Swishahouse/ Asylum
ESSENTIAL "I Need Me"
The people's champ barely gets in a few good right hands with this disappointingly predictable new effort. This was a time for Paul Wall to elevate his game after a two-year absence, but there is a familiarity here that's somewhat numbing and Wall just never proves he belongs with some of his elite Houston MC peers. His flow is still flat and the lack of quirky inflections or lyrical curlicues simply makes his tales of the H-town money, stripper, and coke world mostly mundane. Haven't we been here before? Yes indeed, and it takes an inspired MC to let us see it with fresh eyes. Wall doesn't do that. There's a wealth of guests who add some color and zip, but they occasionally expose Wall's lyrical limits. There is the typical hoochie-loving anthem ("Lemon Drop," with Baby Bash) and lady-trashing track ("Bizzy Body"). Does any MC actually like women? Most of the rest is rote stuff with Wall getting off a few good lines, but some metaphors fall with a thud ("You'll eventually land on top like salad dressing"). The best cut, "Daddy Wasn't Home," an ode to his mom, shows him digging deeper. He should try that more often next time. (Out now) -- KEN CAPOBIANCO
