EDITOR NOTE: This here is a guest post from my homie Gabe (of the SD ZOO) – someone I respect who is equally passionate about and critical of music, with the wit and cynicism necessary in most anyone I associated myself with. I’ve been nudging him to contribute something as of late. He’s finally delivered, and in my book he’s welcome back anytime he likes. Ladies and gents, you have here a treat and a break from the snippets that I call “posts”. Enjoy, and get your learn on – I did. – JBLOW
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On the morning of Dec. 4, 2007, hip-hop lost one of its’ seasoned veterans.
Chad Butler, better known as Pimp C, one half of the Port Arthur, Texas rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz), died in his sleep in a Hollywood hotel room. He was 33 years old.
For those who remain unforgivably unaware, UGK was truly a powerhouse in southern rap music. This was largely due to the musical background and influences of Pimp C, the main producer for the entire duration of the group’s output. Indeed, UGK’s ability to crank out track after track, and their knack for epitomizing Texas rap style and sound will contribute to their lasting influence over southern rap as it continues to emerge in the national limelight.
Butler, inspired in part by his stepfather, who challenged him to make the hip hop sound “more musical,” sought to incorporate contemporary influences like Dr. Dre on the West Coast as well as inspiration from homebred styles such as the “Screwed and Chopped” sound, which was (and still is) a Texas institution. In 1992, UGK released the first of several albums to gain a strong regional following, as well as national and international attention. The result of Butler’s work was evident: densely layered tracks with slow, slumping baselines and syrupy lyrical samples that was uniquely UGK, but would later become the basis for a refined “southern” sound. Indeed, this was not the golden era “boom-bap” coming from New York, it was something else entirely.\
Vocally, Pimp C matured over the span of his career into a distinct sound – a nasally, elongated Texas drawl punctuated the last syllable of many of his stanzas, and served to accentuate his swagger. Lyrically, Pimp took a back seat to Bun-B, the other half of UGK, who murdered shit methodically on nearly every one of Pimp C’s crawling, bumping tracks. That is not to say that Chad didn’t contribute to the lyrical content of UGK by any stretch of the imagination. Often, his passion and conviction is literally audible in his verses, and the listener is quickly convinced that the message is not based on so much exaggeration and fetishization as it is a reflection of personal experience. In other words, Pimp C comes across as sincere– a quality that is lacking amidst the plethora of one-hit-wonders readily visible in today’s southern rap that have latched on to a sound that he helped pioneer.
One of my personal favorite Pimp C verses comes at the beginning of one of the singles off of their modern classic, Dirty Money, which was UGK’s first gold record. The hard-hitting LP is lauded by fans as their masterwork; it is saturated with much of the subject matter of today’s trap/crack rap, but Dirty Money predates it by a decade. On the single, Murder, UGK weave their verses with an authenticity that is disarming. Without question, the braggadocio and blatant warnings evident stand as a very real caution addressed to rivals in a manner that some of their fan base no doubt related to in a personal way.
UGK – Murder
[audio:ugk-murder.mp3]
In 2000, UGK gained their first mainstream national exposure doing guest verses on Jay-Z’s hit, “Big Pimpin’”. (Reportedly, the Jigga verses on the final take of the single were re-recorded after Jay received the vocals back from UGK and realized that their mic presence and lyrical content overshadowed his own.) Later, UGK recorded with the Three 6 Mafia on the southern promethazine anthem “Sippin’ on Some Syrup.” Clearly, Pimp and Bun were on the fast track to establishing their rightful place as a major force in hip-hop music.
Unfortunately, their inertia was brought to an abrupt halt. Pimp was locked up in early 2002 for failing to meet community service requirements, which stemmed from an earlier aggravated assault charge. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. During that time, Bun-B led fans into turning the phrase “Free Pimp C” into a southern rap mantra, heard in many songs which originated in Texas. Pimp would also do mixtape drops, recorded from phone conversations from inside the pen.
In December of 2005, Butler was released early and quickly set to work on UGK’s most successful record to date, Underground Kingz. Released in mid-2007, (finally! Fuck you Jive!!) the Underground Kingz double CD debuted at #1 in the US, propelled by the singles “The Game Belongs to Me” and “International Players Anthem (I Choose You)” feat. Outkast. UGK performed several shows, and Pimp C gave enthusiastic and occasionally irrational interviews to local radio shows throughout the nation.
UGK – Swishas and Dosha
[audio:ugk-swishasdosha.mp3]
However, the extent of what would have been the success of their album release was never fully realized. Not fully six months since the release of their album, Chad Butler was found dead of apparently natural causes. The legacy of Pimp C and UGK, although much shorter than it should have been, will live on through the music. Through minimal research, you can see the amount of groups that clamored to work with Bun and Pimp—this is truly a loss that will be felt across the southern hip hop community, as well as in fans worldwide.
(note to JBLOW: hottest chicks of all time in that video. Blue shorts: GOD DAMN! It makes up for the fact that Mike Jones is a horrible rapper.)*
* I should have probably removed that last part, but you know we keep it REALLY real around here.
