Both "Sittin' Sidewayz" and "Girl" became a certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 500,000 copies each in the United States.

[4] The song "They Don't Know" (featuring Mike Jones) also appeared on his debut studio album Chick Magnet and the song "Drive Slow" also appeared on Kanye West's album Late Registration The Peoples Champ received generally positive reviews from music critics.

But then, this is 2005, and all a rapper needs to make a good album is enough great, complementary beats and guest appearances to keep the whole thing interesting all the way through.

"[5] Jonah Weiner of Blender lauded Wall's ability to lace crafty wordplay about the typical hip-hop tropes, saying that "This is materialism at its most mesmerizing.

"[7] Usman Sajjad of The Situation praised the album for its production and catchy party tracks, concluding that "With new hustles like his grills and various endorsements with Reebok and other companies, Paul Wall gives evidence with his debut 'The People’s Champ', that Houston still flows strongly through his blood, whilst moving one foot into mainstream Hip Hop.