Paul Wall has called Fast Life his most mature album to date, and while that doesn’t mean he’s traded street rap for a career like Common’s, his third record is a carefully crafted work of Houston hip-hop. Anchored by three immeasurably thick slices of Texas toast —“Got to Get It,” “One Hundred” and “I’m Clean”—Fast Life allows Wall to try some new things. While “Bizzy Body” and “Fly” are custom-built club tracks, “Daddy Wasn’t Home” features the most vulnerable lyrics of Wall’s career, and adds another classic to the ever-growing list of hip-hop tributes to mom. Former blink-182 drummer Travis Barker shows up to produce the metal-infused “I Need Mo” and “Pop One of These,” the later of which is an amped-up hybrid of classic electro and Bay Area hyphy. Unlike some of his Houston comrades, Wall doesn’t stray too far from what he knows best. He understands his limits, and knows how to maximize his strengths, which makes Fast Life a well-balanced, unpretentious serving of Southern rap.

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