Fast Life” Album review

By: Jabari Oliver

Paul Slayton lives the Fast Life. Growing up in Hustletown Texas (Houston), he fueled his passion for music through constantly rapping wherever he went, finding avenues to get into the music game the best way he knew. Around the age of 12 he started to come up with songs about how nice his lyrical skills were on the mic. By age 14 he started doing promotions for artists with his childhood friends Ace and 5’4”. It was from them where he quickly began to learn the marketing aspects of the music bizz and how to promote a product. Throughout Jersey Village where he attended High School, he would continue to rap non-stop around his friends and associates developing his skills to the point where his good friend B. Sykes gave him the nickname Paul Wall because he never stopped rapping. Paul Slayton aka Paul Wall went on to graduate from the University of Houston with a degree in mass communications. By this time he was a “Screw” DJ who was known to do parties and release chopped and screwed mixtapes just as his idol, the late legendary DJ Screw who created the dragged, slurred, and slowed down form of music that created shockwaves throughout Houston and the Lone Star State which left an imprint on the entire south and created a new sub-genre of hip hop. Paul Wall received his first official taste of the music industry by serving as a street team member on the northwest side of Houston for various labels such as Cash Money records, Def Jam records, and No Limit records. Later he joined the promotional team of Swishahouse records headed by DJ Michael “5000” Watts, using his learned skills to get his foot in the door to one of the most potent independent underground hip hop labels in history. He solidified himself as an artist on the label by winning the ears of 3^rd coasters far and wide. After awhile of rap hustling with Swishahouse, Paul Wall was throw’d in the game with money running long, swaggin’ and bangin’ around in candy dripping drops with multiple screens dropping and blades chopping. He went from a Honda to a Hummer in one summer. As he continued his grind to promote, DJ, and rap, Paul Wall teamed up with fellow Swishahousian all-star Chamillionaire to form the group “Color Changin’ Click” leaving Swishahouse and signing with Paid In Full Entertainment which was headed by DJ Madd Hatta from 97.9 The Box (the local hip-hop radio station in Houston owned by Radio One). Together they released “Get ya Mind Correct” and sold over 200,000 units independently. Paid In Full Entertainment also housed Paul Wall’s first solo album “Chick Magnet.” Although Paul Wall and Chamillionaire maintained a wealth of success through record sales, buzz, and fame, they found strife through excessive creative differences and decided to break up the group and go their separate ways. Paul Wall then returned home to Swishahouse where he found monumental success alongside label mates such as Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Archie Lee, Coota Bang, and Yung Redd citing classics such as the “Headed to da Kappa” mixtape series and “The Day Hell Broke Loose Part 2 aka Major Without A Major Deal” which sold over 500,000 units independently 2 weeks after it was released to the streets. Swishahouse’s achievements on the underground music scene caught the attention of major labels across the world making the front runners of Swishahouse the most sought after rap artists in the industry to that date. Paul Wall proved to be one of the leading free agents of Swishahouse by signing with Atlantic/Warner Bros’ incubator label Asylum records. His first album released under Asylum, “People’s Champ” proved to be a gallant success going platinum selling over a million units in just a few months removed from its release date. He went on to drop a second album called “Get Money, Stay True” increasing his successful sales resume to greater heights. As his fame and name grew, Paul Wall ventured into business opportunities that proved to be lucrative. He partnered with jewelry mogul Johnny Dang creating “TV Jewelry,” a company that specializes in the production of fancy silver, gold, and platinum diamond incrusted mouthpiece grills known as “Paul Wall grills.” His star studded clientele included Lil’ Jon, T.I., and Nelly. Paul Wall also joined a hip-hop group called Expensive Taste with Skinhead Rob of the punk/rock group Transplants and Travis Barker of the rock group Blink 182. Their group also inspired a clothing line called Expensive Taste which added to Paul Wall’s effervescent entrepreneurship in fashion. Paul Wall’s talent and entrepreneurial spirit allowed him to accumulate extensive riches and fame allowing him to live life safely in the fast lane.

Equipped with a new crew, new money, and a new outlook on life, Paul Wall returns to the world of music with his fourth solo album “Fast Life.” With feature production from beat makers such as Amadeus, Travis Barker, Gennessee, and Mouse, it is clear that Paul Wall aims to show range on this album. To expand his reach even more, Paul Wall features unexpected guests such as Too Short, Colby O’Donis, Baby Bash, Skinhead Rob, Marty James of One Block Radius, and Tech N9ne. Paul Wall holds his 3^rd coast swagger by summoning production from hometown producers Beanz and Kornbread on “Got to Get It”, “Mama Raised Me”, and “I’m Clean.” On the track “Got to Get It” Beanz and Kornbread cooks the beat with a Fat Pat sample while Paul Wall fits in perfectly with his clever word play making the song a hustler’s anthem with lyrics like “It ain’t nane excuse for these boys to be broke/ I know some hustlers in wheelchairs/ we get it ‘till we croak.” On “Mama Raised Me” Paul Wall shows the world his deep emotions while rhyming about his love for his mom. This track proves to be a 3^rd generation 2 Pac “Dear Momma” work of art. On “I’m Clean” Paul Wall displays his swaggeristic lyricism alongside Rap-A-Lot artist Z-Ro. On the motivational song “Look at me Now” Paul Wall presents a gift to his fans when he raps “I was born amongst poverty/ I had no dough/ Motivated by a dream with some hustle and flow.” He continues his revelations by rapping “I started out at Popeye’s in the back fryin’ chicken/ and now I am on TV, telling boys how I’m livin’.” Paul Wall brings back his fellow Expensive Taste crew member Travis Barker for production on two tracks this time around whereas the Blink 182 drummer rock star only produced one track on Paul Wall’s last album “Get Money, Stay True.” Barker extends his production credits on “I Need Mo” the rock guitar heavy track which features Colby O’Donis and “Pop One of these” which has Expensive Taste fingerprints all over it with guest spots from Skinhead Rob, Too Short, and The Federation. The Baton Rouge banger Howard “Chaotic” Metoyer lays his production on tracks “One Hundred” which features Z-Ro and Paul Wall’s fellow Swishahouse rapper Yung Redd and the track “Sumn’ Like a Pimp” which features Krizz Kaliko and Tech N9ne the Kansas City lyricist who co-headlined with Paul Wall for the “Fire and Ice” tour in 2008. On “I Grind” Paul Wall collaborates with Marty James of One Block Radius who croons a co-sign of the H-Town rapper’s grind. Paul Wall also shows that he had a lot of fun doing “Fast Life” with tracks like “Pressin Them Buttons” produced by I.N.F.O. & NOVA which features Hurricane Chris (who has been known to bless a few Swishahouse mixtapes as of late) and Houston rappers Trae the Truth and Lil Keke. Wall still claims that he has the internet going nuts saying “Got the parking lot bopping when I drop ‘dem screens/ I’m on the internet stuntin’/ I’m the youtube King.” On “Lemon Drop” Paul Wall gets a dash of Bay area love with production from Oakland beatsmith Gennessee and a feature from Bay area bred Baby Bash. Other party tracks on “Fast Life” are “Fly” and “Bizzy Body.” On “Fly” Paul Wall links up with Bad Boy Atliens Yung Joc and Gorilla Zoe. Production from Amadeus makes it a sure club banger as the rappers navigate through the bass heavy beat. By far the best song on the entire album is “Bizzy Body” where Paul Wall took a trip down to Baton Rouge to the Shake Back Factory and hooked up with the Louisianimals of Trill Entertainment Webbie (The Young Savage) and Mouse on the tracks. “Bizzy Body” is a preapproved hit causing buzz on the radio and clubs before the release of “Fast Life.” The fast pace of the beat with the supporting tuba and high pitched bell-like zings make the song a festival killer. The concept of the track is clever as Paul Wall and company give an ode to all go getter women around the globe.

Paul Wall tips down on the scene properly with “Fast Life.” Accompanied with a new arsenal of musical horizons, he challenges his fans to follow him toward a broader audience. His evolution as an artist and businessman has been electric forcing the issue of connecting southern rap with rock while maintaining the swag many have emulated from him for years. Paul Wall indeed lives the fast life.

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