Paul Wall and Bubba Sparxxx have rightfully earned their place in Hip-Hop's anthology.
Yet, those respective places were put to the test early on Tuesday (July 27th) when one Twitter user questioned whether or not Wall and Sparxxx's legacy as white rappers in the pantheon of Southern Hip-Hop would bear the same impact and acceptance in today's landscape.
It was a veiled reference to today's cancel culture and a perceived lack of authenticity from the rappers per the user's perspective which seemed to fuel the now-deleted tweet in the first place and what followed was, by and large, a resounding defense of both men (especially Paul Wall) and their catalogs and contributions to Hip-Hop.
Naturally, the tweet fueled comparisons to prominent white rappers of today including Jack Harlow, Post Malone, the late Mac Miller, and in even more extreme cases, Bhad Babie.
Many resorted to evidence that Paul Wall has long been embedded in Hip-Hop and Black culture from the, citing his credibility in Houston and throughout Texas. By and large, of course, their arguments were backed by a cluster of catalog picks. For Bubba Sparxxx, "Ms. New Booty" was in abundance. As for Wall, picks included his verses on cuts like Kanye West's "Drive Slow," Mike jones' "Still Tippin," and Nelly's "Grillz." And who could forget his popularization of the accessory of the same name?
"Paul Wall is loved in Texas. Paul Wall is a legend in Texas. Paul Wall will always be accepted in Texas," writes one user.
"I have it on good authority that Paul Wall is good in any ward in Houston," writes another.
"I don't think it's social climate," wrote another user in Wall's defense. "Paul Wall was just a dope artist whose music resonated with alot of folks. I can't speak on Bubba Sparxxx. If you're white and you don't fake the funk in your music, black folks will approve. That's why Mac Miller is so adored."
Is it possible that today's "social climate" would hinder Paul Wall's image as opposed to the 90s and 2000s when social media wasn't yet commonplace and opinions were more differentiated? Sound off with your thoughts below.