Paul Wall On Avoiding The Race Card, “You Can’t Compare Me To Eminem Due To His Success & Style”

Written By S. Samuel

Southern rapper Paul Wall recently opened up about avoiding comparisons to fellow white rappers like Eminem and Vanilla Ice and said his upbringing played a large role.

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Paul feels his Texas roots helped him avoid being stereotyped as just another “white rapper.”

“Everybody raised me to believe I was a kid and an individual. So me being White or any other characteristic didn’t define who I was,” he explained in an interview. “So I didn’t carry myself as a White person. I am who I am. I also think I’m wise enough to know you can’t compare me to Eminem due to his success and style. Also my sound was different. Coming from Texas there’s a large Mexican and Jamaican population so it’s multiracial. So my fan base is extremely multiracial so that has something to do with it, too.” (XXL Mag)

Last year, Eminem talked about being blindly compared to then-newcomer Asher Roth.

“Asher Roth, I haven’t had a chance to, like, really get into everything, like, really get into what he’s about, because I’ve only heard a couple songs,” Em said in the May 2009 issue of XXL Magazine. “There was talk about people saying he sounded like me, and he was doing this and that and, you know, trying to take what I do and do it. You know, sh*t like that. I’ve heard things. But the stuff that I’ve heard from him honestly, which certainly isn’t enough for me to make my own opinion and say, ‘Yeah, he does sound like me’ or ‘No, he doesn’t.’ But the couple of songs I’ve head, I don’t really think he does. You know what I mean? He’s doing his own thing. I can respect it, too, because at the end of the day, I think he’s dope.” (XXL Magazine)

In the past, rap mogul Jay-Z has talked about moving away from the standard “black music” stereotype in hip-hop.

“On the show as well were Third Eye Blind and Kelly Clarkson,” Jay explained talking about a 2009 Arizona concert. “I thought that to be the oddest pairing ever but, soon realized, it’s what I’ve always professed. There is no such thing as black music or white music only good or bad music. It’s stupid cool to like things that are not like you, and that goes for outside of music. If you’re an African American you can have a Jewish friend…I think concerts like this should happen more often…I’m putting that into the universe..next up Taylor Swift and Uncle Murda!!” (Rap Radar)

Paul Wall is currently preparing the release of his new album, Heart of a Champion.

Fresh off a month-long tour with former partner-in-rhyme, Chamillionaire, Houston rapper, Paul Wall, is all set to drop his 4th major label album, Heart of a Champion, on June 29th through Swisha House/Asylum Records. Almost half of the tracks featured on the album are produced by long-time friend and Expensive Taste band-mate, Travis Barker. The album will also feature several songs from Expensive Taste, the group which includes Skinhead Rob (Transplants) in addition to Paul and Travis. (Press Release)

Check out Killer Mike talking about reuniting Paul Wall & Chamillionaire below:

13 Comments

Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

13 Comments

  1. Cant front that troubled man got heat all over it,……quality street music as drama would say,…

  2. album is pretty nice, doesn’t feel the same after the whole snitchin thing, when he claims he has guns it just hits the ear wrong comin from him

  3. With all the snitching hype, show me the paper work, its a information world now so show me the paper wor or shut the hell up!!!!

  4. Wasn’t feeling this album, but to each his own.

    I’ve heard everything in this album 10 times from him before, and he’s not particularly breaking the mold with his lyrics or song concepts this time around.

  5. I’ve only heard 2 joints off this album so far and what I heard was pretty decent. I will give this CD a serious listen on Spotify soon as I re-up my stash today. I prefer to listen to new music for the first time when I’m stoned… I tend to feel it more.

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