DUB Magazine Feature : Paul Wall

Paul Wall is on his way to be hip-hop’s Heavyweight Champion of the World–no, not in the boxing ring, but in the hearts of his fans. Dubbed as the “People’s Champ” for his down-to-earth attitude, Paul Wall is putting Texas on the hip-hop map as he takes the music industry (and the world) by storm.

“My music is about the hustle, but not just hustling on the block but in going out there and getting what you want,” Wall said in a Texan drawl. “As for being the people’s champ, it was a name my buddy gave me because I’ve always treated people with respect, no matter what their status was.” But even though Wall is now a big time name in hip-hop, he didn’t always see it as a career. “Rapping was what I did for fun growing up; it was just a hobby at first,” Wall explained. “I started getting serious about it after my boy, Michael Watts, introduced me to the business side of rap. I took what I learned from him, ran with it while still having fun, and started putting out mixtape albumsWith a passion to make music, Wall knew he wouldn’t make it big overnight. He decided to work on different projects in hopes that one of his ventures would eventually lead him to a career in music. “I got my name out there working on different things daily,” he said. “One day I would be out promoting, the next DJ’ing, while the following day I was working on my rap game. For me, it was about promoting my name as a person, not just as a rapper.”.”

As his reputation grew in Houston, Wall knew he had to be patient, but never lost hope in his dream. “The hardest part about getting my name out there was having the patience that my hard work was not in vain,” Wall confessed. “I saw other people make it and felt that should be me. I admit that at times I got frustrated and fed up with the whole game, but I would stop and remember to tell myself, ‘You never know what God has planned for you.’” Soon, his patience paid off as he became part of the Houston power group The Color Changin’ Click with fellow childhood friend and well-known rapper Chamillionaire. “We were all homeboys growing up in Houston,” Wall reminisced. “It went on for a couple of years, but then me and Chamillionaire took rapping more seriously, and eventually, we all started going our own ways.”

Now as a solo artist, Paul Wall has delighted fans with his gritty Texas-influenced lyrics and beats, first inspired by the “Screwed and Chopped” musical innovations of Houston’s own legendary DJ Screw (who pioneered that art of slowing and pitching down records, and chopping and repeating lines of lyrics to a mesmerizing effect). “The style of music we were creating here in Texas was just so different that I would have never thought that the rest of the world would embrace it in the way they have now,” he explained. “My music is based on the Texas culture and what I like to call ‘Screw culture.’”

With his sophomore album, Get Money, Stay True (SwishaHouse/Asylum, 2007), Wall recorded three times as many songs as he did with his debut album, The People’s Champ (SwishaHouse/Asylum, 2005). “The name comes from a slogan we have here at Swisha House,” he explained. “It’s about getting money and staying true to who we are, about staying loyal to our fans base and each other as a team. It’s not just the title of the album but the overall theme and concept of it as well.”

Besides promoting his latest album, Wall has also joined forces with ex-Transplants members Travis Barker and Rob Aston to create a new group, Expensive Tastes. “We were all signed to Atlantic [Records] and became friends. We always talked about making music together and finally decided to do it,” he explained. “It’s phenomenal because we all come from different musical backgrounds. Travis is doing all the production, while Rob and I are doing all the vocals.”

In addition to his numerous musical ventures, Paul Wall has also established himself as the go-to man for custom iced-out grills. Everybody who is anybody is sporting some oral bling, thanks to Wall’s interest in alternative jewelry. “Grills have been around for years, and I always wanted one,” he said. “The cheapest and easiest way for me to get one was to make one or get down with the person who was making them. So I teamed up with a jeweler.”

His infamous grills led to a collaboration with Zenetti wheels to create a signature line of vehicle grilles and wheels encrusted with cubic zirconium stones. “One of my boys hooked me up with them,” he said. The items will be available for coupes, SUVs, Chrysler 300s, Dodge Magnums and Cadillac Escalades.

The white 2007 Cadillac Escalade features a custom one-off Zenetti grille designed by Paul Wall, Gibson stainless steel exhaust, and 26-inch Zenetti Masquerades wheels with the optional iced-out face with Pirelli Scorpion 305/30R26 tires. The interior features custom chocolate brown suede headliners and suede inserts with diamond-stitched panels

His 2007 Chevy Tahoe also sports 26-inch Zenetti Masquerades with the optional iced-out face on Pirelli Scorpion 305/30R26 tires. Exterior modifications include a Ground Force suspension kit and Gibson stainless steel exhaust set up, while the interior has custom gray suede headliners.

Using his celebrity status for some good, Paul Wall and fellow rappers Raekwon The Chef and Tego Calderon appeared in the VH1 documentary “Bling’d: Blood, Diamonds and Hip-Hop,” which chronicled their visit to Sierra Leone, where they investigated the blood diamond phenomenon and witnessed the aftermath of the country’s civil war. “It was shocking to see people living like that; no running water, no electricity–it’s one of the poorest countries,” Wall described. “It inspired me to make a change and do something to help out, so we started a foundation for the people of Sierra Leone.”

Success hasn’t come easy for Paul Wall. Everything he has stems from his work ethic. “I work all day and all night,” he said. “I treat my career as if it was a regular 9-5 job. Even when I’m out shopping, I’m working by promoting my album or mingling with the fans. I’m after the longevity of my career: I always want to be the people’s champ”

And by unanimous decision, the champion of hip-hop–Paul Wall…