UGK is undeniably one of the most esteemed rap duos in Hip Hop history. Having a large hand in shaping the sound of today’s "trap music," UGK had finally begun to garner the well-deserved [and well-overdue] mainstream love with their Grammy-nominated self-titled album the same year that would see Pimp C pass away. Pimp’s untimely death left his millions of fans in shock, and his long-time collaborator and friend, Bun B, devastated. But not to be mistaken, Bun B is a Hip Hop mainstay on his own as well, proven by the time he spent making hits with the likes of T.I., Jay-Z, Scarface, and Young Jeezy while Pimp C completed a prison stint a few years ago.

Now with Pimp gone but hardly forgotten, Bun B continues the legacy of UGK, the unofficial ambassadors to Port Arthur, Texas, their life-long stomping grounds. He sat down with HipHopDX this week to talk about his solo project II Trill [click here to preview], and preserving the memory of Pimp C. As Bun B continues his candid interview, he takes a close look at the impact of the lyrics of his past hit “Sippin on Some Sizzurp”, why peace is better than beef, and why the media needs to leave Lil Wayne alone.

HipHopDX: You have been a pillar to the underground as well as successful veterans, so what was your thinking in bringing a newcomer like Sean Kingston onto the single?
Bun B: Sean Kingston was a youngster I'd meet at a couple of different award shows. And as I got to know him, I realized not only was he a talented artist, but he has a strong team behind him and he has a strong head on his shoulders. And that in itself is a good enough reason to work with people in this business...

DX: Now I also heard that you’re a huge Punk rock fan...
BB: Yeah, I listen to a lot of Punk rock.

DX: Who are some of your favorites right now?
BB: I tend to listen to a lot of west coast Punk like Suicidal Tendencies, Black Flag... but then I still listen to The Ramones every now and then... The Sex Pistols, or go across the water and get my Clash on every now and then... nowadays angst is all pretend and imaginary to me. Most of theses people that swear they’re suffering or have it all bad, you read their Blender article and find out that their daddy invented paperclips or some shit... like let’s be serious. [Laughs]

DX: [Laughs] So will there be any elements of that genre on the new album?
BB: Um…no, probably not. I’ve actually been talking to a publishing company that I’ve been considering doing some business with and they have a lot of different Punk music in their catalogue. So we’ve been talking about seeing if there’s a way to work that into the next project.

DX: I Also heard there is a dedication track to Pimp C—
BB: Yeah, it’s called “Angel in the Sky”

DX: How did you decide to approach such an obviously personal and painful topic?
BB: I realized at the end of the day, that when doing my song for Chad, that I shouldn’t worry about what fans and friends and family would think. I should only be beholding to myself. So I wrote the record that I needed to hear as opposed to that.

DX: How have you been coping with his loss?
BB: It’s been difficult at times. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that. But at the same time we have a really clear understanding over here about what the UGK family needs to be doing. So we get by with the grace of God and we keep moving forward.

DX: What memories of him stand out to you the most…how do you like to remember his spirit?
BB: Chad was a very silly person. He joked a lot. He always wanted people around him to have a good time. He was very adamant about that. So it was kinda like whatever it was that you enjoyed to do, if he could help facilitate that he would. 'Cause at the end of the day, he just wanted everyone to have a good time and just be the best person that they could be. He always inspired me when I wasn’t strong enough to move forward with the things I needed to do.

DX: You guys had been in the game for a long time you were making music together years before the first UGK album dropped in '92, and still managed to bang out a #1 hit this past year, plus a Grammy nomination…do you think Pimp C ever fully recognized the impact UGK had on the industry before his passing? And for that matter have you?
BB: Yeah, and I think the industry has started recognizing that as well. Slowly but surely, we started to really grasp exactly how deeply we were hitting people with our music. It’s one thing to have fans recognize it or give you accolades and lift you up, but it’s another thing to have The [Grammy] Academy. The Academy may not necessarily understand what I do or why I do it, but they understand the impact of the music we make with respect to the people we make it for…and they were willing to acknowledge us for that. And at the end of the day, I can't do nothing but accept that with open arms. Any true musician…any real producer, any true writer…they’d be lying if they said they didn’t want The Grammy’s to acknowledge them. That’s the world stage for saying "You did your thing" in music.

DX: Indeed…Now is there any possibility of another UGK project with previously unreleased recordings?
BB: Yeah, there’s one more. We were in the process of putting together the last UGK record to fulfill our deal with Jive. So that album was already in motion and there was a lot of music already done, and vocals laid down for it. It’s just a matter of making sure there’s no sampling issues, no content issues…just making it the best well-rounded album. We about to bring in some other producers, some more artists…you know, just making sure everything makes sense. You know, not just going out and doing a song with Whitney Houston or somebody just because we can. At the end of the day, we still gotta be respectful of the legacy that UGK has already put forth. Continued on page 2 »