Was Paul Wall the Greatest Supporting Pop Star of 2005?

The long-bubbling Houston rap country yet took implicit the mainstream successful 2005, getting the full state invested successful tippin’ connected four-fours and sittin’ sideways. The infinitesimal took implicit radio, TV and yet the charts, with popular stars arsenic monolithic arsenic Nelly and Beyoncé yet having immense hits influenced by this H-town movement. And portion helium mightiness not person been the astir evident prima for the moment, 1 feline ended up serving arsenic the connective insubstantial for beauteous overmuch the full thing: The People’s Champ, Paul Wall.

This period connected the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, our Vintage Pop Stardom spin-off bid Vintage Almost-Pop Stardom is welcoming connected first-time guests to look astatine truly absorbing artists during years successful which they brushed up against popular stardom, but possibly ne'er rather got each the mode there. Last week, we began with 1995 Björk, and this week we proceed with 2005 Paul Wall, arsenic the Texas writer Jonny Auping (of the fantabulous My Time Back newsletter) helps america dive heavy connected the achromatic rapper/jeweler who commanded the spotlight without ever hogging it, and who 20 years aft his wide commercialized peak, inactive maintains a higher cosmopolitan support standing than astir immoderate of his peers.

While doing so, we inquire each the astir important questions astir the Iceman’s biggest year: What made this specified a peculiar clip for Houston hip-hop? How did Paul Wall travel to specify the moment, portion managing to debar seemingly each the traps that 99% of achromatic rappers can’t assistance stepping in? Who had the champion verse connected “Still Tippin’”? Has Kanye West ever heard of DJ Screw? Is a bachelor enactment thrown by 2005 Nelly and Jermaine Dupri amended successful mentation than successful practice? And possibly astir importantly: How does Paul Wall inactive person the net going nuts reasonably regularly 20 years later?

Check it retired supra — on with a YouTube playlist of immoderate of the astir important moments from Paul Wall’s 2005, each of which are discussed successful the podcast — and subscribe to the  Read Entire Article