He's had the Internet going nuts, he had all of you out there gettin' diamonds in your mouth, and you KNOW he has that expensive taste. Paul Wall's next album, Fast Life, is set to drop on May 12th through Asylum; we got a chance to speak to the man, about the new album, Houston's new blood and, of course, we found out who copped the nicest set of grills from him!

BGDB: Thanks for taking the time out to conduct this interview, Paul. You’ve a new album, Fast Life, coming very soon. What can people expect from you this time around?

Paul Wall: It’s a more mature Peoples Champ. I've grown as an artist and as a person, and you can definitely hear that in the music.

BGDB: You’ve dropped crazy product, from local mixtapes in the Houston area to getting your major label release up. Speak on how you’ve grown and matured as an artist from the beginning to where you’re at now.

Paul Wall: Hard work definitely pays off. I've hustled my way to where I am. If you want to achieve success in any aspect of life or your career, you have to work hard for it. I've definitely been extremely blessed.

BGDB: How would you describe yourself, artistically, to heads who might not know who Paul Wall is?

Paul Wall: Coming from Houston, Texas, my style revolves around the lifestyle of a go-getter and hustler. I've definitely matured over the years, but it’s still all about being a grinder.

BGDB: It’s been a year and some change since we lost Pimp C, and it seems like Houston rappers have really started to come together, whether it’s on tracks like Slim Thug’s “Welcome 2 Houston”, or various other collaborations. Did people start to stick together more after his death, or are we just seeing a natural progression of heads just trying to put on for Houston.

Paul Wall: Maybe a little bit of both. He definitely called everybody out on “Knockin’ Doorz Down”, and as a result, a lot of people put their differences to the side, like me and Chamillionaire, for example. But, also, I think just eventually people have started to realize there's more money to be made in the game if we work together.

BGDB: When people think Houston Hip-Hop, they will immediately rattle of cats like yourself, Bun B, Mike Jones, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug and maybe a few others. Who do you see as being the new blood coming from Houston?

Paul Wall: Well, I feel like artists like Lil’ Keke, Z-Ro and Trae really deserve to get their shine on, on a national level. They've been the cornerstone of Texas music for a long time now. They're my favorites, also. There's a lot of up and comers, too, that are almost on the scene. I look forward to the future of Texas music. I'm excited about it.

BGDB: What’s going on with Expen$ive Taste? Do you guys have any plans on putting out an album or new material anytime soon?

Paul Wall: Right now were focusing mostly on our clothing line. Our website is www.igotexpensivetaste.com. We've got a ton of new designs coming out later on this year. Musically, you'll hear some Expen$iveTaste music on my new album, Fast Life, but it’s gonna be a while before we put out an Expensive Taste album.

BGDB: Around this time last year, you were on tour with guys like Ill Bill. Obviously, the both of you are white cats who are involved in the Rap game. Have you ever caught a lot of flack from people for the color of your skin and your profession?

Paul Wall: No I never have, I'm just me.

BGDB: Speaking of touring, will you be doing any touring in support of Fast Life?

Paul Wall: Yeah definitely, right now I've been on the road with Slim Thug, and I'm sure we'll do some more touring this summer

BGDB: Last year, you were vocal about Barack Obama’s campaign to become President. He’s been office for a few months now – how do you feel about his presidency, so far? If you could give him a piece of advice, what would it be?

Paul Wall: It’s gonna take time for us to make a real change; it definitely won't be overnight. I mean, he came into office with a lot of problems to try and fix. I'm confident he'll get the job done. The only advice I can give him is to pray.

BGDB: Everyone should know that Paul Wall’s grill-game is top notch, as you’re the cat many come to to get their grillz proper. What’s the illest pair of grillz you’ve done, and who are some of the cats who’ve recently come to you for some work?

Paul Wall: I think my boy T.I. got the best set; he spent $30,000 on a set. Nelly also got one of the nicest ones. Recently, we did some new grills for T-Pain, and just yesterday I did some for Soulja Boy.

BGDB: You coined the phrase “got the Internet goin’ nuts”, and in the years since you’ve uttered that, the ‘Net has truly gone nuts, from the rise of blogs, MySpace, Facebook, twitter and other social networking sites. How important are these spots to you and keeping your fanbase going?

Paul Wall: Yeah, there's a thousand different MySpaces now, and they're all important for an artist to promote whatever is going on or coming soon.

BGDB: Before we wrap this up, do you have any final thoughts or shout outs you’d like to kick? Anything the fans should be looking for from you?

Paul Wall: Yeah pick up my album the Fast Life and check out my websites
www.grillsbypaulwall.com and www.igotexpensivetaste.com.

Shouts to Underground Promotion for their assistance on this interview!

Labels: Interviews, Paul Wall