60 RAPPERS IN 60 DAYS: Paul Wall
Keith Murphy
June 17, 2009 @ 10:00 am
The People's Champ's favorite MCs may surprise you
Slim Thug
*
"[Twitter is] cool, but I got business to handle. I don't have time to worry about what everybody else is doing*.
When Houston's Paul Wall was introduced to the masses on Mike Jones' breakthrough 2004 anthem, "Still Tippin'," the charismatic white boy with the blinding set of platinum grills undeniably stood out. But talk of Paul "Wall" Slayton, 28, being a gimmick was silenced when his album The People's Champ (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic, 2005) made its debut on the Billboard 200, eventually selling more than 1 million copies. For a time it seemed the whole rap game wanted a piece of the H-Town stunner as he collaborated with everyone from Nelly (2005's "Grillz") to Kanye West (2006's "Drive Slow"). But in recent years, he's fallen out of the spotlight after his second album, Get Money, Stay True (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic, 2007) struggled to infiltrate the culture in the same way. Now onto his third major-label album, Fast Life (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic), Wall is out to prove that he's more than just a pretty smile.
VIBE: Where do you see yourself right now in hip hop today?
Paul Wall: I think the first time around it was more hype than anything. I think this time it's not as much hype, but I think my music is better. The music is incredibly better, you know what I'm saying? I think that's the big improvement for me, to see how far I've grown and matured as an artist.
Would you say that you are a better lyricist?
Yeah, I definitely think that the lyricism has stepped up a lot. Just our ability as a team to come up with music, to come up with songs, whether it's the theme of the song or the topics. I just think as a whole, we come up with better songs now.
Besides yourself, who are the five rappers you are listening to right now?
Mob Figaz, from the Bay Area; they're more of an independent, underground kind of group. Tech N9ne....
What is it about Tech N9ne? He seems to be that slept-on MC who has gained quite a loyal underground following.
His style is so different. He kinda got a haunting appeal, you know what I'm saying? It's entrancing listening to his music. It's his tracks and the way he flips his tongue on the tracks. Something about his live shows, too.
Yeah, I've seen video of dude onstage. It's a crazy scene.
His live shows be off the chain. They really made me step my game up a lot.
So who's the third MC to whom you are currently listening?
Lil Keke. He's my favorite of all time. His swagger, you know, on the mic, the words he says, the way he uses his words. He comes up with his own lingo sometimes. I really like him. Then I have to go with Slim Thug. Especially [his] new album. I think he really did his thing on it.
And your fifth MC?
I'm listening to Strong Arm Steady. I listen to them a lot on the iPod. Man, they are so gangsta but so lyrical, too. Their beats, man...I don't know if it's just the producers they seem to be working with, but man, their beats! Hip hop at its finest.
Is there one person that we haven't heard yet that's about to blow up?
Travis Barker [as a producer].
Wow.
Most people know him from being in blink-182, or from his TV show on MTV, or from his drum remixes he's done. But his hip hop style of production is incredible. He did "I Need Mo'" on my new album, and he did another one called "Pop One of These." His drums are incredible, but he does his hip hop production. He's not on there playing the live drums. He's doing like real, legit hip hop production. And it's just incredible, and I think once people start to hear it, they're gonna be impressed and shocked. He's my favorite producer right now in the game, period.
Are you doing the Twitter thing?
I just got on Twitter today.
And what do you think about it?
I think it's weird [laughs]. Now personally, I think it's a great way for artists to promote whatever they got going on, and it's a great way for friends to keep in touch, so I can't knock everybody for doing it. But some people have too much time on their hands. When they get on, they are on 24/7. People seem to be so nosy. Everybody's nosy. They wanna know what everybody else is doing, what they got going on, and what's the new gossip.
It does seem over the top now.
Yeah. I mean that's cool, but I got business to handle. I don't have time to worry about what everybody else is doing.
Everybody has their own favorite pair of sneakers that they used to rock back in the day. What was your first pair of sneakers you remember buying with your own money?
The first pair of shoes I ever bought with my own money was some Jordans.
Wow, what year?
This was 1996-97, the red-and-black-patent-leather ones. That was the only time I had bought my own shoes. Before that I was given $35 shoes for school. My momma would buy what she could afford.
So how much did those Jordans run you?
I think they were, like, $125. Yeah, and then a month later they came out with some new ones, and then I had the old ones [laughs].
That always happens.
I was like, damn, this a damn pyramid scam [laughs]; they come out with some new shoes every month. But my momma didn't have that kinda money to be buying me Jordans, so I lucked up and bought them with my own money.
Now everybody knows hip hop dudes love their R&B. Do you have a favorite jam from back in the days?
Yeah. I used to like Jodeci a lot. But I like a lot of the old-school R&B, too. I love Sade. I like Mint Condition, Tony Toni Toné. And also Maze and Frankie Beverly.
Now that's a list.
It's relaxing and soothing. It's love music. And who don't want to be in love?
SOURCE: http://m.vibe.com/wap/item?f=3258&u...+60+DAYS:+Paul+Wall&ft=Vibe+News&ch=vb&s=-1#c
Keith Murphy
June 17, 2009 @ 10:00 am
The People's Champ's favorite MCs may surprise you
Slim Thug
*
"[Twitter is] cool, but I got business to handle. I don't have time to worry about what everybody else is doing*.
When Houston's Paul Wall was introduced to the masses on Mike Jones' breakthrough 2004 anthem, "Still Tippin'," the charismatic white boy with the blinding set of platinum grills undeniably stood out. But talk of Paul "Wall" Slayton, 28, being a gimmick was silenced when his album The People's Champ (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic, 2005) made its debut on the Billboard 200, eventually selling more than 1 million copies. For a time it seemed the whole rap game wanted a piece of the H-Town stunner as he collaborated with everyone from Nelly (2005's "Grillz") to Kanye West (2006's "Drive Slow"). But in recent years, he's fallen out of the spotlight after his second album, Get Money, Stay True (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic, 2007) struggled to infiltrate the culture in the same way. Now onto his third major-label album, Fast Life (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic), Wall is out to prove that he's more than just a pretty smile.
VIBE: Where do you see yourself right now in hip hop today?
Paul Wall: I think the first time around it was more hype than anything. I think this time it's not as much hype, but I think my music is better. The music is incredibly better, you know what I'm saying? I think that's the big improvement for me, to see how far I've grown and matured as an artist.
Would you say that you are a better lyricist?
Yeah, I definitely think that the lyricism has stepped up a lot. Just our ability as a team to come up with music, to come up with songs, whether it's the theme of the song or the topics. I just think as a whole, we come up with better songs now.
Besides yourself, who are the five rappers you are listening to right now?
Mob Figaz, from the Bay Area; they're more of an independent, underground kind of group. Tech N9ne....
What is it about Tech N9ne? He seems to be that slept-on MC who has gained quite a loyal underground following.
His style is so different. He kinda got a haunting appeal, you know what I'm saying? It's entrancing listening to his music. It's his tracks and the way he flips his tongue on the tracks. Something about his live shows, too.
Yeah, I've seen video of dude onstage. It's a crazy scene.
His live shows be off the chain. They really made me step my game up a lot.
So who's the third MC to whom you are currently listening?
Lil Keke. He's my favorite of all time. His swagger, you know, on the mic, the words he says, the way he uses his words. He comes up with his own lingo sometimes. I really like him. Then I have to go with Slim Thug. Especially [his] new album. I think he really did his thing on it.
And your fifth MC?
I'm listening to Strong Arm Steady. I listen to them a lot on the iPod. Man, they are so gangsta but so lyrical, too. Their beats, man...I don't know if it's just the producers they seem to be working with, but man, their beats! Hip hop at its finest.
Is there one person that we haven't heard yet that's about to blow up?
Travis Barker [as a producer].
Wow.
Most people know him from being in blink-182, or from his TV show on MTV, or from his drum remixes he's done. But his hip hop style of production is incredible. He did "I Need Mo'" on my new album, and he did another one called "Pop One of These." His drums are incredible, but he does his hip hop production. He's not on there playing the live drums. He's doing like real, legit hip hop production. And it's just incredible, and I think once people start to hear it, they're gonna be impressed and shocked. He's my favorite producer right now in the game, period.
Are you doing the Twitter thing?
I just got on Twitter today.
And what do you think about it?
I think it's weird [laughs]. Now personally, I think it's a great way for artists to promote whatever they got going on, and it's a great way for friends to keep in touch, so I can't knock everybody for doing it. But some people have too much time on their hands. When they get on, they are on 24/7. People seem to be so nosy. Everybody's nosy. They wanna know what everybody else is doing, what they got going on, and what's the new gossip.
It does seem over the top now.
Yeah. I mean that's cool, but I got business to handle. I don't have time to worry about what everybody else is doing.
Everybody has their own favorite pair of sneakers that they used to rock back in the day. What was your first pair of sneakers you remember buying with your own money?
The first pair of shoes I ever bought with my own money was some Jordans.
Wow, what year?
This was 1996-97, the red-and-black-patent-leather ones. That was the only time I had bought my own shoes. Before that I was given $35 shoes for school. My momma would buy what she could afford.
So how much did those Jordans run you?
I think they were, like, $125. Yeah, and then a month later they came out with some new ones, and then I had the old ones [laughs].
That always happens.
I was like, damn, this a damn pyramid scam [laughs]; they come out with some new shoes every month. But my momma didn't have that kinda money to be buying me Jordans, so I lucked up and bought them with my own money.
Now everybody knows hip hop dudes love their R&B. Do you have a favorite jam from back in the days?
Yeah. I used to like Jodeci a lot. But I like a lot of the old-school R&B, too. I love Sade. I like Mint Condition, Tony Toni Toné. And also Maze and Frankie Beverly.
Now that's a list.
It's relaxing and soothing. It's love music. And who don't want to be in love?
SOURCE: http://m.vibe.com/wap/item?f=3258&u...+60+DAYS:+Paul+Wall&ft=Vibe+News&ch=vb&s=-1#c
