The Peoples Champ

Critical reception

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."

Track listing