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ales of hay, fields of cows, and tractors are not items that I normally see enroute to a typical OZONE interview.
But this interview is anything but typical. I’m riding down a rural road about 45 minutes south of Houston, headed to the correctional facility which currently serves as home for ½ of the legendary Texas rap duo UGK. The scene looks like something out of a movie. Shawshank Redemption, maybe, except for the miles and miles of beautiful blue sky. Hundreds of inmates in white jumpsuits are off to the left in the yard of one prison unit, while guards lounge off to the right on picnic tables during their lunch break. Compared to the few correctional institutions that I’ve had the pleasure of “visiting,” Terrell Unit feels relatively laid-back. The security guards are pleasant and talkative. After a quick sign-in and ID check, I’m escorted past the double-gated fence into a bland waiting room which feels about as warm and enticing as the DMV or any other generic government facility. Concrete white walls, off-white floor panels. Everything feels very blah. I fill out some paperwork. “Butler again, huh?” a guard asks dryly. Butler – Chad Butler, a.k.a. Pimp C – has apparently been getting a lot of visitors lately. Mostly reporters, thanks to Rap-A-Lot’s recent promotional push for the album of Pimp C’s old free-
of a community service violation. There was a certain amount I was supposed to have done by the end of the year, and I was two weeks late. When I finally got sentenced, I got eight years. How long have you been in prison? I’ve got credit for about three years and four months. I heard that you’re scheduled for parole at the end of the year. There’s no tellin’ when they’re gonna look at me, or when they’ll let me go. They don’t have a specific time. Do you feel like it was justified for them to give you eight years on a probation violation? I could look at it like that, or I could look at it as being better than the twenty years they could’ve given me. I’d rather look at it like that. At the time of my sentencing, though, I felt very frustrated. What’s the most challenging part of being in prison? Is it the mental aspect? Having children. That’s the most frustrating part. I have two kids. Are your children able to visit you here very much? Yes, I see them very often. I’ve been blessed to be in a place where I’m very close [geographically] to my family. At one time I was farther away, so I didn’t get to see them as much.
Actually, I’m more creative in here. I’ve got quite a few ideas. But I’m a producer, too, and it’s hard to put production ideas on paper. It’s not like writing. I have to write out what instruments I wanna play at a certain point in the song. It really looks like a ballgame game plan. I do what I can. If something pops in your head at two or three in the morning, you don’t wanna lose it. I have written a lil’ over 2,000 songs in here. You were probably one of the first people to use the word “pimp” in a hip-hop related context. Why did you decide to name yourself Pimp C? Originally, it had nothing to do with prostitution or pimpin’ women. To me, it was about pimpin’ the pen. That’s why I started using the word. How much access do you have to pop culture? I get to hear everyone’s singles when I listen to the radio, and we can read magazines. I get XXL, Rolling Stone, OZONE, and a few other magazines. They don’t let The Source in here anymore, though. I guess they got too political. They won’t let anything come in with too much politics. I know when albums are dropping, and get to listen to the singles. There have been situations in the past, like with Tupac, where rappers were able to
“I feel like I got put on the shelf, preserved, so I could come back later and do something positive. If ‘Pac hadn’t got out [of prison], he might still be alive today. Maybe there was a worse fate out there waiting for me.” style material they released last month, Sweet James Jones Stories. A few minutes later, Chad Butler is escorted into the visiting area. “I heard a joke that you’ve been doing more interviews now than you did when you were free,” I begin, speaking through the thick glass wall. “That’s not a joke,” he responds. “That’s the truth.” The general public has a perception of what prison is like, based on what they’ve seen on TV. How accurate do you think their perception is? It might be 20-30% accurate. What they don’t show on TV is the fact that you can be positive in here. There’s school, and a lot of church activities. I got my G.E.D. in here. When you come to prison you have the choice of how you want to do that time. I’ve been blessed that I haven’t gotten in much trouble. This place is not much like what you’d see on TV. What’s a typical day like for you? Pretty laid-back. I get up around 11 or 12 and go to work around 2. I work in the kitchen. Do the other inmates or guards treat you differently because of who you are? No, I wouldn’t say that. After the first two weeks or so, I’m treated just like everybody else. Why are you in prison? I was on probation for aggravated assault in 2000. After a year on probation, I was violated because
What are some of the positive aspects of being in prison? Has it made you reevaluate some things in your life? I’ve made some choices while I’ve been in here. I don’t wanna start preaching, but basically, we all have to take responsibility for our actions. Has it changed your perspective on the rap game? If you write lyrics today, is it different than three years ago? Well, you know, some rappers speak from the literal perspective, like Eminem. He raps about his life, his own personal experiences. I’m more of an entertainer than a realist, but yeah, I’m sure it has affected my lyrics. Are you happy with the quality of the material on the album Sweet James Jones Stories, considering the circumstances? Actually, I haven’t heard the album. I’ve only heard about three songs. It’s all freestyle material I did between December of 2000 and January of 2002. It was all compiled from freestyle tapes. It’s just something to hold the fans over until I get back. When you get out of prison, do you plan on heading straight to the studio? I don’t know. I’ll have to see what it looks like when I get back. Once I get out there I’ll evaluate the scene and if it looks like I can prosper, yeah, I’ll do it. Do you think your creativity suffers behind bars, or does it help you be more focused?
get out of prison early by putting out a lot of money. It seems like you’re doing a lot of time for a minor offense. Do you think if you had a different lawyer or more money, your situation could be better? I had a whole bunch of money. I had the best lawyer. There was nothing they could do. I was real frustrated at that time, you know? I was spending my own money to get out. It isn’t a money thing. If it’s in your plan and it’s supposed to happen, then it’s gonna happen. You can’t even try to stop it. I feel like I got put on the shelf, preserved, so I could come back and do something positive later. Maybe I will be in a position where I can prosper when I get out. I’m not going to challenge it, I’m just gonna take it for what it’s worth. If ‘Pac hadn’t got out, he might still be alive today. Maybe there was a worse fate out there waiting for me. Are you signed to Rap-A-Lot? No, but I still consider them family. They’ve been treating me like a son for years, way before anyone knew me. I trust J Prince, he’s like a godfather to me. He’s a good man. I heard he was here to visit you yesterday. Who else has been real supportive since you’ve been in prison? David Banner. David Banner’s down for me, he’s a good dude. A lot of people have shown their support in different ways. There’s people who got on [the Sweet James Jones Stories] album to support me that I’ve never OZONE MAY 2005
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