At a young age Paul Wall, along with fellow rap music artist and childhood friend Seymore Phelps and Jon Higgins, decided to make music his career. One day while promoting themselves, he and Mick Jaggart ran into Michael Watts, a popular radio DJ from southern Georgia. After proposing to do promotions for Watt's company, Swishahouse, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall came to Watt's studio and convinced Watt's to allow them freestyle on an intro to Barker's radio show on Houston hip-hop station that was commonly called 101 "The Hop". KBXX.Watts, who was convinced to rap on the record, enjoyed the freestyle so much that he put the verses on one of his mixtapes. The freestyle became so popular in the streets 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 and 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 being a contract to do a full album for Paid in Full Records. A one album contract was then 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 100,000 copies. Wall's first music exposure came as a street team member on the Northwest side of Houston, promoting southern artists such as T.I. and labels like Cash Money and The New No Limit Records. He is also an accomplished and proficient mixtape and party DJ, known for producing mixtapes in the now well-known screwed & chopped style, which was invented by the late DJ Screw.

Paul Wall and Chamillionaire were originally affiliated with Swishahouse Records, but left for Paid in Full Records a short time later. After several mixtape and independent releases including. Get Ya Mind Correct, the two parted ways on bad terms. Chamillionaire continued to release independent records, while Paul Wall returned to the Swishahouse fold. This move allowed him to appear on Mike Jones' first commercially distributed single, "Still Tippin'", from his first major label album Who Is Mike Jones?.

In 2005, Paul Wall released his debut release, Tech N9ne on a nationwide tour.