Walking into the Red Bull Soundclash at 713 Music Hall on November 10, The Peopleâs Champ was at the forefront of my mind. As a kid born and raised in Houston, I would see Paul Wallâs influence on my favorite athletes and on more nationally known artists â his presence in the cityâs culture comes close to that of Mattress Mack. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that our rivalry with Austin was not just a half-assed attempt to organize some competition â Gary Clark Jr. performed at a higher level than I could have ever imagined. In his closing track âBright Lights,â he sings âYouâre gonna know my name by the end of the night.â I may not have known him before, but Iâll be damn sure not to forget him now.
The Soundclash consists of four rounds: The cover, the takeover, the clash, and the wildcard. I will write about each of these rounds and determine the individual winners, then tally up the final score to determine who walked away with the win. To provide some context, Clark played âWhat About Usâ and âFeelinâ Like a Millionâ for his warm-up, and Wall performed âGirlâ and âIâm Throwed.â
Round 1: The Cover
Clark Jr. – âCome Together,â originally performed by the Beatles
Wall – âWanna Be A Baller,â originally performed by Lilâ Troy
Clark Jr. performed first, and he immediately captured the attention of everyone in the audience. First heard in the 2017 rendition of Justice League, Clarkâs cover is available on streaming platforms, and I had heard it before the concert â but hearing it live gave me chills. His guitar skills, background vocals from Kam Franklin, and everything in between provided a buzz and truly was the most electric moment of the show. Wall, of course, did his thing with one of Houstonâs most prominent anthems, but what separated Clark Jr. was his ability to reach across genres.
SCORE: Clark Jr. 1 – Wall 0
Round 2: The Takeover
Clark Jr. – BYOB (Wall takes over midway)
Wall – Break Emâ Off (Clark Jr. takes over midway)
âBYOB,â a one-minute and one-verse studio song, was a strategic choice here by Clark â not too much room to get creative for Wall, who looked a little uncomfortable taking over the song, maybe even forgetting some of the words. He transitioned into âBreak Emâ Off,â and the crowd started to bounce off his energy â that is, until Clark Jr. took over and absolutely dominated the song by turning it to a catchy country tune and inviting the host MC to remix it with some not-so-subtle jabs at Houston. Clark Jr. wins here by a mile.
SCORE: Clark Jr. 2 – Wall 0
Round 3: The Clash
Clark Jr. – When My Train Pulls In, Numb (Screwed and Chopped)
Wall – Swangin in the Rain (Country), Xxplosive (freestyle)
With my hometown hero down 2-0 (in my mind, of course), I needed a strong showing from him this round in order to not go home disappointed â and I got one. Clarkâs opening song was great, but the point of this round is to alter your sound, and I just didnât hear that in this track. Wall made the effort with a country rendition of Swangin in the Rain, which united the Texan crowd. Clarkâs comeback effort could be seen when he chopped and screwed his next song, but trying to beat a Houston rapper like that is a dead end â he came back with his very own freestyle over a chopped and screwed âXxplosiveâ beat. Wall won this one decisively and reminded the audience why he belongs on the stage.
SCORE: Clark Jr. 2 – Wall 1
Round 4 – The wildcard
Clark Jr. – You Saved Me (Abraham Alexander), Ainât Messin âRound (Jackie Venson), Low Down Rolling Stone (Riders Against The Storm)
Wall – Chunk Up Tha Deuce (Lilâ Keke), Sittinâ Sidewayz (Big Pokey), Still Tippinâ (Slim Thug) [All featuring Maxo Kream, Dr. McDaniels, and OG Ron C]
This one is most certainly the hardest round to judge. Both sides put on amazing performances and brought out some incredible artists from their respective hometowns. To put it simply, Iâd say this: âYou Saved Meâ was a spectacular ballad, and Wall just didnât have the firepower to match it. âAinât Messin âRoundâ was also great, but this time Wall brought out his biggest solo hit âSittinâ Sidewayzâ and regained the momentum. Wall and his MC, OG Ron C, found themselves presented with audio issues at the tail end of âStill Tippin,â but the show was in Houston – the fans sang every word without hesitation. I felt a sense of authenticity from that interaction that Clark Jr. just couldnât reproduce, at least not in Houston. This round goes to the local legend.
SCORE: Clark Jr. 2 – Wall 2 If the score is even, who truly won? Wall admitted at the showâs end âAinât no way I won that, shit⊠that boy killed me.â That could be attributed to a level of bias towards humility and respect for the opponent, or it could be the truth â the point being, it is subjectively up to the audience member to make that decision. In an event such as this one, where two extremely talented musicians are showcasing both their abilities and flaws in a slightly more intense space, itâs not in the best interest of your ears to just take a side and stay there. For me, Clark Jr. impressed me more because I had never heard his name, and now I will never forget it. But getting the chance to see Wall perform songs I grew up jamming to was a different type of joy that only a Houston artist could provide. In anticlimatic fashion, and in Wallâs own words, the real winner of this Soundclash was the great state of Texas.
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