Houston musician's positive message gains national attention

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It will only take about 20 seconds of listening to a SaulPaul song to figure out that he is happy.

Very happy.

In fact, that's exactly how his fans describe his music.

"They say it is inspiring and motivating," he said.

He grew up on Houston's north side and has so much pride for his city after traveling the world to share his songs.

Here is a taste of the lyrics to his song, "Rise": "Rise, Rise, Open Your Eyes. Now Is The Time, For You To Shine..."

The genre is "acoustic hip-hop," according to SaulPaul, and it aims to uplift those who take the time to listen. His latest album is getting national attention with recent articles from NPR and the New York Times.

But for someone who is always so positive, he admits there were points in his life where that wasn't always the case.

"My mom died when I was 2. My dad left before I was born. I was in foster care," he said. "I was adopted by my grandma and raised in poverty. I was arrested and incarcerated as a juvenile."

After spending some time in prison, SaulPaul made a choice to turn his life around and help others along the way.

He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and began to make music that has reached people around the world.

But he always keeps Houston close to his heart.

"It feels great to be able to do it and be my natural self," he said. "Or as we say in the H, keep it real. Shout out to Bun B. Keep it trill and just do me."

To listen to SaulPaul's music, visit his website: saulpaul.com.

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