J Prince and Willie D of the Geto Boys, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Bun B, and others, came out to pay their respects to Pimp C at the Robert A. Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur, Texas Thursday.
The outspoken and flamboyant UGK member, born Chad Butler, was found dead in an LA hotel December 4 of unknown causes. Autopsy reports determining the exact cause of death will not be available until the coming weeks.
VIBE spoke with industry reps, artists, and friends to remember the legendary star that helped lay the groundwork for future southern hip hop acts.
Rich Boy
I was in the studio and I got a page about Pimp C [that he had died]. I thought it was just a dumb rumor, but when I found out it was true it hit me hard. That's all I listened to growing up, I say UGK in most of my interviews, because they influenced me the most. This is a hard loss for the game. We just lost one of the original kings of the south!
Slim Thug
Pimp C was a good friend of mine. We talked on the regular. My producer, Mister Lee, called me [the morning he died] after I had finished working out. And I just didn’t believe him; but the calls just started coming. Mister Lee was pretty close with Pimp C too. He got the direct word [that Pimp C ha died] from his close associates. It’s just shocking. It’s sickening. It’s a lot that’s happening out here with rappers [in Texas], a lot of them dying. It feels like we’re cursed out here.
Every time I talked to Pimp C, it’s no less than a 30 minute phone call. My favorite memory of him is when we talked on the phone for about an hour, and he was just letting me know everything about him. And I was just learning so much, by the stuff he’s been through. I’ve seen another side of Pimp C and when he’s on the radio, he’s always letting it be known that I was a dude he respected. When Pimp talked to me about the situations he had going on, it always made a lot of sense to me. Everybody always thought he was just talking crazy. I don’t think people outside of the south know how much of a legend him and Bun B are. I think they’re the most sampled out of any other group. I want to send out my condolences.
B.J.-Trill Entertainment producer
I actually met Pimp when he first got home like last year. I've been with Trill for like three and a half years now. He’s shouted Mouse and I out in magazines for a while. And when I finally got to meet him, it was like a big push for me. It inspired me to make my music better. When I use to listen to his music, I use to love the way he put the music together, the deep baselines, the organs, the guitars, that’s what I like in music. At that time, I wasn’t producing, but I just started getting bigger and bigger and when I finally met him that was it. He basically told me that the importance of a song is the drums. He was really a character, he always had this good spirit and made people laugh. If you were down he’d pat you on your back like, “Man, get your ass up!” One thing about Pimp: he was not going to bite his tongue.
Webbie
He was a big influence on hip hop. As far as I can remember, I’ve known UGK. I’ve been knowing [Pimp C] since I was 15. And it was like a miracle to be able to work with him.
The first album I dropped was with Trill Entertainment and I told him, I thanked him for that.
I talked to him when he was in jail. Our bond, it was strong from the start. It was crazy to hear he was dead. I didn’t believe it. Every time we talked, it was about getting money. It was never about dying. Me, Boosie, we all done got that call saying someone is dead. Now I think people be playing. Last time I talked to him, he was just talking shit like we about to take over. He was like, “Boosie hot, you’re hot, and you know I’m hot!” He was on the move.
That was like two weeks ago. I ran into him at the jeweler in Houston. He saw me, and was like, “Fuck these niggas, I know somebody who can sell you some diamonds!” I told him that me and Boosie were going to get these Bentleys, he was like, “Fuck these Bentleys, all this money we about to get?!” He did him. Just cause he died, I’m not going to stop. I’m going to keep it going. And I’m going to dedicate the rest of my album to Pimp.
Streetz
He was the truth. He spoke how he felt. He was a living legend. His death was a major blow to hip hop. It was a weird day in history when he died. From “Pocket Full of Stones,” to hearing him with Master P, to hearing him with Jay-Z . . . he’s one of them dudes. How he presented the music, everything about him was the truth. UGK was a movement. They were an event. I remember when my dudes and me were at a club one time in Atlanta, and U.G.K. had a show out here a little while back, and you just remember seeing Pimp C just real down to earth, man. You know them dudes, when they come into the room it’s like a certain cloud come with them? That was him. You could tell that what you were getting on the records, that was him. He was one of the artists you rooted for. You wanted to see him win. It’s a major lost for hip hop, the south, life period. It’s fucked up.
Mouse-Trill Entertainment producer; artist
I got a partner in Houston, and he heard it [about Pimp C’s death] on the radio. He called me. News travels fast man.
He gone be a legend period. He said what he had to say. And then Pimp ain’t lied about nothing. He might’ve said something people didn’t like but he was telling the truth. Like that controversial interview in Atlanta, I was like, “Pimp, he telling it like it is.” The last time I talked to him, it was face to face at the Reliant Center in Houston.
He was like, “What’s happening baby! They waiting for ya’ll!”
You gone definitely tell in the work that we do here on out how we feel about him. Pimp was one of my favorite producers. He had soul in his music. Always had. He came from what he felt. When he laid it down, it sounded so smooth. He just kept live instruments in it. Basically just doing music from the heart.
That was all we listened to in the south. That’s why he’s a underground king. He knew he was the coldest producer's out there. He knew it.
Everybody at Trill trying to get through the day. It was a sad day [when he died].
Big Boi
My prayers go out to Pimp C’s family and Bun B. Pimp C was a dear friend and colleague, one of the most honorable men in the game. He will definitely be missed but his legacy will live on through the music of UGK and Bun B.
Pezo In Da Cribb-Atlanta's Hot 107.9
Pimp C was one of the original king's of the south and he's going to be greatly missed. I had the opportunity to meet and interview him quite a few times and he was one of the only few honest and trill brothers in the game. I know the hip-hop community is going to feel this impact and his presence in the hip hop world, especially down south. He will be on that king status forever.
Lyfe Jennings
It's a reason why God saw fit to bring him home early, from prison and from life. But we have to be thankful for both. It's just so ironic that the words to the song that Bun requested me to do for UGK say: “If I die tonight, make sure I didn’t die in vain/ and they feel my pain/ Make sure my fellas ride for me/ and don’t end up on the side of me.” RIP Pimp C.
Hurricane Chris
Someone real close to Pimp C and myself broke the news [that Pimp C had died]. I was devastated. Pimp C was real and he always spoke the truth. A lot of people never got a chance to hear his productions... so no, I don’t think he [got the full respect he deserved]. Pimp and I used to collaborate on some projects and we ended up developing a great friendship. I’m going to miss him.
Lil Jon
We have lost another general in our hip hop army. Pimp C is one that all of us southern rappers idolized. His words touched us like no other. He spoke to us southerners in a language that we could understand. He never was scared tell you how he felt and was a leader for the southern rap movement demanding that they "respect the south." I had the pleasure of working with him on several occasions and I must say he was a genius. He was a poet, a rapper, a singer, a producer, a leader and a friend. You will be missed brother. R.I.P. Chad Butler.
Mickey "MeMpHiTz" Wright-VP of A&R, Jive Records
My assistant called me and asked me if I heard about Pimp and I was like, “Did I hear what?” thinking maybe it was about his solo project that we were just starting on ... And then she hit me with it. All I could say was "What?"
What made Pimp such a prolific and profound artist is that he always spit from his gut ... You always got pure uncut thoughts when Pimp would spit on a track. Holding back was not in his vocab. I gained so much respect for Pimp and I will take what I learned from him and hold it dear to my lifestyle forever. He was the realest hands down. What made him an incredible man was the fact that he knew the difference between this business and family. He was very serious and protective of his family. It takes a very strong and disciplined person to be able to be in this business and not lose focus on what's really important in life, and he was definitely one of those people.
I don’t think he got his just do as a producer... I don’t think a lot of people knew that the UGK sound that is so loved and influential to southern rap as a whole was created by Pimp C. I was really really looking forward to making sure his solo album was at least 90 to 95 percent of Pimp C production.
Pimp always used the hottest samples, the hardest bass and the funkiest melodies in his music. Pimp’s drum style can be heard in your favorite artist music everyday.
R.I.P. Young Pimp
U.G.K. 4 Life
The outspoken and flamboyant UGK member, born Chad Butler, was found dead in an LA hotel December 4 of unknown causes. Autopsy reports determining the exact cause of death will not be available until the coming weeks.
VIBE spoke with industry reps, artists, and friends to remember the legendary star that helped lay the groundwork for future southern hip hop acts.
Rich Boy
I was in the studio and I got a page about Pimp C [that he had died]. I thought it was just a dumb rumor, but when I found out it was true it hit me hard. That's all I listened to growing up, I say UGK in most of my interviews, because they influenced me the most. This is a hard loss for the game. We just lost one of the original kings of the south!
Slim Thug
Pimp C was a good friend of mine. We talked on the regular. My producer, Mister Lee, called me [the morning he died] after I had finished working out. And I just didn’t believe him; but the calls just started coming. Mister Lee was pretty close with Pimp C too. He got the direct word [that Pimp C ha died] from his close associates. It’s just shocking. It’s sickening. It’s a lot that’s happening out here with rappers [in Texas], a lot of them dying. It feels like we’re cursed out here.
Every time I talked to Pimp C, it’s no less than a 30 minute phone call. My favorite memory of him is when we talked on the phone for about an hour, and he was just letting me know everything about him. And I was just learning so much, by the stuff he’s been through. I’ve seen another side of Pimp C and when he’s on the radio, he’s always letting it be known that I was a dude he respected. When Pimp talked to me about the situations he had going on, it always made a lot of sense to me. Everybody always thought he was just talking crazy. I don’t think people outside of the south know how much of a legend him and Bun B are. I think they’re the most sampled out of any other group. I want to send out my condolences.
B.J.-Trill Entertainment producer
I actually met Pimp when he first got home like last year. I've been with Trill for like three and a half years now. He’s shouted Mouse and I out in magazines for a while. And when I finally got to meet him, it was like a big push for me. It inspired me to make my music better. When I use to listen to his music, I use to love the way he put the music together, the deep baselines, the organs, the guitars, that’s what I like in music. At that time, I wasn’t producing, but I just started getting bigger and bigger and when I finally met him that was it. He basically told me that the importance of a song is the drums. He was really a character, he always had this good spirit and made people laugh. If you were down he’d pat you on your back like, “Man, get your ass up!” One thing about Pimp: he was not going to bite his tongue.
Webbie
He was a big influence on hip hop. As far as I can remember, I’ve known UGK. I’ve been knowing [Pimp C] since I was 15. And it was like a miracle to be able to work with him.
The first album I dropped was with Trill Entertainment and I told him, I thanked him for that.
I talked to him when he was in jail. Our bond, it was strong from the start. It was crazy to hear he was dead. I didn’t believe it. Every time we talked, it was about getting money. It was never about dying. Me, Boosie, we all done got that call saying someone is dead. Now I think people be playing. Last time I talked to him, he was just talking shit like we about to take over. He was like, “Boosie hot, you’re hot, and you know I’m hot!” He was on the move.
That was like two weeks ago. I ran into him at the jeweler in Houston. He saw me, and was like, “Fuck these niggas, I know somebody who can sell you some diamonds!” I told him that me and Boosie were going to get these Bentleys, he was like, “Fuck these Bentleys, all this money we about to get?!” He did him. Just cause he died, I’m not going to stop. I’m going to keep it going. And I’m going to dedicate the rest of my album to Pimp.
Streetz
He was the truth. He spoke how he felt. He was a living legend. His death was a major blow to hip hop. It was a weird day in history when he died. From “Pocket Full of Stones,” to hearing him with Master P, to hearing him with Jay-Z . . . he’s one of them dudes. How he presented the music, everything about him was the truth. UGK was a movement. They were an event. I remember when my dudes and me were at a club one time in Atlanta, and U.G.K. had a show out here a little while back, and you just remember seeing Pimp C just real down to earth, man. You know them dudes, when they come into the room it’s like a certain cloud come with them? That was him. You could tell that what you were getting on the records, that was him. He was one of the artists you rooted for. You wanted to see him win. It’s a major lost for hip hop, the south, life period. It’s fucked up.
Mouse-Trill Entertainment producer; artist
I got a partner in Houston, and he heard it [about Pimp C’s death] on the radio. He called me. News travels fast man.
He gone be a legend period. He said what he had to say. And then Pimp ain’t lied about nothing. He might’ve said something people didn’t like but he was telling the truth. Like that controversial interview in Atlanta, I was like, “Pimp, he telling it like it is.” The last time I talked to him, it was face to face at the Reliant Center in Houston.
He was like, “What’s happening baby! They waiting for ya’ll!”
You gone definitely tell in the work that we do here on out how we feel about him. Pimp was one of my favorite producers. He had soul in his music. Always had. He came from what he felt. When he laid it down, it sounded so smooth. He just kept live instruments in it. Basically just doing music from the heart.
That was all we listened to in the south. That’s why he’s a underground king. He knew he was the coldest producer's out there. He knew it.
Everybody at Trill trying to get through the day. It was a sad day [when he died].
Big Boi
My prayers go out to Pimp C’s family and Bun B. Pimp C was a dear friend and colleague, one of the most honorable men in the game. He will definitely be missed but his legacy will live on through the music of UGK and Bun B.
Pezo In Da Cribb-Atlanta's Hot 107.9
Pimp C was one of the original king's of the south and he's going to be greatly missed. I had the opportunity to meet and interview him quite a few times and he was one of the only few honest and trill brothers in the game. I know the hip-hop community is going to feel this impact and his presence in the hip hop world, especially down south. He will be on that king status forever.
Lyfe Jennings
It's a reason why God saw fit to bring him home early, from prison and from life. But we have to be thankful for both. It's just so ironic that the words to the song that Bun requested me to do for UGK say: “If I die tonight, make sure I didn’t die in vain/ and they feel my pain/ Make sure my fellas ride for me/ and don’t end up on the side of me.” RIP Pimp C.
Hurricane Chris
Someone real close to Pimp C and myself broke the news [that Pimp C had died]. I was devastated. Pimp C was real and he always spoke the truth. A lot of people never got a chance to hear his productions... so no, I don’t think he [got the full respect he deserved]. Pimp and I used to collaborate on some projects and we ended up developing a great friendship. I’m going to miss him.
Lil Jon
We have lost another general in our hip hop army. Pimp C is one that all of us southern rappers idolized. His words touched us like no other. He spoke to us southerners in a language that we could understand. He never was scared tell you how he felt and was a leader for the southern rap movement demanding that they "respect the south." I had the pleasure of working with him on several occasions and I must say he was a genius. He was a poet, a rapper, a singer, a producer, a leader and a friend. You will be missed brother. R.I.P. Chad Butler.
Mickey "MeMpHiTz" Wright-VP of A&R, Jive Records
My assistant called me and asked me if I heard about Pimp and I was like, “Did I hear what?” thinking maybe it was about his solo project that we were just starting on ... And then she hit me with it. All I could say was "What?"
What made Pimp such a prolific and profound artist is that he always spit from his gut ... You always got pure uncut thoughts when Pimp would spit on a track. Holding back was not in his vocab. I gained so much respect for Pimp and I will take what I learned from him and hold it dear to my lifestyle forever. He was the realest hands down. What made him an incredible man was the fact that he knew the difference between this business and family. He was very serious and protective of his family. It takes a very strong and disciplined person to be able to be in this business and not lose focus on what's really important in life, and he was definitely one of those people.
I don’t think he got his just do as a producer... I don’t think a lot of people knew that the UGK sound that is so loved and influential to southern rap as a whole was created by Pimp C. I was really really looking forward to making sure his solo album was at least 90 to 95 percent of Pimp C production.
Pimp always used the hottest samples, the hardest bass and the funkiest melodies in his music. Pimp’s drum style can be heard in your favorite artist music everyday.
R.I.P. Young Pimp
U.G.K. 4 Life
