Paul Wall has been doing his thing in the music game for a minute. As part of the Swishahouse Family he has been featured on releases with Mike Jones and Slim Thug among others. He also appears on the current Kanye West release Late Registration. This summer Paul Wall found national success with his song "Sittin' Sideways." The video was a regular in the top ten on 106 and Park and this past August Paul performed at the MTV VMA pre-show.

His album The Peoples Champ drops is in stores.

Where are you from?
Paul Wall -Houston, Texas.

Where did you get your moniker "The Peoples Champ"?
Paul Wall -Just a nickname given to me. I've always been a real social person and I just reach out to people and build relationships, it's just a nickname.

I know you've done a lot with Mike Jones can you explain your relationship with him?
Paul Wall -Yeah that's my homeboy. I knew him before the Swishahouse. I've been doing Swishahouse stuff since like 99 and Slim Thug has been doing Swishahouse since like 98. Mike Jones came along in 2002 but we knew him just a little bit before that. He used to sell us phones and pagers and two-ways and stuff like that. He would have the fly new phones and we would get them from him he would be hustling them on the street. When he got on a little later in the Swishahouse I remember the first time I met him in terms of the Swishahouse Michael Watts pulled up to my house with him like, "Yeah this Mike Jones I just signed him." I was like "Yeah Yeah that's my boy." We knew him by a different name (Satchee). I knew him so it was cool.

I'm really loving the song "Sittin Sideways.". When you heard that track did you just know it was for you?
Paul Wall -That song was a creation of T. Farris. Michael Watts came up with the idea for the sample and turning the sample into a song but from that Sallee made the beat and he's the guy who did "Still Tipping" and "Back Then." It's something T. Farris really pushed. He is the president and A&R of Swishahouse. He's had a big hand in all of the hits we have had. Like for some reason he can always pick a hit. This song is going to be it or this song isn't going to be it.

Are you surprised that you have so many female fans?
Paul Wall -Oh now. I mean I'm a strapping handsome young guy.

Now I have to ask about this iced out grill. Is that like permanent over your real teeth?
Paul Wall -Yeah they are over the teeth. It's not permanent I can take it out and clean it.

I read on your website that you were giving away an iced out grill to someone.
Paul Wall -Yeah.

That's an interesting concept for a contest. How did you go about building such a large fan base? Was it basically mix tapes? Touring?
Paul Wall -Yeah mix tapes were the foundation of it. Really just me being me. I build friendships up with regular everyday people. And from that the friendships turn into fans?

The name of the album is "The Peoples Champ" right?
Paul Wall -September 13th.

Can you tell me about the album?
Paul Wall -Oh it's got a great supporting cast, T.I., Lil Wayne, Bun B from UGK, B.G., Big Pokey from the Screwed Up Clique, The G.R.I.T. Boyz, Freeway, Trey Songz he's one of my fellow artists on Atlantic Records.

Where did you do most of the recording at?
Paul Wall -In Houston at the Grid Iron. The Grid Iron is a production studio as well as a production team.

What have you been doing this summer?
Paul Wall -Touring, promoting the album, that's it.

I read the press release but didn't get to catch it. Did you get to perform at the VMA preshow?
Paul Wall -Yeah. It was off the chain. The VMA's was definitely off the chain. Just being there as a guest was definitely an honor. But to peform and to be nomintated for an award it was like Damn this is too good to be true.

Tell me about the video for "Sittin Sideways." Did you come up with any of the concept for the video?
Paul Wall -No that was the work of John Tucker. Dr. T, he directed all of our videos and I think he did Trina and Lil Wayne and the new Webbie. He did a lot of those videos..

Now I know a lot of artists like to branch out in gym shoes and clothing lines is that something you see happening down the line?
Paul Wall -Yeah definitely. I got an endorsement deal with Reebok and also with All Jeers clothing. But other than tat, whatever, I'm chasing money wherever the money is I'm going to find it.

I have a question if it sounds insensitive don't curse me out.
Paul Wall -You can ask me anything you want.

Listen to a clip from this interview

Here we go. I've never heard anyone refer to you as a white rapper. How do you think you managed to cross the hip-hop color barrier?
Paul Wall -I just be me. It's not an issue to me. If it's an issue to somebody else it's their issue and not mine. I just be me 100% me all the time no if ands or buts I don't put on a front for anything I just be me only me.

So how long have you been rapping?
Paul Wall -Close to 10 years now.

Do you ever do any freestyle battles?
Paul Wall -That's not really something that's real big in Houston. In Texas we've never been real big on the whole battle rap thing. When 8 Mile came out that really popularized it as a trend in parts of the nation where they didn't do it so you would see it here and there in Houston but for the most part it's never been part of the Houston hip-hop scene.

Who are some of the rappers you enjoy old school or new school?
Paul Wall -UGK, The Screwed Up Clique.

Is that really you on your MYSPACE profile.?
Paul Wall -No, at all. That aint me.

So you don't have one at all?
Paul Wall - No, at all. That aint me.

Listen to Paul discuss MYSPACE

That is like such…
Paul Wall -I have a Black Planet Page.

How can people find that?
Paul Wall -Paul Wall.

It's good you said that because there is somebody on their saying this is the official Pall Wall MYSPACE page.
Paul Wall -They have that on Black Planet too.

Are you going out on tour this fall?
Paul Wall -Yeah. I don't know where or when but its in the works. Mike Jones is on tour right now at the Anger Management Tour.

Do you have any last words for your fans?
Paul Wall -Please buy my album. 4-5 copies of it September 13th. Please support everything we're trying to do. Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Swishahouse....

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Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com September 2005.