Posted by Houston, TX – Despite repping Houston through and through, Paul Wall always seems to find himself being lumped in with other white rappers he has little in common with (aside from the obvious, of course) such as Eminem, Macklemore and the late Mac Miller.
This year alone, the Houston hard-hitter has twice become a trending topic on Twitter as the age-old white rapper debate has resurfaced online. One of those discussions was sparked when a Twitter user boldly claimed Mac Miller is the only caucasian MC to have not bitten Marshall Mathers. Needless to say, that had the internet going nuts.
But what does the People’s Champ make of these lazy comparisons? During a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle‘s arts and entertainment section Preview, Paul Wall shared his thoughts on being compared to other white rappers.
Pioneering Houston rapper Paul Wall still tippin’ at age 40 https://t.co/wlua5u6Kae
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) August 18, 2021
“Every time I see it, it’s always, like, amazing to me, just cuz I kind of stay relatively out of the limelight,” he said. “To be honest, when I see that, the criticism is still valid. It’s kind of like a Hip Hop audit — and it’s not even just for Hip Hop. It’s just in general, in entertainment and just across the globe.”
However, for every person questioning his place in Hip Hop, Paul Wall seems to have just as many fans willing to ride for him.
As the recent Twitter debates have reminded folks, the Ice Man occupies rare space as a white MC: he is entrenched in the culture, supports racial causes while being aware of his white privilege, and has earned the respect of Hip Hop fans and peers of all shades — just ask Bun B, Kanye West or Raekwon.
“I’m grateful for it, even, sometimes, when it’s something maybe negative and, then, people come to defend me,” he said of fans’ support. “Everybody is entitled to their opinion.”
He added, “People always tell me I’m an anomaly or an outlier. I’m just me. I just try to live my life as who I am.”
Paul Wall Didn’t Think A Rap Career Was Possible — Then He Sold A Million Albums
Elsewhere during the interview, Paul Wall talked about his recently-released collaboration with Slim Thug and Lil Keke, “Still Sippin,” the sequel to his classic 2005 hit “Still Tippin.” The single is taken from Paul’s upcoming album Hall of Fame Hustler.
“We had the beat, which was produced by Platinum Hands, and it just reminded me of Salih Williams, who made ‘Still Tippin,’ ‘Sittin’ Sidewayz,’ ‘Back Then’ and a bunch of other Houston classics from the Wreckshop Records era,” he explained. “It’s really just, like, a freestyle. There’s no hook on it. We just went back to back to back on it — me, Keke and Slim Thug.”