Paul Wall (@paulwallbaby) - "Once Upon a Grind" (Album)

The people's champ is back at it. Paul Wall is a remnant of the 2000s. He had his biggest hits during the ringtone era, and some of said hits sound dated. Paul Wall has quietly been turning out great music since his commercial peak, however. He absolutely stole the show on That Mexican OT's "Johnny Dang," and now the Houston legend is back with a new album of his own. Once Upon a Grind is not the kind of release that's going to draw in new fans. But for those in the know, it's a reminder of how good the people's champ still is on the mic. Once Upon a Grind a concise, 12 track album loaded with exemplary features and stellar DJ. Fresh beats. Paul Wall and Fresh may not be an obvious pairing on paper, but they prove to have musical chemistry on nearly every song. "Woke Up a Millionaire," the opener, is a chilled out opener that allows Wall to look on all his success. The rapper is a little older and grayer, but he hasn't lost a step when it comes to flossing on his haters. "Platinum Playa" and "Way 2 Wet" see him absolutely slide over slick Fresh instrumentals that sound like Houston at night. Paul Wall sticks to the topics that made him famous, but few are better than him at romanticizing riding slow and cars with candy paint. - via HotNewHipHop