Walking into the Red Bull Soundclash at 713 Music Hall on November 10, The People’s Champ was at the forefront of my mind. As a kid born and raised in Houston, I would see Paul Wall’s influence on my favorite athletes and on more nationally known artists – his presence in the city’s 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 – Gary Clark Jr. performed at a higher level than I could have ever imagined. In his closing track “Bright Lights,” he sings “You’re gonna know my name by the end of the night.” I may not have known him before, but I’ll 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 “What About Us” and “Feelin’ Like a Million” for his warm-up, and Wall performed “Girl” and “I’m Throwed.”
Round 1: The Cover
Clark Jr. – “Come Together,” originally performed by the Beatles
Wall – “Wanna Be A Baller,” originally performed by Lil’ 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, Clark’s cover is available on streaming platforms, and I had heard it before the concert – 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 Houston’s 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 Em’ Off (Clark Jr. takes over midway)
“BYOB,” a one-minute and one-verse studio song, was a strategic choice here by Clark – 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 “Break Em’ Off,” and the crowd started to bounce off his energy – 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 – and I got one. Clark’s opening song was great, but the point of this round is to alter your sound, and I just didn’t hear that in this track. Wall made the effort with a country rendition of Swangin in the Rain, which united the Texan crowd. Clark’s 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 – he came back with his very own freestyle over a chopped and screwed “Xxplosive” 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), Ain’t Messin ‘Round (Jackie Venson), Low Down Rolling Stone (Riders Against The Storm)
Wall – Chunk Up Tha Deuce (Lil’ Keke), Sittin’ Sidewayz (Big Pokey), Still Tippin’ (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, I’d say this: “You Saved Me” was a spectacular ballad, and Wall just didn’t have the firepower to match it. “Ain’t Messin ‘Round” was also great, but this time Wall brought out his biggest solo hit “Sittin’ Sidewayz” and regained the momentum. Wall and his MC, OG Ron C, found themselves presented with audio issues at the tail end of “Still Tippin,” 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 couldn’t 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 show’s end “Ain’t no way I won that, shit… that boy killed me.” That could be attributed to a level of bias towards humility and respect for the opponent, or it could be the truth – 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, it’s 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 Wall’s own words, the real winner of this Soundclash was the great state of Texas.
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