What’s it like growing up in a melting pot of culture where the lines of identity blur before you even know they exist? Paul Wall, the Houston heavyweight known for his smooth delivery and iconic grills, recently gave us all a peek into his childhood, and trust me, it’s a ride! Imagine being a kid surrounded by friends from every corner of the world—Black, Mexican, Vietnamese, Indian—and completely oblivious to the fact that you might stand out because of your skin color. Picture it: Paul recounts his childhood with a mix of nostalgia and bewilderment, revealing that he didn’t grasp his own ethnicity until middle school! “I didn’t know I was white ‘til white people told me I was white,” he quipped, making us chuckle while also reflecting on the complexities of race and identity in America. Dive in as we explore how Wall navigated his identity in a world that wasn’t quite ready for a rapper who didn’t follow the typical ‘white rapper’ mold. Buckle up—it’s gonna be an enlightening and entertaining journey!
Paul Wall is Houston royalty. The rapper dominated the mixtape scene alongside Chamillionaire in the late 90s and early 2000s. He broke out as a commercial force in the mid-2000s, and has remained a fixture on the scene ever since. Paul Wall recently shocked fans, however, when he dove into his youth and his experiences growing up in Texas. He told the Breakfast Club that he grew up in a very diverse neighborhood, and as such, was unaware of his own ethnicity for years.
Paul Wall told the radio panel that he wasn’t made privy to his whiteness until he was in middle school. “I didn’t know I was white ’til white people told me I was white,” the rapper said. “They was like, ‘You white. Why you talk and act like that? You white. And I’m like, what do you mean?'” Wall felt the confusion was a result of the varied groups of kids he hung out with prior to attending school. “I mean, all my friends were Black or Mexican or Asian,” he asserted. “I lived in a very diverse neighborhood. There were white people there, but it was Mexican, Black, Vietnamese, Indian … A lot of everything.”
Paul Wall pointed to his bond with Chamillionaire as evidence. He noted that the “Ridin” rapper was born to a Nigerian father, which he learned while the two were attending high school together. Wall did reveal that his mother took a DNA test to determine the family’s exact genealogy, however. She discovered that she was 3% African American, which led to Wall cracking a joke about what she can and can’t get away with. “I know she can’t say the N-word, that ain’t enough for her to say the N-word,” he quipped.
Paul Wall discussed the “white rapper” label during a 2020 interview with Complex. He told the outlet that he never tried to emulate the styles of other white rappers, and instead listened to Black artists like Big Pokey, Big Moe and Mr. Scarface. “I never thought of it like this is something I shouldn’t be doing,” he opined. “Because even though white rappers were out, I wasn’t following them. No disrespect intended, I just didn’t follow that lane, I followed this one.” Paul Wall’s iconic status in the game proves he made the right call.
About The Author
Elias Andrews is a music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as the lead night shift contributor, which means he covers new music releases on a weekly basis.
In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest and most turbulent stories in the world of music. He covered the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and the release of the disses “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams,” in particular, in real time. He has also detailed the ongoing list of allegations and criminal charges made against Diddy.
Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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