As part of UGK (Underground Kingz) alongside Pimp C, Bun B has been one of the South's most familiar and respected faces. For thirteen years, he has taken Southern Hip Hop to higher levels of respect, and after a break with Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin" UGK were known by Hip Hop fans across the world.
Over the past few months, Bun B has been on everyone's album and mixtape. From Paul Wall and Slim Thug to Lil' Kim and everyone else, a guest appearance by Bun B has been easy to find.
This October, through Rap-A-Lot/Asylum Bun B will release his first solo album "Trill" featuring a large array of big name guests and producers.
MVRemix: Where does the name Bun B come from?
Bun B: Bun is short for Bunny and B came from the early 90's where everyone pretty much just had that initial.
MVRemix: Tell me about "Trill"
Bun B: The album is coming out October 18th on Rap-A-Lot/Asylum records. It's my first solo project - ever... Born out of necessity rather than anything to keep the name and the UGK legacy alive. Basically it's the soundtrack to the steets.
MVRemix: Can you tell me about guests/producers that are on there?
Bun B: Sure, there's production by Mannie Fresh, Jazze Pha, Lil' Jon, Mr. Lee in Houston, Salih Williams who produced "Back Then" and "Sittin Sidewayz." A couple of vocal producers, I was trying to get a couple of guys - Shot To The Game by Blackout Productions out of Miami.
MVRemix: People wondered, why work on a solo with Pimp C's
parole hearing coming up so soon?
Bun B: Well because of the fact that we put it off until the
last minute to do it because we were hoping that he'd
get an early release.
MVRemix: A lot of people want to know whether your verse from
the song "Murder" on "Ridin' Dirty" freestyled or
written?
Bun B: It was a written rhyme, but it literally was written
on the spot and recorded on the spot.
MVRemix: With the volume of verses you've put out over the past
2 years, do you feel burned out, think it sounds
repetitive or ever suffer from writer's block?
Bun B: No, not at all. I've got more than enough information
- sometimes I feel like I don't do enough songs.
MVRemix: What really happened that night Master P had Pimp C
beat up in that hotel room?
Bun B: It's kind of hard to say because I wasn't really
there. Yeah, you'd probably have to ask Pimp C or
Master P about that.
MVRemix: Do you know what it was over?
Bun B: [Nonchalantly] People don't get along all the time.
That's the way the world works sometimes, everybody's
not meant to get along. You know? Sometimes these
things get bigger than... These things happen.
MVRemix: What was it like working with J. Prince?
Bun B: I mean I've always in some form or fashion done
business with J. Prince over the past thirteen years
of my career. But this point is that we're just
actually working together on something that
we're doing as opposed to working together on
something he's doing or working together on something
I'm doing. This is a collaborative effort.
MVRemix: Do you have any connections or ties with the other
guys that were in the original 4 Black Minister or
UGK?
Bun B: Of course, Big Mitch was in my video this weekend when
we filmed "Draped Up" in Port Arthur. I couldn't get in contact with Jalon.
MVRemix: Is Middle Fingaz "No Apologiez" being released at any point in the foresseable future?
Bun B: Yes, in the first quarter (2006). We're looking at a February release some time we're co-ordinating for
promotion around the time of the All-Star game.
MVRemix: There were rumours of a new Geto Boys group you were
going to form - is there any light you can shed on
that?
Bun B: It was something that was thrown around a couple of
years ago about another possible inception of the Geto
Boys. But after further consideration, it was decided
for everybody that the original Geto Boys weren't done
yet and that's where you get the foundation of it.
MVRemix: How would you compare your career before and after the
success of "Big Pimpin" with regards to your level of
exposure?
Bun B: Naturally, of course, exposure wise I got moved into a
different level of exposure. Anyone, it doesn't have
to be UGK, but any artist, even today, any artist that
were to do a song with Jay-Z would be automatically
propelled into a totally different media bracket. But
yeah, it definitely helped as far as exposure with
getting us out there. I mean, of course, it's not like
Jay-Z put UGK out there. We were on the song, I mean
he put us on the song but once we were on the song we
made it ours.
MVRemix: With all the beefs that have been going on with Texan
artists and artists in the South, do you have any
stance as to what has been going on... Do you see the
reason for it escalating now because of their recent
success?
Bun B: I think that there's so many more outlets for so much
more information. I think there has always been beef
in Hip Hop and people have always had problems with
people. It's just the fact that you didn't hear about
everything all the time. I think now that with the net
and blogs and chat rooms and everything and
mixtapes... There's just a lot more avenues for that
information to be passed around and unfortunately some
of that information is diss music or cut downs or
whatever the fuck you wanna call 'em.
MVRemix: What are your thoughts on the way the US Government
has handled Hurricane Katrina thus far?
Bun B: I think for a lot of people it's a wake up call. Me,
myself, being from Texas I've already seen the action
or should I say in-action that a Bush-regime will take
in certain circumstances with certain people. I guess
for America this is a wake up call for a lot of people
who may have still given this guy the benefit of the
doubt.
MVRemix: A la "Fight Club," "If you could fight any celebrity,
who would you fight?"
Bun B: Probably Michael Jackson.
MVRemix: And what would be the reason?
Bun B: [in a low tone] I think we all know the reason.
MVRemix: Aside from the album do you have any other guest
appearances or compilations you've been working on?
Bun B: Yeah, I'm featured on pretty much everybody coming out
from the south right now. A few from the east and one
or two from the west. I'd hate to speak on somebody in
a publication and not mention everybody because I
really don't know everybody that I've worked with. But
yeah, I've done a lot of stuff for a lot of people.
What's happening now is you've got a lot of artists
who are in a situation where they can bring other
artists into the game. And like with the Middle
Fingaz, I'll do something with their artist that
they're trying to bring up and they'll do something
with one of my artists in return. Like say for
instance, Jim Jones will come and do a verse on a
Middle Fingaz album and in return I may do something
with Hell Rell or J.R. Writer, whatever's the case.
MVRemix: Any last words?
Bun B: Yeah, definitely wanna let them know that it's UGK for
life. Definitely wanna let them know we're still
screamin' "Free Pimp C!" And if they down with Bun B
and if they down with Pimp C and if they down with
UGK, if they "Trill" or wanna be "Trill" or wanna know
what"Trill" is then go get the album on October 18th
on Rap-A-Lot/Asylum records.
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"I think that there's so many more outlets for so much more information. I think there has always been beef in Hip Hop and people have always had problems with people. It's just the fact that you didn't hear about everything all the time."