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Artist: Paul WallTitle: Get Money, Stay TrueRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Adam Thomas

Houston Hip-Hop has never been shy about its hustling roots. Being shunned for years and finally receiving your shine has that effect. Hip-Hop’s own king of shine, Houston’s Paul Wall, has his imprint on the tongue of many an artist, from T.I to Nelly with his famous grills . Not just a master of the bling, he is also an accomplished MC who has just released his sophomore solo effort, Get Money Stay True (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic).

Paul Wall stays true to music that represents the fun side of life with nice flows and hypnotic beats. “Get Your Paper Up” (featuring Yung Redd) starts the album off with an explosion that jolts you right to attention. “Everybody Know Me” (featuring Snoop Dogg) shows the rapper working well with the west coast legend, and two singles on the record “Break ‘Em Off” featuring Lil’ Keke and “I’m Throwed” featuring Jermaine Dupri aptly represent what you will get on this album along with a full supply of that knock.

Stay True, Get Money’s guest appearances are a mixed bag though. Sometimes, they work well, with the people he has experience with like “On The Grind” which features Freeway & Crys Wall and the aforementioned “Break ‘Em Off.” But other times, some collaborations slow down the overall pacing on the album thanks to a flow that doesn’t fit like on “I’m Real, What Are You?” featuring Juelz Santana.” What may also throw some fans of the first album is the lack of diversity. Unlike People’s Champ, which was diverse, this album has one direction, which limits its replay ability by only giving you one look.

It does hit this direction strongly, with the wind behind its proverbial sails. For fans of Paul Wall’s fun side, you will thoroughly enjoy this album, and with this playing, chances are, it’s a party anyway, so enjoy yourself.