What’s the difference between your previous solo albums and Trill OG? I think the first Trill album really established me as a solo artist. Trill OG, with everything that happened over the last couple years, just having to regroup emotionally and musically, it’s just time to get back to business. How hard have the last couple of years been for you, both musically and emotionally? I mean, of course, as everyone knows, I’ve had my ups and downs. But we get stronger everyday. And the spirit of Pimp C still lives on, within us and within the music. We just take it one day at a time, man. Was this your first album recording completely without Pimp? Yeah, I guess in that sense you can say so. Like I said, the spirit of Pimp C still lives on. The majority of the album was produced by Steve Below. Steve Below produced on UGK albums under Pimp C, so the UGK sound, that bass, that knock in the trunk, that organ, the melody, we’ll still have the music. We’re also working with people that understand and respect the UGK sound, like the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Jazze Pha, and Pharrell. [The album] will sound similar to what you heard before, and one or two will sound a little bit different, but I’m not trying to step outside of my character. For example, when I’m working with a person like Pharrell, we gotta meet each other halfway, cause I can’t really do what everybody else does with Pharrell. If seems like you collaborate with just about everyone, and you’re always doing features. Why do you choose to work with so many artists? I just try to keep the movement going. For me personally as an artist, to keep my juices going, it’s good to always go out there, exercise and shoot jumpers. You know, like going out to the park and playing a couple games. I like to know that I still got it. So, I go out, I work with the young’ns, the best and the brightest in the game right now. We exchange creative energy, we put together great music and great art, and have great fun and entertain the people. And let the people know that I’m still here doing it, just as good, or even better than some of the people that’s still doing it. What do you think has been the main thing that’s been able to keep you in the game for so long? I think it’s the fact that I still want it. That hunger is still there inside of me to be the best. As much as I’ve achieved throughout my career, there’s still some areas in which I care to attain [more]; there’s still some levels that I’m still trying to get on. I’m an OG, but there’s still things that the OG hasn’t seen yet. And I’m not giving up on that just because of how many years I’ve already been in the game, or my age, or whatever the case may be. I don’t feel like anything anybody else got their hands on, I can’t get my hands on. It’s just a matter of time, and I’m patient. How many more albums are you thinking about doing? I put together No Mixtape, which was over 20 songs, real quick. That wasn’t even meant to be a mixtape. That was just me going in and letting my creative juices go. And that thing just ended up going out the trunk and becoming a mixtape on its own. I can do this all day, if the people wanna hear me do it all day. But we’ve been getting a good response on No Mixtape. We’ve been getting a good response on all the remixes I’ve been on, like “I Look Good” and “Homegurl’” and all these different features that I do. People are still excited about the music and definitely wanna hear that trill sound, so as long as they wanna hear it, I’m gonna give it to them. I’m not trying to force nothing down people’s throat. You never really had major mainstream success, but artists and all your peers respect you. Are you content with the UGK legacy? Well, I beg to differ. I think UGK has had a great number of mainstream successes. We had an album that was #1 on the Billboard 200, not just the #1 Rap album or the#1 Independent album or the #1 R&B album, but the #1 album, period. We had Grammy nominations, we’ve won countless awards from BET, and of course, your very own OZONE Awards, so UGK has received its accolades, in its own right and respect. And UGK is a legacy that I’m more than proud of. Yeah, there were some other things that I’m sure myself and Pimp would have liked to achieve, but looking back on it, I can’t knock what we put down. It’s still history. There are still young artists coming in the game, contributing their two cents, and they’re [achieving] the things me and Pimp put down on 18 years ago. So, I’m going to always look at that as something to be proud of. But continuing a new movement for myself, and there’s another Pimp C album coming, I think we’ll still be able to add something to that legacy before it’s all over. You’ve always been a lyrical rapper. When you hear a new rapper like Waka Flocka Flame saying he doesn’t have or need lyrics, how do you feel? I mean, he’s saying he doesn’t need lyrics to succeed, and if that’s him, then kudos to him. Everybody’s gonna do what they wanna do and how they do 36 // OZONE MAG
it. I’m not here to judge nobody for what they say or what they do, unless they’re saying it about me. I choose to be a lyrical artist. I still keep it real in my lyrics though, and street niggas can still understand what I’m sayin’. He doesn’t have to be lyrical if he don’t want to. That shit ain’t no requirement in the game. And that’s the problem. Everybody wanna act like rap started with Rakim and Nas and De La Soul. And while these people made critical contributions to the game, that’s not all of what rap is. Everybody making music ain’t lyrical. We’ve got Rap and Hip Hop legends that weren’t always lyrical, but they did entertain people. With the way they contributed and the way they got down, they are considered legends. I don’t think anyone is gonna sit here and say that the Fat Boys were lyrical legends, but they are legends. I think everybody is taking everybody too seriously. I think we should just start minding our own business and doing what we do. The more we put labels on this shit, the more we have confusion. Recently, you performed at a Haiti relief concert in Houston. Do you feel it’s a rapper’s responsibility to participate in events like that? I think if you’re a person of influence and a person that other people will follow to help a situation, you should. You don’t have to be a rapper, but if you’re an athlete, an entertainer, a politician, or just a person in the hood that people follow and people respect your opinion, then you’ve gotta bring attention to things like that. Otherwise, what’s the point in having power? As a rapper, I can make money and get all the superficial shit that kinda comes with the job. But it’s the extra shit that doesn’t come with the job, the responsibility and the power, that you’ve gotta learn how to handle and treat with respect and honor. We show people that we care, and we respect certain situations and we’re going to stand up for people. And that’s what Hip Hop Houston For Haiti was all about. Now, you’ve been in the game for a long time and you’ve worked with a lot of artists, but is there anyone that you haven’t worked with yet that you still would want to? I mean, you’d be ignorant as an MC to not want to work with someone like Dr. Dre. Lyrically, I don’t feel like you’re a lyricist until you’ve went bar for bar on a song with a brother like Nas. Right now, I think those are the last two. I just recorded some stuff with DJ Quik, who I’ve looked up to for years, and had a long mutual respect for each other. And we finally, after 18 years, got a chance to work together. I’m very excited about that. Also, I got the chance to work with DJ Premier on my new album. Again, another long time friend, mutual respect on both sides, of course, my prayers go out to Guru. So, I’ve been blessed throughout my career to earn the respect of every artist that I’ve wanted to work with to the point to where I’ve been able to work with them. Word is that Trill OG features a “Hip Hop legend and a cultural icon.” Can you talk about that song? I’d really hate to give that away. II think it’s gonna be something that just drives people crazy. It’s a lighthearted song, it’s a fun song, it’s an energetic song. Some people are going to flip when they hear it. If I say too much, I’ll give it away. But it’s big. It’s really big. We can assume there will be some Pimp C verses on your album, right? Well, I’m not sitting on Pimp C verses. Any Pimp C verses that I use come directly from [his] estate. Pimp C’s legacy, music, and lyrics are all controlled by his estate, which is controlled by his wife. I’m blessed to say that I have a great working relationship with her, so I was able to get some [verses] for my album. Pimp C’s solo album is coming later this year, and it’s incredible. It almost sent me back in the lab a couple times. I’d listen to my album, then I’d listen to his album, and how intense everything was put together. Just the precision of knowing how he wanted everything to sound and everything put together, his foresight, it’s just unbelievable. And his album is going to really take people by surprise. It’s called The Naked Soul of Sweet James Jones. Is there anything else you want to tell us about your new album? I’m putting a lot into this album. A lot of people, when they listen to the album, like Birdman, Drake, 8Ball & MJG, Young Jeezy, they say this is that old Bun. This is that raw Bun, and that’s what a lot of people have really been wanting to hear from me. I think the problem was that people were so worried about taking advantage of radio opportunities that we hadn’t had before, and media opportunities that we hadn’t had before, and didn’t realize that at the end of the day, my core audience is still from the street, and they need to be catered to. And that’s what we went back to with this album. If you’ve got a good song, it’s gonna make it on the radio. You don’t have to make something for the radio. If you got something’s that’s jammin’ and the streets love it, they’re gon’ make the radio play it. It’s just that simple. We just went back to the raw and uncut. That’s why I called it the Trill OG album. I couldn’t call myself the Trill OG if I wasn’t on some OG shit with this album. And we’re definitely getting our OG on. //