UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip hop duo from

Port Arthur, Texas Port Arthur is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Texas. A small, uninhabited portion extends into Orange County, Texas, Orange County; it is east of Housto ...

, formed in 1987, by Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman. They released their first major-label album, ''

Too Hard to Swallow ''Too Hard to Swallow'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo UGK. It was released on November 10, 1992, by Jive Records. Track listing ;Sample credits * "Something Good" contains samples from " Tell Me Something Good" performed b ...

'', in 1992, followed by several other albums charting on the ''Billboard'' 200 and

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

charts, including the self-titled '' Underground Kingz'' album, which contained their single "

International Players Anthem (I Choose You) "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" is a song by American hip hop duo UGK, released on June 6, 2007, as the second single from their fifth studio album '' Underground Kingz'' (2007). The song, produced by DJ Paul and Juicy J of Thre ...

" and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, in August 2007. The duo has also been featured on hit singles by several other artists, such as "

Big Pimpin' "Big Pimpin'" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on April 11, 2000 as the third and final single from his fourth studio album '' Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter'' (1999). It features a guest appearance from Southern hip hop ...

" by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...

and "

Sippin' on Some Syrup "Sippin' on Some Syrup", sometimes known as "Sippin' on Some Purple drank, Sizzurp", is the second single from Three 6 Mafia's fourth studio album ''When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1''. It features UGK and Project Pat. The song samples the s ...

" by

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

. Pimp C founded UGK Records in late 2005. On December 4, 2007,

Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK). S ...

died in his

West Hollywood, California West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages in ...

hotel room.

Background

Originally from Port Arthur, Texas UGK members Pimp and Bun were from the same town as

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence. ...

and

Robert Rauschenberg Milton Ernest "Robert" Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the Pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his Combines (1954–1964), a group of artwor ...

. Though the town of 60,000 has a significant African American population, it was not known for its rap scene. They called themselves "Underground Kingz" because their

country rap Country rap (or country hip hop and sometimes hick hop) is a fusion genre of popular music, blending country music with hip hop–style singing or rapping. History Prototypes Early influences on the emergence of country rap as a distinct genre ...

style was so full of "slang and twang" they thought it inaccessible for outsiders. UGK blended "deep

bluesy Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afric ...

texures, triumphant church organs, thick

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...

and meaty

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

". Bun's rap style was described as a "speeding-train delivery" with lyrics that "feel sanded-down and coated by heavy lacquer". Born Bernard Freeman, his childhood nickname "Bunny" was shortened to Bun. Pimp, or Chad Butler, is the son of a trumpet player and has had an interest in music since childhood: "I come from a classical background, I came up singing Italian sonnets,

Negro spirituals Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, African American spirituals, Black spirituals, or spiritual music) is a genre of Christian music that is associated with Black Americans, which merged sub-Saharan African cultural heritage with the ex ...

, and shit of that nature." Even before studying

musical notation Music notation or musical notation is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music played with instruments or sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise-produced symbols, including notation f ...

in school he learned to play many instruments by ear including piano, trumpet, drums and flugelhorn. His vocal style is of a "high-voiced, unstable and provocateur, as likely to slap your face as to sing you a love song". Influenced by

Run-DMC Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history ...

, he started synthesizing beats to rap over after receiving a drum machine and

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mu ...

one Christmas. Following the advice of Pimp's stepfather to "put some music in that shit", Pimp decided to move beyond Run-DMC's

kick A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...

- snare formula, opting instead for

808s The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patte ...

and especially

hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...

Career and recordings

In 1992, UGK was signed to

Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, ...

under a five-album contract, releasing their major-label debut album ''

''. While it featured several new recordings, it also featured several songs that had been culled from '' The Southern Way''. However, several songs that had been intended to be included on the album were excised at the last minute, apparently due to their overly explicit content. Five of these songs would surface two months before the release of ''Too Hard to Swallow'', on an EP distributed by Bigtyme Recordz; appropriately enough, the EP was titled ''

Banned A ban is a formal or informal prohibition of something. Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some bans in commerce are referred to as embargoes. ''Ban'' is also used as a verb similar in meaning ...

''. A popular song from the album "Pocket Full of Stones" was also included on the Menace II Society soundtrack in 1993. Their second album, ''

Super Tight ''Super Tight...'' is the second studio album by American hip hop duo UGK. The album was released on August 30, 1994, by Jive Records. As of 2011, it has sold 375,000 copies. ''Super Tight...'' is notable for being the first UGK album to have Th ...

'', was released two years later, on August 30. Unlike their previous album, ''Super Tight'' managed to break into the

Billboard Hot 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artist ...

and ultimately peaked at #95; their third album, ''

Ridin' Dirty ''Ridin' Dirty'' is the third studio album by American hip hop duo UGK. It was released on July 30, 1996 by Jive Records. Despite no music videos or official singles being released, it is their best selling album with over 850,000 copies sold to ...

'', peaked at #15. UGK Billboard Album Chart Positions

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

. Accessed December 9, 2007 ''Ridin' Dirty'' would also be UGK's last album for the time being, as they went on a five-year hiatus not long afterward. The year 2000 became a breakthrough year for the group. UGK made a high-profile guest appearance on

's smash hit "

" and also appeared on

's hit "

". Both of these collaborations greatly increased their reputation, and helped fuel anticipation for their next project .

failed to capitalize on this new-found interest in the duo, as their fourth album, 2001's ''

Dirty Money Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...

'', came and went with little fanfare. Further problems arose when

was incarcerated for an aggravated gun assault charge in 2002.Harris, Chris
UGK's Pimp C To Be Released From Prison Within A Month

MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...

: December 6, 2005. Throughout the time of his incarceration,

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work wit ...

carried on the UGK name by making numerous guest appearances on songs by other artists, with every appearance either mentioning Pimp C or featuring a "Free Pimp C!" or "Free the Pimp" chant. Many of UGK's peers did the same, and mentioned Pimp C in their own songs with or without

. During this period,

released a ''Best of UGK'' album, as well as a

Chopped & Screwed Chopped and screwed (also called screwed and chopped or slowed and throwed) is a music genre and technique of remixing music that involves slowing down the tempo and deejaying. It developed in the Houston hip hop scene in the early 1990s by D ...

remix album. As a result of Pimp C's incarceration, both members of UGK began solo careers out of necessity.

Rap-A-Lot Records Rap-A-Lot is a hip hop record label co-founded by James Prince and Cliff Blodget in 1986. Smoke-a-Lot Records is a subsidiary. Rap-A-Lot was first distributed by A&M Records with the release of Raheem's 1988 debut ''The Vigilante''. The label w ...

released Pimp C's solo debut, '' Sweet James Jones Stories'', on March 1, 2005. Bun B later released his own solo foray, '' Trill'', on October 18, 2005. It opened at #6 on the

, and also peaked at #1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-hop Album chart. On December 30, 2005, Pimp C was released from prison and was to be on parole until December 2009. He released his first post-incarceration album, titled '' Pimpalation'', on July 25, 2006. On August 7, 2007, the group released their fifth studio album, the self-titled '' Underground Kingz''. It was a

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

, containing 26 tracks and spanning two discs.Jeffries, David. Underground Kingz

: 2007 Featured guests included

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...

Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on ...

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Diddy's Bad ...

Z-RO Joseph Wayne McVey IV (born January 19, 1977), better known by his stage names Z-Ro and the Mo City Don, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He was named one of America's most underrated rappers by '' The New York Times'' in 2007. Early ...

Slim Thug Stayve Jerome Thomas (born September 8, 1980), better known by his stage name Slim Thug, is an American rapper. He initially gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the hit single by rapper Mike Jones, " Still Tippin'". In July 2005, ...

, OutKast, as well as hip-hop legends

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper from Queens, New York City. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and a ...

and

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in ...

on a

Marley Marl Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects ...

-produced track titled "Next Up". The album also featured

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

rapper

Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. D ...

on the track "Two Types of Bitches", following UGK's guest appearance in Rascal's own album ''

Maths + English Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

'' for the track "Where's Da G's". The album featured production by

DJ Paul Paul Duane Beauregard (born January 12, 1977), better known by his stage name DJ Paul, is an American DJ, record producer, and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is a founding member of hip hop group Three 6 Mafia and uncle of the late rapper ...

Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...

Jazze Pha Phalon Anton Alexander, (born April 15, 1974), professionally known as Jazze Pha ( ), is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Sho'nuff Records, to wh ...

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

, The Runners,

Lil Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cr ...

, fellow Texas legend Scarface, and Pimp C.

and

produced the second single, " International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)". They had used a similar beat on

Project Pat Patrick Earl Houston (born February 8, 1973), better known by his stage name Project Pat, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the older brother of Juicy J, the co-founder of Three 6 Mafia. Houston was formerly a member of hip h ...

's album titled ''Layin' Da Smack Down'' in 2002. The album got a positive reception, both commercially and critically. It received a 4-star rating from Allmusic, and reached #1 on the

album charts. " International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)" became the group's only single to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop charts, where it peaked at #70.

2007–09: Death of Pimp C and breakup

On December 4, 2007, Pimp C was found dead at the

Mondrian Hotel The Mondrian Hotel is a boutique hotel owned and/or operated by SBE Entertainment Group, located in West Hollywood, California. History The structure was built in 1959 as an apartment building. It was later renovated and reopened in 1985 as the ...

, after

Los Angeles County Fire Department The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting services as well as technical rescue services, hazardous materials response services and emergency medical response services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County ...

responded to a 9-1-1 call. They arrived to his sixth-floor hotel room to find him dead in bed. This was three days after he performed with

at the

House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at Ha ...

in Los Angeles.

was interviewed a few days later by radio DJ Madd Hatta, and an audio recording has been posted online. In 2008, Bun B stated in an interview that there would be one last UGK album released, before he permanently becomes a solo act: "Yea, we’re still putting together this last UGK record too, because there’s a lot of music that we’ve already recorded for it," said Bun B. "I think that album itself is going to be a little bit weird." ''

UGK 4 Life ''UGK 4 Life'' is the sixth and final studio album by American hip hop duo UGK. The album was released on March 31, 2009, by Jive Records. This is also the first posthumous album for Pimp C. Background On December 4, 2007, Pimp C was found dead ...

'' was released in 2009.

Discography

Studio albums

*''

'' (1992) *''

'' (1994) *''

'' (1996) *''

'' (2001) *'' Underground Kingz'' (2007) *''

'' (2009)

Extended plays

*'' The Southern Way'' (1992) *''

'' (1992)

Awards

, - , colspan="4" align="center" style="background:#FAEB86" ,

BET Awards The BET Awards is an American award show that was established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annua ...

, - , rowspan="2" style="background:#FAEB86" , 2008 , , "International Players Anthem" , , Video of the Year , , , - , UGK , , Best Group , , , - , colspan="4" align="center" style="background:#FAEB86" ,

BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and w ...

, - , rowspan="2" style="background:#FAEB86" , 2007 , , rowspan="2" , "International Players Anthem" , , Best Collabo, Duo or Group , , , - , Best Hip Hop Video , , , - , colspan="4" align="center" style="background:#FAEB86" ,

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s , - , style="background:#FAEB86" , 2001 , , "

" , , rowspan="2" , Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group , , , - , style="background:#FAEB86" , 2008 , , " International Players Anthem" , , , - , colspan="4" align="center" style="background:#FAEB86" ,

Ozone Awards ''Ozone'' was an American magazine focusing on hip hop music coverage from the Southern United States and operated from 2002 to 2010. It was founded in Orlando, Florida in 2002 by Julia Beverly who was inspired by local rap artist & team member ...

, - , style="background:#FAEB86" , 2006 , , rowspan="2" , UGK , , Legend Award , , , - , rowspan="3" style="background:#FAEB86" , 2008 , , Best Group , , , - , "International Players Anthem" , , Best Video , , , - , ''Underground Kingz'' , , Best Album , ,

References

External links

UGK Website (Jive Records)
{{Authority control African-American musical groups American musical duos Hip hop duos Musical groups disestablished in 2007 Musical groups established in 1987 Musical groups from Texas Southern hip hop groups