Bun B

22nd September 2023

It’s Week 3 of Rap Month on Bullseye. Next up is Bun B of UGK. Bun B and his partner Pimp C put Port Arthur, Texas on the map when they founded one of the most influential Southern rap groups of all time. UGK crafted a genre on their own terms. Whether you call it country rap or chopped and screwed music, their influence is undeniable. On Bullseye, Bun B stops by to chat about his time in UGK and his longtime friendship with Pimp C. He shares the story behind his verse on UGK’s iconic track “Murder.” Plus, he gets real about his legacy and what he wants his grandchildren to remember about him when he’s gone.

Episode notes

Bun B performs at the Grammy Block Park during SXSW Music at Four Seasons Hotel on March 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Sasha Haagensen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

It’s Week 3 of Rap Month on Bullseye. Next up is Bun B of UGK— the legendary Southern rap group. 

Bun B grew up in Port Arthur, Texas. A town about 90 miles outside of Houston that, in the context of hip-hop, is eons away from the genre’s birthplace and cultural center. That is, New York City. 

He met Pimp C in Port Arthur. And together, they founded one of the most influential Southern rap groups of all time: UGK.  

Alongside the Geto Boys, UGK crafted a genre on their own terms. Whether you call it country rap or chopped and screwed music, the music is brilliant, raw, infectious and totally unique. 

UGK made six studio albums, each a vertebrae in the backbone of Southern rap. They disbanded in 2007 after the death of Pimp C, but Bun B’s still going strong today. 

He’s put out a couple solo albums. And for those of you in Houston, he’s got a smashburger spot called Trill Burgers. They’re out on Shepherd Drive, open 11-9 everyday.

On Bullseye, Bun B stops by to chat about his time in UGK and his longtime friendship with Pimp C. He shares the story behind his verse on UGK’s iconic track “Murder.” Plus, he gets real about his legacy and what he wants his grandchildren to remember about him when he’s gone. 

In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Guests

  • Bun B

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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Senior Producer

Producer

Maximum Fun Producer

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

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