Bun B Confesses That UGK Rejected "Big Pimpin' 2" With Jay-Z

Despite label pressures, the Houston legend explained that the duo were already in a financial rut due to the expenses of the original.

BYGabriel Bras Nevares
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"Big Pimpin'" is easily one of the best and biggest crossover hits between the East Coast and the South. As such, a sequel sounds like a fantastic idea, but one half of UGK recently explained why they didn't think it was very feasible. Moreover, Bun B recently joined Math Hoffa's My Expert Opinion podcast alongside Statik Selektah to talk about, among other things, their new album Trillstatik 3. At one point during their conversation, they eventually got around to "Big Pimpin'." The Houston legend explained that the duo's label, Jive Records, wanted them to do "Big Pimpin' 2," but succinctly pointed as to why it wouldn't have been the best idea for financial and creative reasons.

"UGK was [the late Pimp C]’s baby, and he would put his heart and soul into it,” Bun B remarked. “And he didn’t wanna do all of that to get to this point and do one song with somebody and have his legacy perverted. That was the way he looked at it. When we were getting ready to do the next album, the label, Jive, was like, ‘Let’s do a ‘Big Pimpin’ 2.’ Let’s buy a Jay-Z verse, let’s buy a beat from Timbaland, let’s get a video from Hype [Williams], and let’s do it again, boys!'

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Bun B Speaks On Pimp C, Jay-Z & "Big Pimpin'": Watch

Then, the Trill Burgers boss revealed that their first collaboration already sunk them in some debt with the label. "I was like, ‘If I don’t do a song with JAY-Z and Timbaland, do I still get a Hype Williams video?'” Bun B elaborated. “It was never, ‘No.’ They were like, ‘Why wouldn’t you want that?’ What? Besides [the] $2.5 million in the hole from the first song we recorded?" Also, he theorized that Pimp C wouldn't have considered a Hov verse as "equal value to him" if they proposed a song-for-song trade agreement.

In fact, regarding these Southern pioneers' history, Pimp apparently didn't want to do "Big Pimpin'" at first out of respect for Tupac Shakur. Eventually, he and Jay squashed this dispute across a dinner table, but perhaps some feelings keeled over for a sequel. Either way, we're glad that the original remains intact and didn't ruin itself with a second attempt at lightning in a bottle. On that note, keep checking in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Bun B, UGK, and Jay-Z.
Long Live Pimp C.

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About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.