As an avid sports fan, veteran rapper Paul Wall has good reason to follow boxing more intently these days. Make that two good reasons — Houston’s identical twins, Jermall and Jermell Charlo, the WBC interim middleweight champion and WBC junior middleweight champ, respectively.
During the Charlos’ media workout in H-Town last week, Wall’s business partner, Johnny Dang, presented Jermall with a diamond grill.
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That being said, Sporting News thought it would be fun to have Wall interview the Charlos ahead of their co-headlining card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday night, when Jermell will face Tony Harrison and Jermall will clash with Matt Korobov. Here, Wall speaks with the Charlo twins on their common Houston roots, love of music, grillz, training and cutting weight in boxing, and the Canelo Alvarez and Jarrett Hurd fights that the 28-year-old brothers want. Wall also evokes an interesting comparison between the Charlos and Nick and Nate Diaz. This is what happens when “The People’s Champ” chops it up with the world champs.
Paul Wall: What it do?
Jermall Charlo: Out here about to put this work in. It’s cold out here in New York. We’re ready to come back to Texas. Bring these straps back to the H.
It’s cold out here right now.
Jermell Charlo: Not like this cold. At least our grass is still green and it’s cold. If they had grass here, it’d be frozen and brown.
Jermall: When are you going to hit the studio and record with us?
I’m ready. I got my own studio now too.
Jermall: We’re going to link up when we get back to the H.
I want to know what music y’all listen to when you train and right before the fight?
Jermell: I listen to a pop genre of music to keep the rhythm flowing and sometimes I’ll take it back to the old school to keep my mind calm because once you start to listen to so much craziness, it gets hectic.
Jermall: Sometimes that music will zap your energy. I got a lot of top artists on my playlist, but I still go back to my Southern roots.
Do you train together?
Jermall: A majority of the time, we train together or we’ll just train right outside of each other. My brother trains in Dallas — him, Errol Spence and [trainer] Derrick James, they got their own campaign. I train right there in Sugar Land, [Texas].
One thing that everybody really admires about y’all being brothers is y’all really stick together and fight for each other. One comparison to brothers in fighting are [MMA fighters] Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz and how they just ride out for each other. You either love them or hate them. Most people only hate them because they lost. Same with y’all — the only time I see people hating on y’all is when they lost or the fighter they root for lost. But most people just admire your brotherhood and how y’all ride for each other.
Jermall: That’s our southern hospitality, how we were raised coming up.
I know there are so many people that want to put y’all against each other, but it’s been dope as a fan watching y’all grow from the earlier days to seeing y’all ride or die for each other.
Jermell: We need to remake that “People’s Champ” video.
Already! Y’all the People’s Champs now. I’m “The People’s Champ.” Y’all are the “Champ, Champ!” Y’all got the official title. Let me ask y’all about your jewelry. Y’all got any new grillz you’re looking to get? Me and Johnny are going to take care of you.
Jermall: Johnny just laced me up with a little bottom [grill]. It’s a nice little starter.
Jermell: I ain’t got a grill yet. Let me see your grill. Open your mouth [turning to his brother]. Oh, so, you have diamonds in your grill?
Jermall: Icy.
Jermell: Yo bro, how much do grills cost?
Jermall: I’m going to ice out my molars, so when I laugh it’s like [laughs out loud].
Jermell: How come Twin Charlo doesn’t have a grill?
I got you, big dog, when ya’ll come back after the double ‘W.’
Jermell: Hey, bro, I just want to tell you that you’re super favored by God. You got into a wreck with your child (referring to Wall's scary car accident) and walked away like it was nothing. That’s big to me.
Thank you. Me and my son prayed before we left the house. We pray all the time.
Jermall: My daddy used to do that with us too. We prayed before we left the house no matter what. That’s tight to hear you do that.
As a father, I’ve been through a lot in my life, so I know God is real. But with my son, I try to teach him that, but sometimes I don’t know. It's like, 'Does he believe what I’m saying?'
Jermall: He’s absorbing it. He’s believing it. It’s soaking in. I appreciate you reaching out to us. There’s only one H-Town. You know we got the city on our back when we go in that ring.
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Hell yeah! Everybody here is rooting for y’all. The whole city for real is riding with you. I made a verse [about the Charlos] too. I’m gonna let you hear that when I come back. I’m gonna pull up on you with the slabs (Houston custom cars).
Jermall: We’re going to have a parade. We’re going to let you lead the parade.
Jermell: Talk to the mayor, tell him we need the key.
Jermall: We’re bringing the belts back. Let’s have a nice-ass parade. We need a Christmas parade anyway. Ain’t nobody doing a Christmas parade.
Let me ask y’all, how is it cutting weight in boxing?
Jermall: We’re cutting weight right now. We’re weighing in [Friday]. We got up, feeling ok, about to handle our media press.
Both of y’all are like lightning in the ring. Cutting weight sounds tough.
Jermall: It’s all natural, bro. We really be grinding and training every day. We’re just like y’all and how y’all be about the studio.
Y’all thought about opening up a gym in Houston?
Jermall: We got a gym in Sugar Land.
Oh, OK. That’s dope. We’ve had a lot of good fighters come out of Houston.
Jermall: We grew up watching all of them. Reggie [Johnson], Juan Diaz and his brother.
That’s so dope. Y’all inspire people every day, so I can’t wait to see how many people you inspire — especially in the streets. Imagine how many street fighters there might be that could’ve did something. It’s really inspiring to see y’all on the forefront because y’all are motivating the next generation of boxers. There are fighters watching y’all fight now saying, they’re inspired.
Jermell: You saw that [Instagram] post I posted [Wednesday]?
I didn’t see it.
Jermell: You got to peep that post. It’s about me and my brother training.
I definitely want to see [Jermall against] Canelo. I want to see y’all fight the best of the best. So, for sure, May 4 for Cinco de Mayo, that would be a nice fight. Of course, that [Jarrett] Hurd fight (for Jermell). I want to see y’all fight the best of the best of the best!
Jermall: Facts.
Jermell: Hell yeah. We appreciate you, Paul.
