Paul Wall is a well-known figure in hip-hop, and fans still love him almost 20 years after he was at the top of his game. But when he changed his look, even his most loyal fans had to take a second look.
The Texas rap legend looked almost unrecognizable in a TikTok video posted earlier this week. He had a full head of silver hair and a matching beard, which was a big change from his trademark buzz cut and soul patch, which can be seen in classic videos like “Still Tippin'” and “Sittin’ Sidewayz.”
Even though he had changed, he still had his signature gold grill and thick Texas accent.
Paul wrote in the video’s description, “First of all, why does my face look like the old man filter lol, we had a lot of fun yesterday performing halftime with @Louie TheSinger and watching the @Houston Texans.” “Mannnn, it’s going to be a long trip, but you can tell we’re going in the right direction @Tank Dell LFG homie!!!!”
Fans were amazed by Paul Wall’s new silver fox look, and his comments section was full of shocked reactions.
“THAT PAUL WALL!!!????” One person wrote that they couldn’t believe it, and another said, “Ain’t no way this Paul mane.”
Someone else wrote, “I was sure he was just messing around with the old filter. My eyes from the 2000s don’t understand [crying face emojis].”
But many people liked his new look. One female fan was so taken with him that she said, “Man is aging like fine wineeeee [heart-eyes emoji].”
“Silver Paul looks so classy, we should call him Paullard Eallard by now, show some respect,” said one user. “Paul Wall looks like the H-Town Leonardo DiCaprio,” said another.
Paul Wall talked to TMZ about his change after the video went viral. He said that he had felt “insecure” about his gray hair for most of his adult life. All of that changed, though, two years ago.
“My grandfather had all gray hair by the time he was 18, so I always knew it would happen to me,” he said. “At first, I had a few hairs in my chin here and there.”
He went on, “But to be honest, when I was younger, I always felt bad about having gray hair. Now, I’m not trying to be a snob about age or anything, but once I turned 40, I just felt like gray hair was more fitting for my age.”
“So, I swear, as soon as I turned 40, all my hang-ups and fears went out the window. I thought, “Oh yeah, I’m going to let those grays show!”
Even though Paul Wall looks old, he is still a strong voice on the mic. Since 2019, he has released more than six projects, including full-length collaborations with acts like Lil Keke, Statik Selektah, and Termanology. He is 42 years old.
Most famously, “Johnny Dang,” a song he did with That Mexican OT and Drodi, helped him get back on the Billboard Hot 100 after more than 15 years. It reached No. 65.
“Boy, it gave me a whole new life!” During his talk with TMZ, Paul raved about the song. “Big up to my dog!” That OT from Mexico. With that one, he got your boy back!”