INTERVIEW: Paul Wall Talks New Music, New Grills, Conspiracy Theories, Swishahouse Music + More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club Featuring Paul Wall

Episode Title: INTERVIEW: Paul Wall Talks New Music, New Grills, Conspiracy Theories, Swishahouse Music + More
Release Date: December 17, 2024
Host/Authors: DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Paul Wall
Description: The Breakfast Club is renowned as "The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show," bringing together influential voices in hip-hop and culture. In this episode, Paul Wall joins DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God to discuss his latest endeavors, personal journey, and insights into the music industry.

---

1. Welcome and Introduction [02:36]

DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God kick off the episode by welcoming Paul Wall back to the show after a significant hiatus. The hosts express their appreciation for his enduring presence and contributions to the hip-hop community.

Notable Quote:

DJ Envy [02:47]: "What's up, brother?"

Paul Wall [02:48]: "How you feeling? I'm feeling great, man. Happy to be back with my dogs, man. You know. Been a long time."

---

2. Reflecting on Swishahouse and Legacy [03:35]

Paul Wall reminisces about his early days with Swishahouse and the profound impact it had on his career. He highlights the role of key figures like OG Ron C and Michael Watts in discovering and nurturing talent, including his own rise to platinum status.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [17:42]: "I've been, you know, salute to the DJs out there. Michael Watts and OG Ron C. The two DJs that discovered myself... They signed us and built us up from scratch and turned us into platinum artists."

---

3. New Music and Upcoming Album [09:38]

Discussing his latest project, Paul Wall introduces his new album, Once Upon a Grind, produced primarily by DJ Fresh and G Luck Beat from Houston. The album centers on themes of perseverance, personal growth, and striving for excellence.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [09:38]: "It's real Motivating. Once Upon a Grind, it's all about just putting your best foot forward, being your best self... trying to progress in your life, whatever you setting goals and just trying to accomplish them."

---

4. Collaborations and the Houston Music Scene [10:29]

Paul Wall delves into his relationships with fellow Swishahouse artists like Slim Thug, Mike Jones, and Chameleon. He emphasizes the collaborative spirit of Houston's music scene and expresses optimism about future projects with these artists.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [10:29]: "Slim Thug is the most, like, he is the biggest boss... Mike Jones kind of taking a break for a while, now he's coming back out."

---

5. The Art of Grills and Cultural Influence [25:30]

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Paul Wall's influential role in popularizing grills. He shares anecdotes about creating custom grills for friends, family, and celebrities, underscoring how he transformed grills from a niche accessory to a mainstream fashion statement.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [38:23]: "When Johnny was just starting off, I was just trying to hook my homeboys up. It wasn't to make money, it was just about making sure we all shine together."

---

6. Personal Struggles and Weight Loss Journey [04:19]

Paul Wall opens up about his personal challenges, including his weight loss surgery in 2009. He discusses the lifestyle factors that contributed to his weight gain and the impact of surgery on his health and daily life.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [05:19]: "It saved my life, man, for sure. My only regret is I didn't do it sooner because, man, if I knew, I could have been skinny like this, and I ain't got to work out or nothing."

---

7. Conspiracy Theories and Personal Beliefs [20:57]

In a candid segment, Paul Wall shares his unconventional beliefs, including skepticism about dinosaurs and openness to the existence of aliens. He attributes his views to a curious and questioning mindset, though acknowledges they may sound unusual to some.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [22:03]: "I never believe that dinosaurs existed. I just always thought they were fake."

---

8. Impact of Personal Trauma and Advocacy [51:44]

Paul Wall discusses the profound effect of discovering his biological father was a serial child molester. This revelation shaped his commitment to being a dedicated father and his advocacy work with Parents Against Predators. He emphasizes the importance of supporting victims and fostering strong family bonds.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [51:44]: "It instilled something into me to say, I'm gonna be a good father. No matter what, I'm gonna be a good father."

---

9. Houston's Unique Unity in Music [44:03]

Analyzing the dynamics of Houston's music scene, Paul Wall praises the city's unique unity and support among artists. He contrasts it with other cities where competition can hinder collaboration, stressing that Houston's camaraderie is pivotal to its thriving hip-hop landscape.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [44:10]: "We definitely understand the importance of the camaraderie and the unity. It's something unique to Houston."

---

10. Closing Remarks and Album Release Announcement [55:46]

As the episode winds down, Paul Wall announces the imminent release of his album Once Upon a Grind, set to drop on Friday. The hosts express excitement and anticipation for the new project, highlighting its significance in Paul Wall's discography.

Notable Quote:

Paul Wall [55:49]: "Swing down with Zero, Me and Zero. Pow Wild and Zero. We flipped that SWV reign."

---

Conclusion

This episode of The Breakfast Club offers an intimate glimpse into Paul Wall's life, from his meteoric rise in the music industry to his personal battles and beliefs. Listeners gain a deeper understanding of his dedication to his craft, his influential role in popularizing grills, and his unwavering commitment to family and advocacy. Paul Wall's reflections on the Houston music scene further illuminate the collaborative spirit that continues to drive its success.

Key Takeaways:

• Paul Wall's new album Once Upon a Grind focuses on personal growth and perseverance.
• His collaboration with Swishahouse artists remains strong, fostering unity in Houston's music scene.
• Paul Wall played a pivotal role in mainstreaming grills, turning them into a cultural icon.
• Personal struggles, including weight loss surgery and trauma from his biological father's actions, have significantly shaped his life and advocacy efforts.
• Despite unconventional beliefs, Paul Wall remains open-minded and continues to engage with his community through music and mentorship.

---

Timestamps for Notable Quotes:

• [02:47] DJ Envy introduces Paul Wall.
• [09:38] Paul Wall discusses his new album.
• [17:42] Paul Wall reflects on Swishahouse's impact.
• [25:30] Paul Wall talks about grills and cultural influence.
• [38:23] Paul Wall on hooking his friends with grills.
• [04:19] Paul Wall shares his weight loss journey.
• [22:03] Paul Wall's views on dinosaurs.
• [51:44] Paul Wall on personal trauma and advocacy.
• [44:10] Paul Wall praises Houston's musical unity.
• [55:49] Paul Wall announces his album release.

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of Paul Wall's interview on The Breakfast Club, highlighting his multifaceted persona as an artist, entrepreneur, and advocate.

Transcript

[Coca Cola Advertiser]

The holidays are about spending time with your loved ones and creating magical memories that will last a lifetime. So whether it's family and friends you haven't seen in a while or those who you see all the time, share holiday magic this season with an Ice Cold Coca Cola Copyright 2024 the Coca Cola Company.

[Amazon Advertiser]

The holidays are here. It's that time of year to think about, yes, gifts, but not only gifts. It's the guests, the party planning and the true meaning of the season. Spending time with family and friends. We know it's a lot, but we're here to ease your mind and share some tips so we'll make it through together. With the season getting underway, now is the time to shop for amazing holiday deals at Amazon. Amazon has a wide selection for all your holiday needs. I don't care if you want to get your people's laptops, gaming screens, whatever it is they need, Amazon got it. Amazon Last Minute deals are here. Shop Last minute Deals now on Amazon and visit Amazon.com blackeffectpodcast of my favorite.

[DJ Envy]

Picks what's it like to get the new iPhone 16 Pro with ATT next up anytime? It's like when you first light up the grill and think of all the mouth watering possibilities. Learn how to get the new iPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence on AT&T and the latest iPhone Everywhere with AT&T's next up anytime. ATT connecting changes everything. Apple Intelligence coming fall 2024 with Siri and device language to set us English. Some features and languages will be coming over the next year. $0 offer may be not available on future iPhones Next up Anytime feature may be discontinued at any time, subject to change additional fees. Terms and restrictions apply. See att.com iPhone for details.

[Diet Coke Advertiser]

You could sit there and listen to ads or you could take a moment to have a Diet Coke break. First grab a chilled Diet Coke because if you want it to be perfect, it needs to be crispy. Next, get a big cup of ice cuz everyone knows Diet Coke is best served swimming in ice. Then sip it slowly, feel that burn and enjoy your break for as long as possible. When you need a break, don't forget to grab an ice cold diet Coke and take a Diet Coke break.

[DJ Envy]

Life is an act of constant reinvention. That's true for you and for cars. Nissan reimagined the all new kicks around you. The Bose Personal plus sound system with speakers in the headrest keeps you in the groove while The Nissan Safety Shield360 technologies keep you safe. If Nissan reinvented the Kicks, you can reinvent yourself. Drive the all new reimagined Nissan Kicks.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Today Available features compatible device service and consumer activation of Nissan Connect services package required use only when safe and legal. Subject to third party service availability. For more information, see nissanusa.com connect legal Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc. Intelligent all wheel drive cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Wake that ass up early in the morning.

[Paul Wall]

The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Jess. Hilarious Charlamagne. Tha guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Yes indeed.

[DJ Envy]

We got Paul Wall.

[Paul Wall]

What it do?

[DJ Envy]

What's up, brother?

[Paul Wall]

How you feeling? I'm feeling great, man. Happy to be back with my dogs, man. You know. Been a long time.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I feel like the last time I see you, I only see you on Instagram.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You ain't been here in a decade, right? It ain't been quite that long, but you know what I'm saying, it might be a decade, you know, But I don't know, man. I remember I was looking at the video the last time I remember me and Slim Thug came up here. We were talking about Beat King. It was before he kind of blew up, you know what I'm saying? And then when he blew up, that video kind of started going viral. Cause we were talking about him and of course he passed away recently. Rest in peace, Beat King. But you know, it made me think, you know, y'all always showing love to people. Y'all always giving people that platform to show love to other people. You know what I'm saying? So I just want to tell y'all, thank y'all, man. For real, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You look good.

[Paul Wall]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. The grays get gray on, but the players still players.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Wasn't they calling him a Zaddy online?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, yeah, he definitely a Zaddy.

[Paul Wall]

They call me the 2023 Houston Zaddy. Yeah, they voted me.

[Diet Coke Advertiser]

And you know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Cause you know how y'all age sometimes. Like bananas.

[Paul Wall]

Don't look too close. Cause the wrinkles is wrink. I look good with the filters, but.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Yeah, I bet your wife says, sit your ass down. Hey, man, Instagram, you know, she.

[Paul Wall]

The funny thing, she's the main one been telling me, hey, don't dye your hair. Hair, let it be gray. Let your salt and pepper. Don't quit. Quit cutting the ball. Fade. You know, I'm south side bald Fade. But you know, after a while, you know what I'm saying, when it start growing Back, it don't grow back, right? So she said, look, man, you need to grow your hair out. I thought she was just hating on me. I thought she was just hating on me, but she was. She was setting me up. Shout out to Chris Ball.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I want to ask you about B. King, since you brought him up. What was that loss to Houston, man?

[Paul Wall]

He had such a hell of a club run where his name was Club Guard. That was the perfect name for him. I'm talking about B. King is somebody who could have done a show for an hour straight. And I'm talking about nothing but club bangers. Back to back to back to back to back. And when you go to the club, especially anywhere in Texas, that's what you would hear is B. King all day long as an artist, you know, a homeboy, fellow artist, you know, if I'm trying to do a club song, he's somebody I would call either to do the beat. Cause he makes beats as well. Or to come do the hook or whatever, you know, he always would say some, you know, you know, funny stuff. This topical. Whatever's topical. You know, when the elevator incident happened at the Met gala, you know what I'm saying? He had a whole freestyle about that. Anything that's going on, he's got like a topical freestyle he'll do. But, man, I'm talking about, man, his club, boy. I'm talking about club God, man. B King, man, that was a perfect name for him, man. He rocked the clubs, man.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Rest in peace. To B. King.

[Paul Wall]

Absolutely.

[Amazon Advertiser]

And I didn't know you had. You had surgery.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah. Oh, you talking about my weight loss surgery?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, that was a long time ago.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, that surgery. How when was that same? Like that was about 2009 and New Year's Eve. Yeah, I had the gastric sleeve. That's when your boy was that 350.

[Amazon Advertiser]

You was 350?

[Paul Wall]

Oh, yeah, I hit it.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Well, that's Paul House.

[Paul Wall]

That was a bad. That was the Tall T era. So, you know, we could hide it well, you know what I'm saying? I could hide it well.

[DJ Envy]

What got you to that weight? Was it always eating? Was you using drugs?

[Paul Wall]

Like, what got you there, man? I think some of it was lifestyle. Some of it was a rollercoaster of trying to lose weight. Taking diet pills, sipping syrup, maybe drinking alcohol, all the other stuff too. It definitely messed up my metabolism. So it was something where I would be on a full fledged, hard, tough, strict diet. Strict regimen of training, working out. And six months go by, you lose £4. So it's very deflating, and just. It's not motivating. Whatever the opposite of motivating is, but one of my homeboys, man, one of the biggest gangsters I know, he was like, man, I want to go get lap banned. And I was like, man, lap band? I don't know, man. To me, that wasn't something the gangsters did or players did. And he was like, man, nah, forget that, man. It's gonna save my life. You want to die? Cause he was going through some of the same thing. He sipped a lot of syrup, too. He was taking diet pills, all of that. And it was just a roller coaster of messing up his metabolism. And when he went, he was like, say, man, I want you to come. I don't know if he really wanted to get it or he was just trying to convince me to kind of get it because he ended up not getting anything.

[DJ Envy]

You was the guinea pig.

[Paul Wall]

You go first. Let's see how it works out.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Man, that's funny as shit. Definitely work.

[Paul Wall]

It saved my life, man, for sure. My only regret is I didn't do it sooner because, man, if I knew, I could have been skinny like this, and I ain't got to work out or nothing. I don't got to do nothing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But do you wish you would have waited? Now that the Ozempic is real heavy.

[Paul Wall]

And can I do see that? And I'm like, damn, maybe that's all I would have had to do. And I could have been a misspokesman, you know, I'm trying to be the spokesman for the sleeve, but I ain't no doctor trying to pay me.

[DJ Envy]

So how does it affect your eating? So you just not hungry or just.

[Paul Wall]

You just not hungry? You just get full real quick. Real, man. So, like, for instance, last night I had something to eat, like a little gyro, and I had two bites, and that was it. I was full.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[Amazon Advertiser]

All these years later, it still has that effect.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, it still works. Wow. And I was gonna get the lap band, but the lap band, I know people who had it, and it either stretches or slips, so they got to get it removed. They gain their weight back. And I just. You know, I actually went to get it, and the doctor was like, man, look, the doctor who did it was one of the first doctors that ever did the lap band or sleeve, any of that. He actually trained other doctors, and he was like, look, I done did over a thousand of these, man. You know, it ain't. It ain't what you want. You want to do this One. And I was like, all right, Same cost. That. It really wasn't too much different. It just. Their lap band, they put a little band around your stomach. The sleeve. They put a whole sleeve around your stomach and they remove part of your stomach that produce the hormone that makes you hungry. So I don't get it. Like, all day, I wasn't hungry.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Is that healthy, though?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. I was gonna say, is there anything that you can't do or certain things that you have to be careful about because of the sleep, for sure.

[Paul Wall]

You gotta make sure you're eating your protein, your nutrients, or your vitamins. Because I don't eat that much, so. And if I don't eat, I will get, like, a little tired, you know what I'm saying? You lack of energy. Just because. So I gotta remind myself to eat, you know, or else I'll get a headache. I won't get hungry, but I get, like a little grumpy, you know, and it'll be like, goo will be like, hey, man, here's your Snickers. Yeah, yeah, you need your Snickers, man. But, yeah, other than that, man, I could eat anything, drink anything, you know, it's not like restricted, where you can't drink coffee or soda or whatever. But I will say this, though. Spicy food definitely gives me a lot more heartburn than it used to. And, you know, wifey like to cook, so it's like, man, that's the only. The only tough thing is now I can't really eat. I used to enjoy. Enjoy eating.

[DJ Envy]

I was gonna ask you that. Now it's more eating for fuel. You don't eat to enjoy.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, exactly. Now I gotta eat to live. And I was eating for fun.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I don't like heartburn at our age, because heartburn at our age, you don't know if you're having a heart attack or not. You know what I'm saying? I don't like that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, it's a little scary.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, we haven't heard from you in a while, your fans, like, musically. So describe the energy of this. This album. Now, my new album, what you want.

[Paul Wall]

Now, it's called Once Upon a Grind, produced by my boy, DJ Fresh. And also G Luck beat on from Houston, My boy, beans and cornbread. My boy DJ Fresh did most of the production. He' from the West Coast. He's real musical. He does a lot of, you know, anything. Keys or keyboards or synth or, you know, guitars. He plays every instrument. But it's a real musical, like, just in the production. It's real Motivating. Once Upon a Grind, it's all about just putting your best foot forward, being your best self, you know, giving your all and everything, you know what I'm saying? And just trying to progress, you know, even if it's little by little, just making progress in your life, you know, whatever you setting goals and just trying to accomplish them. So that's just what the whole album is about. It's just what I'm trying to convey with the message, you know what I'm saying, with it. Once upon a grind, you ever thought.

[DJ Envy]

About going back and doing, like, a whole project with Swish youh house artists like Mike Jones, of course, Thugga Thugger or Chameleon. You ever thought about that? And are you still in contact with those?

[Paul Wall]

Man, I be on them to do this all the time, man. First of all, let me start off with the boss, Slim Thug. Slim Thug is the most, like, he is the biggest boss, but when it comes to rapping, he's like, you know, like, we'll be like, in New York and be like, hey, let's go to studio. He be like, man, go to the studio. Let's go to the club, right? He liked the party. My boy liked the party. He be like, man, studio. We can go to the studio anytime. He got a studio in his house. So for instance, if I, like, he's on my new album. Hey, I need you on my album. Bet. Send him a song. He do in 15 minutes. So if we're in a situation where it's like, I'm a little different, like, I'm like, hey, we in New York. Let's capture the moment. Let's go in the studio. Let's capture this energy and do something. But Slim is like, man, we can go to the studio anytime, man. There's no difference. We go to the studio now or tomorrow. So that's Slim. So Slim is not like, really motivated to get in there and knock it out.

[DJ Envy]

I'm going to party.

[Paul Wall]

Yes. Now, if we tell him, hey, we got a deal or we need to do this or whatever. Yeah, for sure. He motivated in, like, anytime. We got a deadline or something. But I done did that with Slim, where we do a whole entire mixtape in a day. You know, I've done that with him. You know, I've seen him do that plenty of times. So he's not really, like, pressured to. Let's get it going. Okay. Now, Mike Jones. Mike Jones all over the place. He kind of making a comeback with his music. He kind of was, you know, out of the Scene for a while, you know, in terms of shows like me and Slim, we tour all the time. We on the road every single weekend. Mike Jones kind of took a break for a while. Now he's coming back out. He's got new music coming out. He's definitely on the road again.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He got a new number.

[Paul Wall]

But he does have the same number, I think.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I think he has the same number.

[Paul Wall]

Well, actually, you know what? I think he's trying to get it back. I think they.

[Amazon Advertiser]

People still.

[Paul Wall]

He lost it and then he's trying to get it back for some reason. But because the phone number gets so many calls, it's not like a normal bill, it's like an inflated bill. So like, I know he'll get like a $10,000 phone bills. Like it's crazy, but jeez.

[DJ Envy]

And you said he was with. What was he doing during that time? Because he was missing for a minute.

[Paul Wall]

I think he was just enjoying life because we would see him every now and then, his shows, and every time we see him, he looking good, he's still rocking, he's still killing it. But, you know, we wouldn't really see him in the studio too much or dropping too much music. But now I know he's dropping some music. Now. If we were to all do a project like that, I'm pretty sure Mike Jones would probably be involved with that. He probably would be down, you know, But I think right now he's kind of more focused on getting, you know, his own solo stuff going, you know what I'm saying? But I think he probably will be down. Chameleon at the last chameleon there, man. Tech rich, man. He ain't trying to do no music, man. He got so much money right now. Whatever tech money he got, whatever investments, the crypto he got, he. Look, let me tell you, I talk to him about this all the time because the way the music industry has evolved, you know, he's not. He's. He's always been this way where he not trying to give nothing away. He really. He really appreciates the value of his music, you know, and he's. He's not giving it away. He's not signing a deal where he's getting screwed over just because it's a good look. Nah, he's not about none of that. He's straight business and he really values his art that he creates. So you know what I'm saying with that, it takes a certain type of label to sign him who has the same vision as him, where they're not just all about the dollars and cents. They're not just. All about just, you know, whatever is going to make a splash or go viral. You know, he needs the right type of partner.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Y'all wouldn't be signing with nobody at this point, though.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, I mean, this is why I tell him, look, you ain't got it. You don't. You.

[Amazon Advertiser]

We don't.

[Paul Wall]

As an artist, you don't even have to put your music on Spotify. You don't have to put it on any of these streaming where it's free. You don't have to do that. You can put it only for sale. You can make. We can release the album right now and drop it on cd. I don't know who got a CD player, but you know what I'm saying? You can drop it on cd, you.

[DJ Envy]

Can create a website and do it only on your website.

[Paul Wall]

Only on the website. Well, we only sell it. We sell everything. I tell them, say, man, let's drop an album. We don't drop it till we got 100,000 pre sales. You know what I'm saying? Why not? Then we don't have to drop an album. We don't get it. You know what I'm saying? But it don't have to be like, just how the trends are. We don't have to do that. And if you're not cool with giving your music away or, you know, whatever, then we don't have to. But I think he's trying to, like, navigate, you know. Cause he still has a passion for the music. So every now and then, somebody will ask him to be new. Got him on song with 2 Chainz last year. Every now and then, anytime I've ever asked him to do a song, he'll do it, you know, same with Slim or any of us. We ask Bumby, ask him. He's gonna do it, but he's not like, hey, I need to do an album. Hey, I want to do this. You know? And also he's like, you know, just the way that. The way the. It's like a microwave generation, or just not even generation. It's a microwave era we're in, where it comes like this and it goes like that. So you put your all into something. You put all this creativity and thoughts and ideas you've had for years that you finally put into fruition and put it on an album and it comes out, and then the next week, no one cares because they're on to the next artist. Album dropping. He's just like, man, he's not really pressed to just drop. Nothing like that. But again, if it was like something where it was like all four of us or something, I. I think he probably would do that. You know what I'm saying? Now, I will say this too. Somebody who's been in a group with Chameleonaire, where you split it 50, 50. Chameleonaire is a guy where it's like, hey, look, if it's four of us and we split it 25, 25, 25, 20. You know what I'm saying? He's more like, say, man, look, why don't we just drop solo albums and we get going? Yeah. So he's like, you know. But it would take a special moment or a special situation or something. Like, I tell him all the time, say, man, we need to do an album or we need to just make some music. Just so it's there so that if something happens or something or whatever, that it's just there.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

In the archive.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, in the archive. And also, I know, you know, when you stop and you try to come back later, you gotta get back in shape, but if you never stop working out, you never gotta train, you know, if you train for the super bowl, yeah, of course you gonna train a little harder or. You know what I'm saying? But I'm just saying, like, that's why I keep putting out music. I've been putting out music nonstop, but I just, you know, it's more like underground or, you know, under the radar. You know what I'm saying? Not a whole marketing behind it, but for me, on my music. It's more like I'm just trying to focus on the music of it, the music aspect of it, you know? And also, I don't wanna, you know, get. I don't wanna get lost in the shuffle of I ain't dropped the album in five years, six years or whatever. And then when you finally drop that album, the expectations be so high that it's like, man, if you don't meet the expectations, it's a complete flop of failure. Where I'm just like, man, I'm doing what I love to do. I'm making music with the people I enjoy making music with. I'm still touring on the road, just, you know, enjoying my life, making good money with it. So, I mean, I don't know. I mean, you put that out there, so I might have to, you know, I might have to rally the truths, you know what I'm saying? Are you the glue behind everybody?

[DJ Envy]

Are you the glue that talks to everybody? Are you the main Person that talks to everybody.

[Paul Wall]

I don't know. I would maybe say Slim Thug might be the glue, you know, Slim Thug is maybe more of the glue, I would say. But I mean, I don't know. I don't have any problems with any of them. None of us have any problems with each other, you know what I'm saying? But. And we're all, you know, we're all brothers, so we support each other to the fullest. Whatever each one of us is doing, we definitely support, you know. But yeah, I would say Slim Thug might keep in contact with all of us a little bit more than I do, maybe. But we all, you know, we all boys.

[Amazon Advertiser]

What do you think led to Swisher House not having the impact they once had? Cause think about you just named three powerhouses, right?

[Paul Wall]

Well, I'm gonna tell you this. I've been, you know, salute to the DJs out there. Michael Watts and OG Ron C. The two DJs that discovered myself. Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, Slim Thug, four platinum artists. They discovered us when we were at our very beginning. You know, they didn't sign us after we already established, after we already had a household name. They signed us and built us up from scratch and turned us into platinum artists. And that's very rare where someone could do that to four artists. So big salute to OG Ron C, Michael, 5,000 watts and all the DJs who helped us, but specifically them too. Now with Switch House, I can say what happened is the same thing that happened to any other record label that ever existed. They never last forever. You know what I'm saying? Every record label, eventually, you know, sometimes they reinvent themselves with new artists, new sounds, new CEOs, new directions. But no record label lasts forever. Especially like if it's independent. Same thing that happened to Rockefeller or Murder Inc. Or, you know, Cash Money's like the only one that's still going. You know what I'm saying? Where they still going hard. But, you know, I mean, but that's.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Cause they had to reinvent themselves a new artist, right?

[Paul Wall]

Or with young money or, you know, things like that. But I mean, you know, we had a great run, so it's like, you know, it lasted a great time. I wish it could continue just because I know the impact that the Swisher House had for me and my career. And I wish that impact could be made for another artist because I just know what it did for me, you know what I'm saying? But I mean, it is what it is. It's just how the times go, I know Michael Watts still doing stuff. I think he got an app right now where he got the chopped up music on there. I know Og Roncey is still chopping stuff up, still doing music, but in terms of both of them discovering and developing new talent, I don't think it's really come to that quite yet. But I think it might be getting there. Just because you could see, you know, saying like, you know, just that style of freestyling over other people beats and just bringing some, you know, your own, you know, little flavor to somebody else's song. You know, there's just so much talent out there that, you know, all they need is an avenue to show it. You know, you get the right artists, you know, on that avenue, and the same thing they happen to us is going to happen to them.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So I saw an interview where you said growing up you didn't realize you was white.

[Paul Wall]

I didn't know white people told me I was white. Oh, the white people came back to Kuchi. Yeah. They was like, you white? Why you talking act like that? You white. And I'm like, what do you mean?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Where was this ain't like in Houston. When was some. When where were you? What was that exact moment?

[Paul Wall]

When was the moment I discovered I was white? Houston. Where is that? I don't know. Definitely in school, elementary school maybe or middle school. I remember that. But I mean, all my friends were black or Mexican or Asian. I lived in a very diverse neighborhood. There was, you know, it was. There were white people there, but it was, you know, Mexican, black, Vietnamese, Indian and all kind of every. A lot of everything. You know, even, you know, it was like, you know, fba, you know, black. But it was also like a lot of immigrants black, like he's Nigerian. You know, there were other, you know, immigrants, they were black as well. But so we got a great mixture of, you know, growing up in America, I guess.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And when they told you you was about. He was like, damn, man.

[Diet Coke Advertiser]

What you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How did you cry?

[Paul Wall]

He sure. Did you cry? Did you cry? I went cried. If I went and cried in the car, mama, you ain't tell me I was lying. But my mama did take a DNA test. She 3%. Oh. So, I mean, I know she can't say the N word. That ain't enough for her to say the n word. Not 3%.

[Amazon Advertiser]

You ever took a test?

[Paul Wall]

No, no, no. Not that my mama would ever want to say the N word. By the way, you know, she ain't never said that in her life.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Why you scared to test. Cause you scared. To test. Cause you might be too white.

[Paul Wall]

Nah.

[Amazon Advertiser]

67%.

[Paul Wall]

Then I'm really crying. Like, damn, man. No, I don't know. I really want to, but I'm just, you know, it's the conspiracy theorist in me that's like, I don't know if they're going to use my data and they're going to say, oh, he's this and this and this, so that means he's more susceptible to these diseases. And they're gonna use it to, you know, I don't know, it's just. I know it might sound crazy, but it's just the. It's the conspiracy theorists. Like, I really wanna get it though. But I'm like, man, I don't know, man.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Paul is a real conspiracy theorist though. You don't even believe in dinosaurs?

[Paul Wall]

Yeah. Oh, no.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Why?

[Paul Wall]

I just always thought they was fake. I don't know. I never believed that they existed. I mean, I don't know. And kind of once you realize that Santa Claus isn't real, you know what I'm saying? Easter Bunny, not real, then it's like, well, what else? Yeah, Yeah. I don't know. I just always thought the dinosaur was a fake. I remember, you know, my mama, she talked. We talked about this because ever since I ever heard of, you know, kindergarten or whatever, and it's like, man, I don't know. That's make believe, you know? But I just always just thought they were fake. And every now and then I'll come across certain other people, like Marcellus Wiley. I remember Derrick Bell, he played for the Astros. I remember. It was a fun fact. He didn't believe in dinosaurs either, you know. So every now and then I come across other people who, you know, they're in on the hoax with me, you know what I'm saying?

[Amazon Advertiser]

When you think about stuff like whales, elephants, alligators, like these big magnificent creatures, it's not far fetched.

[Paul Wall]

I definitely think there's stuff in the ocean too, that we don't know about is, you know what I'm saying, Bigger. But I don't know, I just always felt like the dinosaurs that they show us aren't real. I watch a lot of ancient aliens too. So they talk about dinosaurs being basically like big chickens and stuff, you know, saying how we look at them as being like lizards and reptiles. They say they're more like. They were like, they had feathers and they had other. I don't know. I don't know. I just. I just feel like, man, I just don't Believe it. You know, I just, I never believe it or not.

[Amazon Advertiser]

In South Carolina and North Carolina and like the late 80s, early 90s, people used to still see pterodactyls for real.

[Diet Coke Advertiser]

Stop playing.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I'm not even joking. Anybody out there can listen to me right now. Google it. They still were seeing pterodactyls in the late 80s, early 90s. And I remember being a kid and it was live 5 news and live 5 news. Somebody had captured one on video and then they told us it was like a kite or robot or some shit. This was the 80s. I'm like, get the out of here.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh my God.

[Paul Wall]

See this.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was that when you was on drugs or whatever?

[Amazon Advertiser]

I was a kid, I was like 8.

[Paul Wall]

I'm a hypocritical conspiracy theorist because I don't believe in dinosaurs, but I 100% believe that. So you know what I'm saying? It's like, okay, I do believe like when we go certain places, like I go travel like Mexico or somewhere, and they like, oh, they still say that there's this and that. I believe that, but I just don't believe in the.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Oh, you mean chicopra? What's the good thing called?

[Paul Wall]

Chupacabra. Chupacabra, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I mean, I don't believe in a Loch Ness monster because it's been debunked, but you know what I'm saying? But gentlemen believes the debunkedness also could be fraud. You know, I'm open minded about this, you know what I'm saying?

[Amazon Advertiser]

Why you don't believe in the Loch Ness monster though? Because what if dinosaurs went underwater?

[Paul Wall]

I believe there are things underwater. I just don't believe it's dinosaur. I don't know, I just, I just don't believe it. I don't know what it is. I'm open to the idea that they could exist. I just, I don't know, I just. And you believe in aliens? I'm sure I believe in aliens for sure.

[DJ Envy]

Have you ever seen one?

[Paul Wall]

I'm hypocritical conspiracy theorist.

[DJ Envy]

Have you ever seen one?

[Paul Wall]

I don't know. I mean, not like little green man or something, but you know, like I said, I watch a lot of ancient aliens. So they say the aliens is among us. We wouldn't even know, you know what I'm saying? They say they humanoid and this and that. So I mean, I don't know. I know I sound crazy, man, but.

[DJ Envy]

You know, you know, I want to go. How did you meet Johnny? Dang. How did you get to start selling?

[Amazon Advertiser]

Speaking of aliens.

[DJ Envy]

Speaking of aliens, yeah. The reason I ask. Cause, you know, a lot of people, the first time they seen grills or people making grills was from you and Johnny. I mean, I think you made a set of grills when we first started the Breakfast Club. For me, charlamagne. And yeah, at that one point, it's.

[Paul Wall]

Time to come back. I need to make y'all fresh set.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, I don't have nothing.

[Paul Wall]

That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Come on, man.

[Paul Wall]

What's up? That's right, man. Johnny, man, I started off actually. I was actually selling grills before I met Johnny. And, you know, I stopped to really kind of pursue my music a little bit more. But my boy, who I was selling grills for, he also was doing some music, and he was like, say, look, I need you to do some promotion for me. And if you do promotion for me from my album, I'm going to take you and introduce you to the plug. So you don't got to go through me. You can have your own grill set up everything. My boy crime. And he told me I did a promotion for him. I was like, bet this is a win for me. So I did a. You know, I passed out his flyers for his album. He brought me to Johnny. And then me and Johnny, you know, well, at the time, I was just another wholesale client. I wasn't like famous or nothing like that even. I was trying to rap, but I wasn't like, established none. This is even before swish house days, really. So, you know, when he brought me to Johnny, I'm just a wholesale client now. As I start, you know, rapping in the Swisher house, you know, this is pre Internet, you know what I'm saying? Nobody know what anybody look like. They just kind of hear the voice and it slowed down so you don't really hear exactly how I sound. But you might hear tonight. I used to always say my. This is why I used to always say my name at the start of every. What it do is pause. There's no. You don't know who I am, but you gonna hear that. At least you gonna know my name.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Paul Wall]

So one time, you know, I be in Johnny's all the time. We on the southwest side of Houston where. Okay, the southwest side of Houston is very, very, very immigrant. Like what you call it. It's congested. It's a lot of immigrants, and that's our town. So you got a lot of different accents, and it's all English, but it's just different accents. Then also, it's the hood. So you got a Mexican hood accent, you got a black hood accent. You got the Asian hood accents. You also got people from Louisiana coming in with their Louisiana accent. So, you know, and all of that. And Johnny being a Vietnamese immigrant himself who speaks English but is difficult to understand, he needs closed captioning. He needs closed caption sometimes. He worked on it a lot, but some of it still, you know, it's. It's. Man, he definitely got his own, you know, accent. But he. You know, it's funny, too, because at one point, you know, as, you know, we get record deals and stuff, Somebody gave me a little cd, how to lose your accent? Like this kind of, I guess, for immigrants trying to lose their accent. But it was so that I would sound more white, so that I could be more appealing in movies. And I'm like, man, I don't wanna sound like this, you, label gave you that or some, man, I don't even wanna say.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's messed up, yo.

[Paul Wall]

I guess they did it in good, you know, good means. But I was, like, slightly offended by it. But it's funny, cause Johnny had the same exact disc, like, you know what I'm saying? How to lose your ass.

[DJ Envy]

None of y'all both didn't use it.

[Paul Wall]

Cause I posted it. And Johnny was like, bro, I got the same disc, man. It's crazy.

[Amazon Advertiser]

He didn't sound that click.

[Paul Wall]

He didn't sound that click.

[Amazon Advertiser]

He didn't sound that click.

[Paul Wall]

He might need the volume two. He got the first one edition. But now I would be in there, and everybody would be in there arguing with Johnny just because it would be broken English to broken English to hood accents, you know what I'm saying? And I would just be translating English to English. And, you know, eventually one time somebody was in there, and they were. Matter of fact, they was from Louisiana, and they was like, man, you sound familiar. What's your name? And I was like, my name, Paul Wild. And it was like, from the Switch House. And this is when I first started, you know, a couple mixtapes here and there. And it was like, yeah. And then Johnny like, damn, you famous. And I'm like, well, not really, you know what I'm saying? But, I mean, whatever. But that kind of like, I was kind of like Johnny's first celebrity kind of, you know what I'm saying? Even though I was. My celebrity growth was at the same time, you know, as the jury growth. But, you know, I just. It was a hell of a hustle for me, Me and Johnny Clicked.

[DJ Envy]

So y'all went in business together.

[Paul Wall]

Business together with great friends, family, you know. He's just a great guy, too, man. He's a great guy to know, but definitely, man. That's my dog, man. He changed my life.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Do people in Houston ever outgrow grills?

[Paul Wall]

Well, you know, grill. Let me tell you this. When. Grill. When we around, you know, the mid-2000s, you know what I'm saying? There was a time where the fad or trend of grills was dying down, especially as it became like, you know, mainstream, commercialized life. Yeah. You know, but, you know, the next generation picked it back up. And that when the next generation picked it up, it was that. That made it a forever cycle. Now, if the next generation wouldn't have picked it up, then it would have been like, okay, maybe we gotta wait 20 years or some 10 years, like any other, like, bell bottoms or something, you know, I don't know. But when the next generation picked it up, that kicked off the cycle of. This is the cycle of. You might, as a, you know, individual outgrow grills because of your age, but it's all a mind frame. I mean, Reggie Jackson got grilled. I made Reggie Jackson some grills, you know, I think. And we were talking about that. I think he might be the. The most. I don't want to say older. He might be the most seniorist, you know, person that we made grills for. Definitely, man. Triple OG Reggie Jackson.

[Amazon Advertiser]

But I was gonna ask you who's the oldest person, you know, that got grilled and.

[Paul Wall]

But definitely Reggie Jackson that I know of. But I mean, in terms of. Well, he was in Houston at the time, you know, when we did him. But I mean, in terms of Houstonians, I don't know, once you get to your 50s, you know what I'm saying? Some people kind of like. But at the same time, there are people who come in, they're like, man, I just turned 50. I don't care. I got my money right now. I don't care. I mean, like I said, some of it's a mind frame because you. Maybe you get into. You have your jobs or you have different priorities where you're like, man, I ain't worry about these grills. I'm trying to get a new kitchen, you know what I'm saying? But.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And girls are expensive, especially the ones that you be having.

[Paul Wall]

Oh, yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did you have any influence on Megan's latest grills? The one that she had in Bigger.

[Paul Wall]

In Texas Video, man, Big shout out to Megan. Matter of fact, we Got these same grills. They're called a honeymoon set, Johnny. We made them, of course, you know what I'm saying? But, yeah, we call it the honeymoon set because there's at least a carrot on each tooth. So every tooth is a wedding ring, you know, but she got the. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[DJ Envy]

How much would they cost?

[Paul Wall]

Well, it depends on if you get. If they're, you know, on the size of the big stone. So, you know, these could be, you know, 70, 80,000, maybe 100,000. You know, I've seen people say all kind of outlandish numbers, but, you know, I mean, if you want to tell, I mean, I could charge you anything, you know, I can sell you this right now for a million dollars. It ain't worth a million dollars, but I can sell it to you for a million dollars. So, you know, I could sell you a grill for, you know, $20 million, but it ain't what it's worth.

[DJ Envy]

How many grills have you thrown away or chewed up or messed up?

[Paul Wall]

I don't think about it, bro.

[State Farm Advertiser]

I just.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I just found the ones you made for me.

[DJ Envy]

I still got them.

[Paul Wall]

Hey, let me know. We can remake them, you know what I'm saying? I know they might not fit as time goes on.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Hey, I got banills now. I don't know how that work.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, you might not want to be like, nah, I ain't playing no games.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Yeah, I don't want to mess with the veneers.

[Paul Wall]

I just found a set of grills I lost though. These were my favorite grills, man. I used to. Man, I just found them. I got my car painted and when I.

[DJ Envy]

The world is constantly changing. It's up to you to decide how to respond. Choose to be bold to try something new. Choose to reinvent yourself. That's what Nissan did with the all new totally reimagined Kicks. The dynamic new exterior styling immediately announces that Nissan isn't messing around. The interior, a completely redesigned cabin with premium features like wireless Apple carplay and a panoramic moonroof make driving a Kicks immersive and exciting. And with new performance and safety features like intelligent all wheel drive, the Kicks is both fun and safer to drive than ever before. It is the dawning of a brand new era for the Nissan Kicks. Only one question remains. Is it a new era for you as well? Drive the all new reimagined Nissan Kicks.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Today available features compatible device service and consumer activation of Nissan Connect services package required use only when safe and legal, subject to third party service availability for more information, see nissanusa.com connect legal Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc. Intelligent all wheel drive cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

[Coca Cola Advertiser]

The holidays are about spending time with your loved ones and creating magical memories that will last a lifetime. So whether it's family and friends you haven't seen in a while or those who you see all the time, share holiday magic this season with an ice cold Coca Cola. Copyright 2024 the Coca Cola Company.

[State Farm Advertiser]

The.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Holidays are here and it's that time of year to think about, yes, gifts. But not only gifts. It's the guests, the party planning and the true meaning of the season. Spending time with family and friends. We know it's a lot, but we're here to ease your mind and share some tips so we'll make it through together. With the season getting underway, now is the time to shop for amazing holiday deals at Amazon. Amazon has a wide selection for all your holiday needs. The reason I love this so much is because it is the holidays and there's things that I've had family members and friends ask me for throughout the year that I simply would not give them the money to get. But I will get them the actual items. So whether it's laptops, hair steamers, dining sets, makeup, better wigs for Lauren La Rosa, whatever it is they need, Amazon got it. Amazon Last Minute Deals are here. Shop Last Minute Deals now on Amazon and visit Amazon.comblackffect podcast for my favorite picks.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Hey fam, if you're like me, you're thinking about how to level up in your career. Maybe you're fresh out of college, just starting in your field, or even looking to switch things up and find your true calling. Whatever stage you're in, remember that this is your time to grow, to learn, and to build something that lasts. State Farm understands that early career development is key to long term success. They've been a steady presence in our communities and they know that having the right support early on can make all the difference. State Farm is there to help you make smart moves and to help you get the coverage you need. We all know that the journey to success is a marathon, not a sprint. It's about staying focused, staying grounded, and making sure you're protected every step of the way. Let's build our careers with confidence, knowing that State Farm is there to support us, just like they've always been. Because, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Find out [e-mail] Be Merry, Be bright.

Be Loved this holiday season with sparkling holiday gifts from Pandora Jewelry. Bring the sparkle to Black Friday with Pandora jewelry. From November 16 through December 3, receive 30% off store wide, hand picked and ready to wrap, wear and love select from a wide range of possibilities for personalization. From festive charms with vibrant pops of color, shimmering rings and earrings designed to dazzle, to radiant bracelets and necklaces shining in a mix of luminous metals, Pandora has something special for everyone on your holiday list. Shop Pandora Jewelry today and save 30% off some exclusion supply.

[Paul Wall]

When I got my car back, my boy was like, hey, these grills were, you know, under the seat. And I was like, huh? I've been looking for them grills for like 10 years and I just found them. So, man, you know, there's still hope for the other ones I lost, but I definitely lost quite a few sets. You know, you take them out when you eat. This other thing too. If I leave them in at all times when I'm smoking, when I'm eating, just imagine, okay, I gotta watch. Imagine I dip my watch in a latte and then I dip my watch in some lasagna and then I dip my watch in a whole thing of chewing tobacco or something. I don't chew tobacco. But I'm just saying for smoking, you know, so. So even. It's just not gonna, you know, it's. Even if you get it cleaned, it's not. It's gonna tarnish. And you just don't want to do that. It's not good. You know, it's not good practice. But Johnny is always on me about, man, say, man, take your grills out when you smoke, take your grills out when you eat. Cause it'd be.

[DJ Envy]

You leave your grills in all the time.

[Paul Wall]

Well, a lot of it be because we out in public, you know, I don't wanna take them out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, like it's just a habit you've been doing.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, just leave them in or, you know, I mean, even when I met my wife, I ain't take my grills out, like for the first, like six months. She thought they was. I sleep with them. Cause this is how I would live. Like they weren't permanent, but I would sleep with them. I would, you know, I'd take them out to brush my teeth and put them right back in.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They don't come with a smell.

[DJ Envy]

They don't come with a smell.

[Paul Wall]

Well, as long as you take care of your hygiene. Okay, they don't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Six months.

[Paul Wall]

Yes. Now, I would clean them with hydrogen peroxide or baking Soda or regular toothpaste. And I, like, I said I would clean my. I never had a cavity in my life, so I started drinking energy drinks. And then I got cavities outside of my grills. Like, wherever my grills are not. That's where I got cavities. But before that, I never had a cavity in my life. So I always had white privilege hygiene.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't get cavities.

[Paul Wall]

Hey, my mama, 3%.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Is it true that guys from Houston propose with grills and not rings?

[Paul Wall]

It does happen that way. There has been a few. And sometimes the bride is not as happy. She's like, I don't want this grill. I want to wear what. Other times, they're excited, you know, so we do that. Sometimes we do his and hers, you know, for couples, you know, a lot of times it'll accompany the wedding rings. You know what I'm saying? So basically, it'll be like, you spend enough money on the wedding ring, and we gonna hook you up on the grill. You know what I'm saying?

[Amazon Advertiser]

Do you ever get upset that your name's not included? Like, it'll say, megan thee stallion got.

[Paul Wall]

A grill from Johnny Dang.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Or sauce Walker got a new half a million dollar chain from Johnny Dang.

[Paul Wall]

Never. I think about that. I mean, sometimes, like, people will say, hey, why didn't you say? I mean, never, never, never. You know, I mean, the goal, the mission is accomplished. The mission was never for me to be famous or any of that. Even the first time I sold grills, you know, even up till now, it's not to make money. It's to hook my homeboys up. You know what I'm saying? Cause when I first got. When I first got my first set of grills, I went back to the block. They like, damn, where you get those? And we came with something new where it was like, okay, I couldn't afford something I wanted nice. So, you know, I couldn't afford diamonds or nothing like that. So I just wanted the gold white. I want yellow gold. And give me, like a white gold strip on the tip with a little diamond cut. So it'll make you think I got diamonds, but I don't. I went back to the block, and they like, damn, okay, everybody want one. So I'm like, okay, how can I get all my 20 homeboys and my cousins? This that what? You know, how can I get everybody grills, you know, for the same price I paid or for a discount? I'm not trying to make money off of them. I'm trying to Hook them up so that they shining. So that when we all pull up, we all look like, damn, y'all must be from Gulf Bank. Cause all y'all on Gulf bank shine like that. So that's what it was all about, was just about hooking my friends up. And then eventually that turned into, hey, my friend has a friend that want a grill. All right, well, let me sell it to him, make a little money. And Johnny started off as a wholesaler. So even him, you know, when you wholesale, it's a different price to when you sell at retail. So the retail markup on jewelry, especially grills, used to be 300%. So, you know, Johnny will mark it up 200%. He's still making a lot of money. Cause he's wholesaling it and marketing it up 200%, you know, so. But of course, all the other jewelers hate us. They especially hate Johnny. All the jewelers hate Johnny because he, you know, I mean, he's the top dog. But when my name not included, I don't even care about none of that, honestly. Because, you know, I mean, you know, I did my part. I put my boy on, you know, he's the man. People want grills, they come to him. And honestly, it'd be a huge headache for me. They come to me, they want free grills, you know what I'm saying? Like, damn, Johnny, hey, look, Johnny, look, I'm just sending them to you. Cause they know they gonna pay with you, but with me, they think they get free grills. So it's like, okay, look, I could some people with free girl, but I mean, a honeymoon set, I don't know if you getting a honeymoon set free, you know, Megan might be a little different. Of course we go hook Megan, though. But you know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, I ain't never worried about that, man. Salute to my boy Johnny Dane.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What your teeth look like under that.

[Paul Wall]

I'm not going to take. I've been taking my boy Johnny advice. So I do take my. I do take my grills out. And you know what I'm saying when I smoke. But I got a little, you know, little coffee stains in there. It ain't too bad. I take them off camera so you can see and then you can tell. You can tell the woman.

[Amazon Advertiser]

You go to the dentist though, right?

[Paul Wall]

You get your toe okay. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, for instance, like, you know, if I knew you was gonna ask me that, I probably wanted to clean them. And you know, he buff them real quick, 10 minutes they look brand new, but, you know, it's been maybe a month, so, you know what I'm saying? I got a month worth of smoking stains and coffee stains. I don't know. I have to show you off the camera.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I want to ask you about the Houston music. When you think of Megan, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, do you think Houston artists have to have a Houston sound?

[DJ Envy]

Sauce Walker, too?

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Sauce got a Houston sound.

[Paul Wall]

I mean, you know, big salute to all of the fresh new artists that are holding it down for Houston and for Texas. I mean, the Houston style is so diverse, you know, I mean, we do have a chorus sound or like a chorus slang or a little accent, but I don't think so. You got Tobi Nwigwe, where he's doing his own style. You definitely hear the Houston in him, though. You know, Sauce Walker, he brought something completely new to the table to represent. He birthed a whole new branch of the hip hop tree in Houston, you know, with his style. You know, he created a new Houston style with it, you know what I'm saying? But even in that, you hear the Houston, you know, sometimes he got some scrutiny, chop here and there, hooks or he, you know, makes some references or he got, you know, this and that, you know, whatever slabs or this, you know, he definitely got some Houston influence in there, but it's. He does it his own way. Same with Megan. She do it 100% her own way. Don Toliver, you know what I'm saying? Travis Scott, they for sure represent Houston. They got that Houston style, but they do it their own way. And they, you know, they birthed new versions of the Houston style the same way. Like the ghetto boys, you know, were Houston, but, you know, the screwed up clique was a different kind of form of, you know, the Houston style, you know, and the Swisher House was like a product of that, you know. Of course, me being a screwhead growing up influenced by the screwdoe clique, you know, and then so the people influenced by us who came after us, they gonna be, you know, definitely, man, you know, but I don't think they have to, you know, it's not like a monolithic type of style where, you know, it used to be like, when we came up, if you didn't sound like this, you not making it, you're not making it. But there's a, you know, there's a lot of artists in Houston that, you know, they come with, you know, something different, but you still hear the Houston in them. But it's just something different. And I salute them for just doing they thing, whatever it is, you know, you gotta follow your path. And I just happy to see how it's grown, you know what I'm saying? The hip hop tree is definitely flourishing in Houston.

[DJ Envy]

I was gonna ask, you know, I can't think of another market, maybe Atlanta a little bit, but there's no market that I see like Houston, where so many artists f with each other and y'all all come out and y'all all support each other. Like, I go to Houston a lot, and I'll see you. I'll see Thug, I'll see Keke, I'll see zero, I'll see, you know, all you guys out together. And why is that there? Cause you don't see that in New York. You don't see that in Memphis. You don't see that. You see it in Atlanta, very little. But. But you see it in Houston all the time. Like, you guys don't leave Houston.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, we definitely understand the importance of the camaraderie and the unity.

[DJ Envy]

Bun B2 of course, for sure.

[Paul Wall]

And, you know, we definitely, you know, we understand that. So I think that's some of it. There's a little competition, you know what I'm saying? And the pie is only so big. So, you know, people, you know, everybody knew to get added to the pie. Everybody else's slice get a little bit smaller, you know, But I mean, that's just part of it. At the same time, some people kind of get phased out because they move on to other things or they stop making music or they stopped performing or just whatever, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, the funny thing is, anytime we would go to New York, you know, Miami, Florida, anywhere in Florida, we go to Atlanta. We go anywhere. Anytime we go anywhere. The local rap scene will always tell us, man, there's crabs in a bucket out here, man. We need to stick together like y'all do in Houston. They always would tell us that. But then when we come back to Houston, everybody in Houston say, man, we gotta come together like they do in Atlanta. We gotta come together like they do in Florida. And I'm like, man, you know, what are we doing? I mean, I think some of it is there's a big entitlement of people expecting other people to do for them, Especially when it comes to artists. Say, man, look, I'm not a CEO. I'm not an A and R. I'm not trying to sign nobody or put nobody out. My. My strong suit is being an artist. I'm not a good CEO, you do not want to sign to me, you know what I'm saying? But for some reason in hip hop, we think, you know, another rapper gotta put us on. I'm gonna be the first one to tell you, man, it was two DJs to put me on. So if you looking for a deal, go find a dj, not a rapper. I mean, look, when you sign to a rapper, there are a few rappers who can become moguls or be moguls or whatever and spot talent and sign talent. But I mean, a lot of the smoke and mirrors of the music industry is somebody already signed, they already got a marketing campaign behind them and they just quote, unquote, sign to this artist to make it look good, you know, but really, they already signed the label, they signed artist A, already signed artist B, and they just trying to put you together to just build it up so that they can get a co sign.

[Amazon Advertiser]

You know, all the artists got a top notch executive with them. Like for example, Wayne always had a test.

[Paul Wall]

Yes.

[Amazon Advertiser]

You know what I mean?

[Paul Wall]

Yes. You got somebody who's an A and R or somebody who can like help put your stuff together like and really see the bigger picture where they can just, you can just do your talent now. So that's what I'm saying. When there's a lot of, you know, expectations and maybe entitlement of up and coming artists, especially when they dope the doper they are, the more entitlement it seem like they got, you know what I'm saying? Where they just expect the world to know who they are and love them. But I don't know that route. I don't know the route where rapper sign you. I don't know the route where you dope and all of a sudden you snap snapple finger and you popping. The route I know is you work hard, you get told no and you keep working hard, you get told no, you keep working hard and eventually you find a way. That's the route. I know. So anybody you know asking for advice, I could give you some great advice on that. Now if you want advice on signing to a rapper, you know, you a rapper and you want to sign to another artist. I don't know that rap. All I know is horror stories from people who signed to other rappers, who Lil Bro, them, their whole life, took advantage of them their whole life because they was established. And when you first sign that deal, you signing over all your rights, all your publishing and you know, whatever, you know. So I mean, I would Advise against signing to another rapper. But, I mean, that's just what we feel like we gotta do. So there'll be. That's how they judge your, you know, legacy now, too, as a rapper? Oh, well, you know, his legacy isn't that great. Cause he never put nobody on. And I'm like, well, you know, there's plenty of people that. Me, Slim Thug, come in. There's plenty of people we. Mike Jones, there's plenty of people we put on. They just didn't. They didn't make it. And that's not our fault. That's just how the nature of the industry goes. Even for us to make it is damn near like a lottery ticket. You know what I'm saying? Cause it's more than a one in a million, man. There's so many rappers out there these days that do not make it. So for somebody to make it, man, I don't know what it takes. That's what I'm saying. But all I'm saying is, yeah, definitely. It's weird when a lot of people in Houston think that we gotta be like the other cities, and the other cities, we gotta be like Houston. And all we really gotta do is just keep grinding and find a way.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I got another Houston question. We had Sauce Walker up here, and he said that artists. He was talking about Drake, use Houston for personal gain. Not talking about Drake specifically, but do you think that's valid? That a lot of artists use Houston for personal gain, but don't really pull back into the city?

[Paul Wall]

Oh, for sure. I mean. I mean, I think back to when D.J. screw died. And, you know, that might have been the first time I really realized it. And you go to concerts and an artist comes in from another city. They could be any city, and this will be a regular thing. Every artist comes in, they go on stage, and they would say, hey, rest in peace, DJ Screw. Just to get the crowd hype and make the crowd, like, love them? Of course they say that we love them. But then you talk to them or you hear them in an interview or whatever, and you realize they don't even know who DJ Crew is. They can't stand the music. They don't like Dakota. They just really doing that to try to win over the crowd. And it's like, damn, okay, well, if you really got love for this artist, that artist, why you ain't got no songs with them? Why you ain't never brought them on stage? Why you ain't never, you know, hung out with them, took no pictures with them, and, you know why? How come when you know the artists come to your city, you ain't got, you got love for them when you come to their city, but when they come to your city, you ain't answering the phone, you know, but definitely, I mean, it's not just the Houston thing. I think that's just, it's just, you know, a lot of cities do that, you know, because it's just you trying to get on, you want to get love in that city. So it's like, okay, who's the popping artist that I can shout out or what song is popping right now that I can play? You know, I mean, I think with social media, a lot of the songs that are popping here are popping everywhere. You know, it's popping. You know, everybody's your neighbor now. You know, there's not a lot of localness, you know, going on cause of social media. But for sure, you know, the artists do it. Some of the bigger artists, you know, some are more strategic in how they do it. Some can hide their ulterior motives a little more than others. You know, I'm like, I don't split down the middle on it because part of me, I just appreciate that we don't get looked down on like we used to, you know, the Houston culture, you know what I'm saying? So even if someone's faking it, I just appreciate that they showing us love, you know. But then there's the flip side of, well, if you really got love for us, why you ain't got no songs with no Houston arts this that, you know, then the other flip side is this, you know, some of these artists who they say they don't have, you know, oh, this person don't have no songs where they do have songs with Houston artists, it's just not, you know, I don't know, because I'm one of those people where they used to always get on Travis Scott. I'm on Travis Scott song. So every time someone say, man, how come Travis Scott ain't never put nobody from Houston on his album? I'd be like, well, damn, what about me?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I ain't listening.

[Amazon Advertiser]

You know what I'm saying?

[Paul Wall]

Yeah.

[Amazon Advertiser]

So I mean, Megan just bought you out too, recently?

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, the other side too is that, you know, when it comes to this, some of these artists be on a come up and, you know, like, I might have had an opportunity to, you know, to do something with this artist when they on the come up, but for whatever reason, I don't. Well, now the Artist blows up.

[DJ Envy]

They remember that.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah. Remember that. I lost my opportunity. That was my chance. You know, there's a window of opportunity. I lost it. I mean, it is what it is. It's all good, you know, and that's not just with me, that's with anybody that is on and somebody trying to come up under you, so.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But you can't put everybody on though, so. No.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah. And like I said, you can try your hardest to put somebody on and they still don't get on you. We can't choose what the people gonna like.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, yeah. Now you dealt with a lot of traumas in your life. And I was watching a podcast where you sat down with Quincy and Fuzzy and you opened up about your biological dad, who was, you said a serial child molester.

[Paul Wall]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What effect did that have on you?

[Paul Wall]

That had a huge effect on me. One growing up with a single mother, having a very small family, it made us, you know, tight knit. It made me appreciate family. It made me always want family. It made me aware, I was hyper aware of, you know, like the molestation type of stuff, you know. And it also made me become an advocate, you know, as I got older in life, you know, I teamed up my girl, Ms. Parker from Parents Against Predators. We do a lot in the community just in regards to that. But just personally, what it did to me was from as long as I can remember, it instilled something into me to say, I'm gonna be a good father. No matter what, I'm gonna be a good father. I'm not gonna let anything come between me and my kids. I hope one I used to pray for one day that had kids. Like I literally, I tell my kids all the time on their birthdays, like, man, I used to pray for you so it always wouldn't make me like wanna be a good father. Made me wanna be the best father I could be. Also, man, that interview too, after that interview came out, I found out I got a cousin. Cause somebody seen it and they was like, hey, we saw you. You thought you ain't had no cousin, you got a cousin. Wow. So, you know, I'm real grateful for that. I got a, you know, shout out to my cousin Gina and her whole family of kids, all of them, man. But yeah, it definitely was something that, you know, was heavy on me my whole life also, you know, it makes you realize that some people are walking around with trauma and you don't know it, you know, so it makes you. Just cause somebody has a smile doesn't mean they're Happy. You know, just cause somebody has a frown or a mean look don't mean they're mad at you. They could be going through something. So, you know, it just. It just. It did. Definitely taught me a lot. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And your mom was a strong woman. You said your mom had y'all so scared that your dad would come and kidnap you. Oh, yeah, yeah. Cause he had kidnapped the woman and married her.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, yeah. He kidnapped. He kidnapped a woman, man.

[Amazon Advertiser]

A girl.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm sorry, A girl.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And married this girl was 12 years, and he kidnapped her when she was 15. And I don't know, man. He got some type of judge to sign off on the marriage. Took her to Canada. Then next thing you know, something happened. They came back. You know, it's a tragic story. She ended up committing suicide when she came back. And, you know, it's sad. The crazy thing about that is that at that time, you know, we would see my father on the weekend, my biological father on the weekends or every other weekend. So sometimes we'd go over there and it'd be like, oh, it's a new girl, girlfriend's over there, and I'm, you know, four years old. I don't know, you know, but It's a. A 12 year old in a wig with makeup. You know, we know that now, but at the time, we don't know that. I'm just thinking, oh, that's my dad's, you know, girlfriend or something. And it's. It's so crazy to think like that. Damn you that close to, you know that. But you know what? You're four years old. What do you do? You don't even know what's wrong, you know, what's going on. But it's just, it's. It's. It's tragic. Just, you know, of course, that was my biological father, so it was hard for me. But I mean, of course it's worse for the girl, you know what I'm saying? Or whoever he did something to. So I never look at myself like I was like a victim or like even the trauma I experienced, I kind of like put it under the rug. I feel more for the victims that he hurt, you know what I'm saying? Like, damn. Like, what about them? Not me. I don't really look at it like my own, but for sure. My mom, we used to walk around with a air horn tied around my neck. So that, man, this is when Kindergarten Cop came out too. And kindergarten arm sports, man. So I was for sure terrified that I was gonna get kidnapped. And I remember one time. Ooh, one time, me and my sister were at home. It was like, during the summer or it was like something where my mom was doing something, and we just at home. And I remember my biological dad came to the door, knocked on the door, and I went and looked at the peephole. And I remember being so scared I could not move. I'm just sitting there, just like, oh, I don't. What do I do? I couldn't move, and I'm scared to move. You gonna see me or whatever, man. I'll never forget that. But, yeah, my mama definitely, she had us prepared. You know what I'm saying? She had us prepared.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's amazing.

[DJ Envy]

Well, the album.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, back to the album.

[DJ Envy]

Comes out this Friday.

[Amazon Advertiser]

And when is it still tipping to a dropping?

[Paul Wall]

I mean, it's still tipping to a game. And went, yeah, y'all only did, like, one show, right? We didn't do nothing. Well, I mean, we did. We did one show.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Yeah, you might. Jones, Slim Thug.

[Paul Wall]

I mean, it just. It started off we did the Texans halftime show. I kind of said it. Yeah, I kind of said it, like, almost like, as a joke, like, hey, we're doing a still tipping tour. But when we. When we said that, our phone started blowing up. We had people alive, all kind of people. More AD Everybody just hitting us, trying to, hey, I want to book 20 shows right now. How much? I want to book 10 shows, this and that, but got to have it together. We couldn't get it together, man. You know, I wish we could, but we could get together.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what happened. You. You spoke too early about you just kind of playing. See, I did something like that, like, before I got this job, right?

[DJ Envy]

Really?

[Paul Wall]

I went, I was like, yo, I'm.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The host of the Breakfast Cup. D. Pick me up. You know what I'm saying? And then I thought, I didn't get the job, cuz. I'm like, damn, maybe I shouldn't have did. But I'm here today, so maybe we. Maybe we might get some.

[Paul Wall]

We coming to the Ravens Club, power out. M. Jones, Slim Thug with an album.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I do got one more question on Slip. This is my last question.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, sir.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Little Flip. I mean, when ti this Little Flip, he mentioned your name in there, right?

[Paul Wall]

I always felt, like, conflicted about that.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Exactly. I want to ask that, cuz that's what kind of blew you up. And everybody was like, damn, Paul Wall, maybe the hardest grill ever bought, son.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah. Yeah, man, I, I, man, I remember being at Bayou Classic in New Orleans and people being like, passing out flyers and somebody saying, hey, swish house. I might have been passing out my own, you know, my album or, you know, buy some grills or something. I remember people being like, paul, hey, you the one with TI like, ended up being like, damn, okay, My boy got some reach. You know this. When he was just before he blew up, of course he got reach now. He was reaches.

[Amazon Advertiser]

But he dissing Lil Flip dissing Legend.

[Paul Wall]

That was the hard part. Because me and Flip being friends too, as well. It's like, damn. Of course Flip gonna feel a certain way. You know, he gonna be like, damn, you rocking with him. That's how it is. And of course he gonna feel that way. There's no way he couldn't. And, you know, I could be like, well, yeah, we friends, but I'm not choosing a side. I mean, I don't know what to do. You know what I'm saying? It just put me in a tough situation. I mean, the way I dealt with it is I just, you know, laid low. You know what I'm saying? Tried to stay out of it. I really tried not to do too much explaining publicly. Cause a lot of times they just make it worse, it seem like, you know, but it definitely put me in a hard spot. You know what I'm saying?

[Amazon Advertiser]

It was good for business, though.

[Paul Wall]

It was good for business. Definitely. Definitely. TI Definitely. When he gave me that shot, Pow. Wow. Turned the bling down in your mouth. Mouth. Oh, yeah. Definitely was good for business. But. But, I mean, at the same time, Lil Flip probably is like, man, I ain't never get no girl from Powell again.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Did he stop shopping with you?

[Paul Wall]

Well, I mean, even then, he wasn't getting them for me. Johnny was still kind of making them, but, you know, he was getting them from other people or whatever.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, how slim doing?

[Paul Wall]

I definitely would make him a grill. Flip on a grill. I got you, bro. I got you.

[DJ Envy]

That's to speak.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, for sure. Matter of fact, one of the songs on the album Swing down with Zero, we recorded that song on Zero's birthday of this year. His birthday is like, January 20th. January 21st. I think it's the 21st. And we recorded it at Zero House. Zero say, man, my birthday. Come to the house. We drinking, eating, come through. I said, came through. And, you know, I had the song. He's like, hey, let's knock out this song. And Lil Flip actually was his engineer that recorded it. I see Flip all the time. For sure, man. Flip, we, boy. He's still my big bro. Of course he came. We the same age, but he came out before me, you know, he definitely put on for Houston a lot, you know what I'm saying? But you know, even still, when I see him, I'd be like, damn, I hope he ain't holding it over my head. But if he do, I mean, I can't blame him. Cause I get it, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, that's definitely my boy, man. You know, it ain't no hard feelings on my side. Of course, if you want a grill, I got, I got you Flip. What's up, man? You know. But yeah, it's definitely, definitely made it a little weird, you know what I'm saying?

[DJ Envy]

Well, let's get into it. Join off that and what you want.

[Paul Wall]

To hear, let's play that swing down. Me and Zero. Pow Wild and Zero. We flipped that SWV reign. My boys Beans and Cornbread, they produced it, you know. Got my boy Zero on there with me.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Crywall and Big Tonka.

[Paul Wall]

Yeah, let's go.

[DJ Envy]

Let's get into it right now. It's Paul Waller albums out this Friday. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Wake that ass up early in the morning.

[Paul Wall]

The Breakfast Club.

[Amazon Advertiser]

The holidays are here. It's that time of year to think about, yes, gifts, but not only gifts. It's the guests, the party planning and the true meaning of the season. Spending time with family and friends. We know it's a lot, but we're here to ease your mind and share some tips. So we'll make it through together. With the season getting underway, now is the time to shop for amazing holiday deals at Amazon. Amazon has a wide selection for all your holiday needs. I don't care if you want to get your people's laptops, gaming screens, whatever it is they need. Amazon got it. Amazon last minute deals are here. Shop last minute deals now on Amazon and visit Amazon.com black effect podcast for my favorite pick.

[Coca Cola Advertiser]

The holidays are about spending time with your loved ones and creating magical memories that will last a lifetime. So whether it's family and friends you haven't seen in a while or those who you see all the time, share holiday magic this season with an ice cold Coca Cola. Copyright 2024, the Coca Cola Company.

[DJ Envy]

Life is an act of constant reinvention. That's true for you and for cars. Nissan reimagined. The all new kicks around you. The Bose personal plus sound system with speakers and the headres keeps you in the groove. While The Nissan Safety Shield 360 technologies keep you safe. If Nissan reinvented the Kicks, you can reinvent yourself. Drive the all new reimagined Nissan Kicks today.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Available Features Compatible device service and consumer activation of Nissan Connect Services package Required Use only when safe and legal. Subject to third party service availability. For more information, see nissanusa.com connect legal Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc. Intelligent all wheel drive cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Taking control of your career is empowering. Just don't tell my boss I said that. Building a career isn't just about a job, it's about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations. Whether you're starting out or making big moves, State Farm is here to support you with resources to help protect what you're working hard to achieve. They've got your back every step of the way because, like a good neighbor, State forum is there. Find out [e-mail] Be merry, be bright.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Be loved this holiday season with sparkling holiday gifts from Pandora Jewelry. Bring the sparkle to Black Friday with Pandora jewelry. From November 16th through December 3rd, receive 30% off. Store wide, handpicked and ready to wrap, wear and love. Select from a wide range of possibilities for personalization. From festive charms with vibrant pops of color, shimmering rings and earrings designed to dazzle to radiant bracelets and necklaces shining in a mix of luminous metals, Pandora has something special for everyone on your holiday list. Shop Pandora Jewelry today and save 30% off. Some exclusions apply.