Bun B

Too+real = Trill.  When UGK, the collective of Bun B and the late great Pimp C, began using the term “trill”, a movement launched.  Trill became a value system, a way of life, and Bun has represented those beliefs with everything he’s done in the rap game.  He has maintained a worldwide underground respect but displays talent that frequently breaks out of any one mold.  Still, Bun stays true to the southern ‘hood culture and street code of ethics that shaped him.  This list, like Andre 3000’s, was harder to do because Bun maintains consistent high quality in most of his verses.  Like with Big Boi from Outkast, I feel reservations in leaving Pimp C out because the chemistry of UGK as a group is part of what makes most of these verses so memorable.  But at the end of the day, Bun B is a go-getter on the microphone – in a 16-bar contest, I’d put my money on him against anybody from any era or region.

7. Big Pimpin’ from Jay-Z’s Vol. 3…The Life and Times of S. Carter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnoI7Be4VZk

The fact that UGK even got on this track with Jay-Z was a huge leap of faith.  Reluctantly taking that leap to the “commercial” side, however, did not prompt them to sell out.  Pimp kept it as southern (Texas) as possible (too blatantly, in my opinion) so no one could accuse him of going pop and not reppin’ right, while Bun delivered the most dexterous feature he’s ever done, leaving Jay-Z flailing in the wind. (If you’ve ever wondered why the second Jay verse is on the video version but not the album, it’s because Jay was trying to catch up and keep from being embarrassed!)

6. Pocket Full of Stones from Too Hard to Swallow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnP1XmxyqxA&feature=related

This is a southern rap anthem.  Any artist coming from the south will mention this song as being highly influential.  Pimp and Bun trade verses about slanging crack rock on the block – a dope hustler’s theme song with vivid storytelling and a gloomy, head-nodding beat.

5. “It’s Supposed to Bubble” from Super Tight

A lot of people think UGK hails from Houston, but if you’ve ever listened to their albums you should know they always show love to Port Arthur, their actual hometown.  PA is a little more than an hour’s drive from the H.  Nowhere else is that dedication to his roots shown by Bun more so than on this song.  Having spent a lot of time in Port Arthur, as well as also being from a smaller city myself that is similar in size and demographics to PA, these verses personally resonate with me, and just plain go hard.

4. “One Day” from Ridin’ Dirty

The first time I popped Ridin’ Dirty into my deck and “One Day” came on, I thought I was listening to my dad’s Isley Brothers record instead.  Using the sample of “Ain’t I Been Good To You” by the Isleys was the perfect musical symbol to open this classic album, and an appropriate musical backdrop to the stories of hardship and loss that Bun and Pimp relay on this song.  To me, there are only a handful of songs where a looped, un-chopped sample from a song of another genre really sounds great with rap over it – this is one of them.

3. “Wood Wheel” from Dirty Money

This is the “underrated” song that I have to plug at least once on each of my lists.   Simple, bass-heavy beat, with a plain but catchy hook – totally unglamorous and ineffectual at the first casual listen, although the beat is an immediate head-nodder.  But Bun stuck his foot in it lyrically with nifty wordplay and careful off-beat rhyming, making it one of the best songs that no one ever talks about.

2. “Heaven” from Underground Kingz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mJV6SiLSUg

This song sees Bun being socially conscious and critical of society’s take on the ghetto, but he keeps it relatable to his core audience.  Lines like, “We losin’ the children, we losin’ the youth, cuz you motherf#ckas won’t tell ‘em the truth,” really cut deep and show the side of Bun that can be a completely different type of MC without changing his character at all.  This is another important song from UGK that a lot of people have missed.

1. “Hi-Life” from Ridin’ Dirty

Bun B’s verse on this song is simply powerful.  It’s emotional, convicting, and addresses some of those ugly truths about life that most rappers in Bun’s position don’t want to talk about.  Bun has always talked about the poverty of the ‘hood and the common man’s burden and responsibility toward loving and helping people.  Not too many MCs can rap about the drug game, the pimp game, and the rap game and still connect to the listener on a social justice tip too.  Bun has done this for years, and that makes him one of the coldest and most versatile rappers to ever bless a mic.

Bun B-Trill O.G.

“Reppin’ H-Town like Phi Slama Jama…”

Bun B is one of the most respected MCs in rap today, and he holds a position in my personal top five greatest ever. Bun doesn’t seem to have enemies – everyone loves him and what he stands for. He is the living definition of loyalty, as he demonstrated through his “Free Pimp C” campaign in which he single-handedly held down the legacy of his group, UGK, for almost four years while his partner was on lock. He stays true to the southern style of hip-hop and living, while maintaining a mass appeal and keeping the streets on smash. Beyond his reputation, Bun has skills that stand up to any other MC doing it. Trill O.G. is a culmination of all that makes Bun B one of the south’s brightest stars, and will be well-received by any fan of true southern rap.

Rather than being in a position where he was ready to do so, circumstances seem to be what thrust Bun B into the recording of his first two solo albums. Pimp C’s imprisonment and then later his unexpected passing both had a heavy impact on the inspiration for and development of the first two LPs from Bun. Not to say they weren’t good, because they were, but with Trill O.G., a clever title for the third chapter in the trilogy, Bun admitted that his focus was sharper. He had a goal to make a complete thematic album that represents what southern hip-hop is to him, and I believe he successfully did just that, saving the best for last in this series.

Bun B deliberately chose to create within a certain formula throughout the entire album –this may slightly disappoint some fans, while greatly pleasing others. The UGK brand has never been shy about remaining true to their core audience, but Bun himself has shown that he has enough depth and dexterity to write on a wide range of topics with a variety of flow styles. However, we don’t get that other side of Bun much on Trill O.G. The album opens with an inauguration from J. Prince, the looming voice of Pimp C from beyond the grave (“Chuuch!”) and the sound of chilling gospel organs that were a staple of Pimp’s production. Lyrically, Bun B sticks to rap braggadocio, tales of flossin’ and ballin’, and the usual reflections on the lifestyle of O.G.s and street hustlers. He’s got a couple of joints for hip-hop heads where he raises the level of his wordplay and rides the track seamlessly, namely the DJ Premier-helmed “Let Em Know,” and “Speak Easy” featuring a magnificent verse from Twista. He also resurrects two of hip-hops deceased legends on “Right Now,” a party track featuring Pimp C and 2Pac along with Trey Songz on the chorus. The big-band horns from producer Steve Below help bring life after death to these dated verses, but the song is not anything we haven’t heard before. But throughout all sixteen tracks, Bun consistently sinks his teeth into solid beats that bang in the trunk with those 808 thumps, snare drums and hi-hat cymbals that we southerners love to ride to. Add to that two cameos from hip-hop’s current boy wonder Drake, and I can say that Bun B has crafted a widely marketable yet distinctively Texas-bred third solo album with Trill O.G. Port Arthur, Texas is still in the building.