About Paul Wall
Paul Michael Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse, and has released several albums under the label and collaborated with numerous other rappers signed to the label. He began his career performing alongside fellow Houstonian Chamillionaire, with whom he released several albums, including 2002's independently released Get Ya Mind Correct. By 2005, he was signed to Atlantic Records and became successful with his major label debut The Peoples Champ, which was followed up by Get Money, Stay True released in 2007. He has been nominated for one Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance as a Duo or Group for the song "Grillz", his collaboration with rapper Nelly.
Wall attended Jersey Village High School and studied mass communications at the University of Houston for three years. Wall's first music exposure came as a street team member on the Northwest side of Houston, promoting southern labels like Cash Money and No Limit Records.
After proposing to do promotions for Michael "5000" Watts' company Swishahouse, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall came to 97.9 the Box , Watts' radio station. Paul and Chamillionaire convinced Watts to let them rap on his radio show and put the verses on one of his mixtapes. That mixtape was titled Choppin Em Up Part 2, which was released in mid-1999. The freestyle became so popular locally that Chamillionaire and Paul Wall became regular staples on Houston's mixtape circuit, appeared on several of Watts' mixtapes and became permanent members of Swishahouse.
After fellow member Slim Thug left the label, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall followed suit and the two started their own group known as The Color Changin' Click . Each successive mixtape released by The Color Changin' Click led to more business opportunities; the most notable of which was a contract to do a full album for Paid in Full Records. A one-album contract was negotiated between the Color Changin' Click and Paid in Full's label head, DJ Madd Hatta from 97.9 The Box, and the CCC's first album, Get Ya Mind Correct, would go on to sell over 200,000 copies.
Wall is also an accomplished and proficient mixtape and party DJ, known for producing mixtapes in the now well-known chopped and screwed style, which was invented by DJ Screw.
In 2004, Wall returned to Swishahouse and appeared on Mike Jones' first commercially distributed single, "Still Tippin'".
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