Was Paul Wall the Greatest Supporting Pop Star of 2005?

The long-bubbling Houston rap scene finally took over the mainstream in 2005, getting the entire country invested in tippin’ on four-fours and sittin’ sideways. The moment took over radio, TV and eventually the charts, with pop stars as massive as Nelly and Beyoncé eventually having huge hits influenced by this H-town movement. And while he might not have been the most obvious star for the moment, one guy ended up serving as the connective tissue for pretty much the whole thing: The People’s Champ, Paul Wall.

This month on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, our Vintage Pop Stardom spin-off series Vintage Almost-Pop Stardom is welcoming on first-time guests to look at really interesting artists during years in which they brushed up against pop stardom, but perhaps never quite got all the way there. Last week, we began with 1995 Björk, and this week we continue with 2005 Paul Wall, as the Texas writer Jonny Auping (of the excellent My Time Back newsletter) helps us dive deep on the white rapper/jeweler who commanded the spotlight without ever hogging it, and who 20 years after his clear commercial peak, still maintains a higher universal approval rating than nearly any of his peers.

While doing so, we ask all the most important questions about the Iceman’s biggest year: What made this such a special time for Houston hip-hop? How did Paul Wall come to define the moment, while managing to avoid seemingly all the traps that 99% of white rappers can’t help stepping in? Who had the best verse on “Still Tippin’”? Has Kanye West ever heard of DJ Screw? Is a bachelor party thrown by 2005 Nelly and Jermaine Dupri better in theory than in practice? And perhaps most importantly: How does Paul Wall still have the internet going nuts fairly regularly 20 years later?

Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most important moments from Paul Wall’s 2005, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!

And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:

Transgender Law Center

Trans Lifeline

Destination Tomorrow

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.