“Bun B and Me”
AUDIO By David D. on March 31, 2009 at 11:45 am
I made my first visit to TSS because a friend of mine told me the site had the then brand-new song, “Get Throwed.”
When I wrote my first ever Hip-Hop article for a little blog at Davidson College (which I later submitted to Gotty™ while trying to join the Crew), I wrote about UGK and how genuine their music has always been to me. Not to belabor the point, but at the time, Pimp C had just been released from jail and the group was cementing itself as the consciousness of Southern music, always telling the truth and taking on mentor-like roles for a generation of MCs.
Needless to say, UGK has been important to my writing career. So when I was told I could interview Bun B, I felt everything come full circle. Fam, I kid you not when I say I felt like I’d made it as soon as I got off the phone with Uncle Bun.
Little did I know, I’d come face to face with one of my idols at SXSW.
I went to Austin trying to keep my journalist face on despite all the surreal moments. I had my camera and was ready for an interview at any turn. But when I heard Bun was in the building, I reverted to a little fanboy. F*ck a camera. I wanted to meet the legend.
I watched him walk around backstage and basically have rappers bow before someone who is becoming the most respected man in Hip-Hop. I waited to muster the courage until I finally walked up to Bun B.
Me: Hey, it’s David D. from The Smoking Section. I interviewed you a couple of weeks back.
Bun B: Oh yea, of course. That was a great interview.
That moment will be frozen in my mind forever. That encounter may not have meant anything to him, but it justified all of the J-school work I’ve been putting in. The loan money and sh*tty albums I’ve had to listen to. It was all worth it to get that nod of approval from someone I’ve not only enjoyed listening to as an artist, but also looked up to as a man.
As I’ve listened to the UGK 4 Life album over the last couple of days, it’s started to dawn on me: this is it. This is the last UGK album we’ll ever hear. This isn’t a fake retirement. It’s over.
But boy did Bun and Pimp go out with a bang. Instead of the overly sentimental stuff I was worried about, this is classic UGK with Pimp rapping about well…pimping and Bun ripping almost every verse a new one over vintage H-Town beats.
Today, I’m going hunting for UGK 4 Life on vinyl just to have it and look at. This is history and I want to be a part of it.
One more time, fam:
Smoke sum’n b*tch!
UGK - “Da Game’s Been Good To Me” Video
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34 Comments
UGK is FINALLY gettin the respect they deserve…
bout damn time.
too bad Pimp had to pass for it to happen…
great piece David…definitely a good way to get my morning going.
I know mentioned this at the time, but I swear in December when Bun passed through Chicago for that free Scion show, he absolutely rocked that joint. Easily one of the 3-4 best live performances I’ve ever seen by an emcee in my life. He thoroughly killed that set and had the crowd eating out of his hand. Much respect for the legend.
Bun B has been killin it for ever. Poster above is right……it honestly took Pimp C to die and Bun B to have o focus on his solo career for everyone to realize how much “UGK records was and innnnnnnnnsssititution!!!!”
I think “Big Pimpin” really put people on to UGK as much as anything. Then Bun’s “Free Pimp C” campaign took it over the edge. I wouldn’t say it was just Pimp’s passing cuz if he were alive, they’d still be riding that wave IMO.
@ KThundo thanks homie
@El…where you at homie?!
@ David : I’m right here fam, hating on this gloomy weather and trying to finish up this report on our program for the federalies for my gig….the same report that denied me the chance to hit SXSW… lol….hit me on gmail or with a text though.
Bun B & David D,
Sippin on cups of tea,
Throwing up hands sign,
Because they gotta get theirs and I gotta get mine,
A cinammon bagel, sticky buns with raisins, they so fine.
Two fillet fish burgers for my wife,
Dude’s been rappin’ the same verse for 10 years now.
i dunno man…
Big Pimpin did expose ALOT of people to UGK, but nothin much came of it…
then when Bun did his FREE PIMP C campaign, unless they were up on mixtapes and such- people werent really hip to it…
the general (radio) audience has just started catchin on recently…
and i also think alot of MCs are just now startin to pay homage to UGK since Pimp’s passing…
much in the same way that Dilla had to pass before the community started givin him props.
Paw, I’ve only seen you write poems to Cooler chicks…and posts with me and Bun. I don’t…umm…
*backs away slowly*
@Drobama- looking at that first Trill album- dude had a loooot of cameos. Which yea, means paydays, but also means a good deal of respect. I think Pimp’s passing just made people respect him even more just for what he went through.
Two fillet fish burgers for my wife,
=========
dude i’m over here hurtin lol
big Pimpin was big for UGK but it wasnt what got most people. They heard it and asked who these guys were who backed up Jay-zed. Then people checked them out and either they were too southern or just didnt even have a chance from the start.
In my hood (lolz @hood), songs like “one day” didnt even get a play until recently. I have been speaking on UGK forever, and when I mentioned them to even some of my homies who are into the music would ask: “Who? Is UGK one guy or two?”.
I dont know why, but at least up here in Canada these guys were never given the credit they deserve and still don’t even with the recent hype.
@El Bun killed his Scion set here in Columbus to.
As for “Big Pimpin” I think it hurt them as much as it helped, because Jive wanted them to put an album out of stuff like that
fuck i’ll take an album of “big pimpin” and jay-zed all day.
Who wouldn’t? But that’s not their niche
little kids on the corner, steady grabbin they nuts
sayin: “I wish I was Bun when I grow the fuck up”
That’s great you had a wonderful experience meeting your idol, too bad Baby Paw as tarnished that memory with one of his cooler chick sonnets.
I am not a violent man but if Baby Paw had used the words “feels like a shaved peach” or “Lemon Camay” in the poem David you needed to fight him.
lol!!!
props and congrats to you, David D. Now if Jay-Z would just answer my emails…I could get the same feeling. (16 minus16)
Logikal Accord: “Dude’s been rappin’ the same verse for 10 years now”
===============
if thats your honest opinion…you must have been getting the instrumental only CDs…Bun has a wide range of material and stays up to date on more current affairs than almost everyone…he always stays relative with topics/punchlines…you get a UGK CD, you know what to expect though…pimping & the drug game
go listen to Trill again…or probably for the first time
UnderGroundKINGZ !
The new album is disappointing though.
@DavidD: You know, I always thought Bun B was taller for some reason. Either that our you’re taller than you said you were.
Get throwed is STILL my shit. 5 iPod stars.
@Diocrat: David D is just tall as hell, mufugga is like 6′5 and shit in person on the real lol.
@El, he said he’s not, and Bun was gettin’ his alcohol lean on. I don’t believe it.
@ Deen
The new album is classic UGK formula
from the rhymes to the southern fried tracks
I think they went out just they way they came in as far as sounds go.
“She Luv it” is my joint
@dioaracat: He’s woofing, lol. I’m 5′11 and when I met dude here in the Chi he had to be at least 6′3, ol’ tall ass lol.
@ Rosado: DD is tall. All these TSS dudes are pretty tall. which is quite funny considering how short a lot of rappers are.
@Dave I thought you would break out the pic you were taking while on stage with Bun myspace style. lol. “fanboy” indeed.
As I just got a text message from JayElec (thx twitter), I feel your fanboyism at the moment.
@ Contra: Yeah man, when I first met David D aka “ol’ tall ass” I was thinking “damn is fam a writer or is he a 2-Guard?” lol.
Jason K. Says:
I dont know why, but at least up here in Canada these guys were never given the credit they deserve and still don’t even with the recent hype.
====
I’ve been preaching the best of Texas to mad ppl since i moved to T.O. around 04′. Seems like a few ppl MIGHT be catching on now..*sigh*
@ Toker: Nah homie, I’ve been bumpin’ that UGK since high-school during the “Ridin Dirty” days. The problem is that back in the 90’s a lot of dudes in Toronto were influenced and grew up on that boom-bap-new-york-rap (which is cool), because NY is in such close proximity to us.
lol @ all ya’ll…yea I’m tall muhfuckas!