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About an hour ago, I received the very sad news that Pimp C, co-founder of seminal rap group The Underground Kings (known to the world as UGK), had been found dead in his hotel room at Le Mondrian in Hollywood. Nobody is releasing any further details, but the timing could not be any worse. Having been recently freed from prison, UGK’s 2007 epic self-titled double-CD has been declared by many in the rap world as the #1 rap album of the year and “International Hustler’s Anthem (I Choose You) (featuring OutKast)” was the rap anthem of the summer on Memphis radio. UGK’s, and in particular Pimp C’s, connections to the Memphis rap family stretch far and wide.
We here at Loudersoft wish to express our condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Pimp C.
UPDATE: UGK’s record label, Jive Records, released a statement just moments ago.
It is with great sadness that Jive Records announces the passing of Chad “Pimp C” Butler, a member of the celebrated rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz). Jive Records’ President and CEO Barry Weiss states: “We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I’ve known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family.”
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Butler’s father was a trumpet player who played professionally with Solomon Burke. Outside of his father, the 33-year old rapper’s influences varied, ranging from Bobby Bland, Jimmy McGriff, the 1960’s Motown artists to Run DMC. Butler met his inseparable partner Bernard “Bun B” Freeman in high school where they formed UGK. In 1992, the duo signed to Jive Records and went on release a total of eight albums for the label. They earned their highest achievement earlier this year when their most recent album, UGK (Underground Kingz), debuted in the number one position on the album pop chart. According to the New York Times, UGK “helped inspire a generation of Southern hip-hop stars, from OutKast to Lil Wayne.
UGK - International Hustler’s Anthem (I Choose You) (featuring OutKast)
1kpfingaz on Dec 4, 2007 at 5:19 pm:
How’d he die? Rest in peace Pimp.
2E.J. on Dec 4, 2007 at 6:45 pm:
No cause of death has been announced as of right now. It’s probably best that we don’t speculate for the time being. According to TMZ, he may have simply died of natural causes. Click here to read the story at TMZ.