The following is a interview that was conducted by the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.
Video shot and edited by Clay Duda

t’s safe to say Adam “SaulPaul” Neal, 35, has come a long way since his youth growing up in “one of the worst ghettos in Houston.” Raised primarily by his grandmother, SaulPaul grew up without much supervision around a lethal mixture of drugs, violence and street life.

Prison was almost a family tradition. In fact, every male in his family had either been to prison or is currently serving time behind bars.

After landing an academic scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, SaulPaul thought he had rewritten the family narrative. But within a few years he found himself on the receiving end of a ten year prison sentence.

“I went from the prestigious University of Texas at Austin to the despicable Texas Department of Criminal Justice,” he said.

After serving two years of a ten year sentence SaulPaul “miraculously” earned his freedom, worked his way back into the University of Texas, and regained his footing on his path of redemption.

Today he describes himself as a “Musician with a Message.” He travels the country to speak with at-risk youth and youth in general about everything from life skills to gang prevention.

His stylistic blend of hip-hop, street cred and guitar strumming offer common ground between him and much of the youth, but prison and music are a just a handful of the experiences behind his playful smirk and casual demeanor. He has authored a book, starred in an independent film, and in the process carved a unique career path – somewhere between “executive director” and “street tuff.”

“The audiences vary but the mission remains the same…Change the World. One life at a time.”

(Thank you to Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE). To view this article on the JJIE website, please visit http://jjie.org/saulpaul/15999)