Paul Wall & Baby Bash - The Legalizers: Legalize or Die, Vol. 1 (2016)

MC and DJ Paul Wall (born Paul Slayton) grew up as a hardcore disciple of fellow Houstonian DJ Screw and became so familiar with the pioneering DJ's woozy, slowed-down style of remixing that he had to adjust to hearing hip-hop at any other tempo. Prior to making a nationwide breakout in 2005 with a guest spot on Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'" and his Swishahouse/Atlantic Records debut, The Peoples Champ, Wall was involved with promotional street teams, DJed parties, put together underground mixtapes, and was half of the Color Changin' Click with Chamillionaire. He recorded 2002's Get Ya Mind Correct with his partner, and then followed that with 2004's solo Chick Magnet. Controversy Sells, another disc billed to Wall and Chamillionaire, hit the streets in early 2005, just months before Wall kicked off support for the chart-topping Peoples Champ LP with "Sittin' Sideways." Two years later, Get Money, Stay True was introduced by the single "Break Em' Off" with Lil' Keke. Changing labels with the rest of the Swishahouse family, his first album for Asylum, Fast Life, followed in 2009. A year later The Heart of a Champion arrived with blink-182 drummer Travis Barker handling production on half the tracks. In early 2012 he dropped the mixtape No Sleep Til Houston, which was picked up for an official release by the Fontana label late that same year. Affiliated throughout the years with Paid in Full and Swishahouse, Wall has also held down a lucrative business as a maker of diamond-laced grillz. His clientele includes Lil Jon and T.I. His 2014 LP The Po-Up Poet was a collaboration with producer June "The Jenius" James, while 2015 saw the release of Slab God, an album that featured Snoop Dogg, Devin the Dude, and Curren$y as guests. ~ Andy Kellman.