Paul Wall & Big Pokey

Paul Wall has been one of the pillars of Texas mixtape community since 1999, with his talents earning him a major deal with Swishahouse Records’ 2004 joint venture with Atlantic Records. Wall’s 2005 release of his major album The People’s Champ debuted on Billboard’s TOP 200 at the #1 spot and swiftly achieved platinum status. And in 2007, he received a GRAMMY Nomination for Best Rap Performance as a Duo or Group for his feature on the song GRILLZ with Nelly and Jermaine Dupri. Today, the rapper, DJ and entrepreneur, is one of Texas’s most successful independent musicians. The avid entrepreneur in Paul today began in 1998, when he first partnered with the now world-famous jeweler Johnny Dang, to sell custom gold grillz. Throughout the years they two have built up an iconic clientele of celebrities worldwide, still selling over 100 grillz per day out of their lavish Houston jewelry store. The inspiration behind the name of his 2005 project was his real nickname “The People’s Champ,” given to him for his constant work within Texas underprivileged communities. After Hurricane Harvey, Paul and his wife Crystal opened her fitness studio to gather supplies and donations for people affected. Each summer, the Walls hosts a Back2School backpack drive to stock young students with school supplies and to foster excitement and commitment around education in the community. Paul Wall also conducts countless toy drives each year around the holidays, where all gifts are donated to various 501c3 groups to distribute to underserved communities in the area. Paul has been a Governor and Trustee for the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammys), and with over 100 mixtapes and album releases, he continues to reaffirm his place and contributions to hiphop.