Review 5: Bun B – II Trill (2008)

Rating - 7.6

The rap duo Underground Kingz (1987-2007) represented Port Arthur, Texas, but are often associated with Houston, where they were affiliated with the Screwed Up Click. The duo, which had the straight shooter Bun B alongside the more idiosyncratic Pimp C, have a legendary status in Southern rap. After a series of successful albums, Pimp C was imprisoned from 2002-5 for violation of probation for a weapons charge, and during this time, Bun B released Trill in 2005. After they reunited, they released their self-titled album, Underground Kingz (2007). However, Pimp C passed away four months later in December 2007 from drug complications, bringing a tragic end to the duo, notwithstanding a posthumous UGK album in 2009, UGK 4 Life.

Pimp C's passing dominates this album. Constantly referenced and tributed by Bun B and his collaborators, one can immediately tell the impact Pimp C had on Southern hip-hop, and how keenly his loss was felt. But don't make the mistake of thinking that his passing leads to a sorrowful tone of the album: the pace for much of it is fast, hard hitting, and aggressive. Also, don't make the mistake of thinking that this topic dominates the lyrics either: other key themes involve social and political commentary, love for and his representation of the South, braggadocio, and his origins and how far he's come.

There's nothing wrong with wallowing in despair, especially when mourning a friend, but Bun B wastes no time making it clear that he (mostly) doesn't plan on doing that. He immediately begins the album, with a tribute to Pimp C but then follows up with rapping about his success and prowess. The next two songs are not dissimilar: Bun reps his authenticity on 'That's Gangsta' and on the 3rd, 'Damn I'm Cold', he more than keeps pace with an in-prime Lil Wayne. The fourth song, 'You're Everything' is perhaps the strongest, and is all about the South, which is reflected in the song's features: Rick Ross from Florida, David Banner from Mississippi, 8Ball & MJG from Tennessee, and of course Bun B from Texas are all represented. More broadly, across the whole album, Louisiana with Lil Wayne, and Georgia with Jazze Pha, are also represented.

Even the songs which I don't necessarily love the beat for, like the 5th song, 'I Luv That', are held up by Bun's rapping: he enunciates clearly, and his rapping style is the opposite of chaotic. Songs 8 and 9 are perhaps the most interesting ones on the project, though for very different reasons. Song 8, 'Get Cha Issue' has Bun rapping solo (with spoken word interludes), critiquing in the first verse priests/preachers, in the second, the police, and in the third, politicians. He isn't dissing them without qualification, but in regard to their faults. Having to restrain the impulse to copy the lyrics to the entire song, here's the first verse and interlude:

[Verse 1]
Hey, Mr. Preacher Man, what do you say?
See you out here tryin to save yourself some people today
You got the good book in your hand and the robe on your back
Steppin out your 2008 Escalade Cadillac
You standin up in the pulpit, lookin out at the pew
Preachin the good word and tellin Christian folks what to do
You talkin 'bout the sinners are sinnin, but let's keep it true
Ain't nobody in this church a bigger sinner than you
It's chapter this, verse that, pass the plate, pay your tithes
Puttin rings on your fingers (fingers) and rims on your ride
You don't need yourself a thousand dollar suit, just to pray in
(Just to pray in) Or a million dollar house for you to stay in (nope)
Marriage counselin, but cheatin on ya own wife
Undercover pedophile, a heathen in ya own right
Let the do'knob hit ya where the good Lord split ya
You's a dirty motherfucker (so) it's time to get'cha issue, c'mon

 

[Interlude]
The good book say, that he who is without sin cast the first stone
Mayne every time I walk inside the church house
The preacher cuttin his eyes at me
But I know he can't throw nothin my way
He dirtier than I am, ridin down the street shinin, ballin
Hollerin at broads, hollerin at dudes on the cool
That's why niggas don't go to church now
It ain't the message, it's the motherfuckin messenger
Let us move on

 

He attacks the willingness of police to commit acts of brutality, but their failure to arrest the murderers of many, like 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G and Big Hawk. And he attacks politicians via the Iraq War and sexual scandal. It's an insightful and fascinating track, but also painful, given all the failures which Bun raps about, and his community have paid the cost for. 

 

This song is juxtaposed in the most extreme way by the next song, 'Pop It 4 Pimp'. It's a strip club anthem which is simultaneously a tribute to Pimp C, which seems from the outside as... an interesting choice. But I imagine that Bun thought this was a fitting way to honour Pimp's legacy, given his character and how well Bun knew him. It's not just the title which tributes him: the chorus literally is just the phrase 'Pop it for Pimp' repeated. It's quite a catchy song, in no small part thanks to the features of Juvenile and Webbie. 

 

There's an immense range of features across the album: perhaps too many. Excluding the two skits, there are only three solo Bun B songs, and it would have been nice to hear his voice more. To be honest, that's the sort of rate one would expect on a rapper's own posthumous album, like in the case of Pop Smoke's Faith (2021), where the standard edition had four solo songs out of twenty. But the features, including many singers, bring some appreciated vocal variety to the album, and are often excellent. Pimp C's own posthumous feature is strong on 'Underground Thang', and it's nice to hear a unified UGK sound even on a solo album. Rick Ross' feature is solid (why can't he pick as good beats on his own albums?) and Bun's precise rapping almost holds together the structure of many of the songs, allowing room for more 'chaotic' features like Lil Wayne, or more unorthodox guest verses and hooks like Sean Kingston's hook in 'That's Gangsta'. You can almost feel the structure of the song sliding back into place when Bun begins to rap after Sean's reggae-infused hooks.

 

But I think some of these features are just too much, like in 'If It Was Up II Me': Junior Reid's singing on the hook is just a bit 'out there', his singing distracts a bit from his strong verses. And Jazze Pha's hook on 'My Block' is just rather... annoying? Again, it distracts and detracts from Bun B's excellent verses. Returning to  'If It Was Up II Me', Bun returns to social issues here: the fallout from natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, underfunded communities, poor and immoral development strategies like the usage of asbestos, and anger at politicians. And in the third verse, he raps about his solutions. It's interesting, insightful and well rapped, and because Bun B enunciates so clearly, you can follow along easily.

 

'Angel in the Sky', the penultimate song, is a direct tribute to Pimp C, in the more traditional sense. It has a gentle, slow beat and it's genuinely touching. Here's the third and final verse:

 

Just for the record let me go ahead and say
I love my brother Pimp C and man I miss him every day
Yeah my heart still hurts (hurts) and the pain's still fresh (fresh)
But I'mma put God first, to keep that pressure off my chest
And remind me that I'm blessed to have had him, as a friend (friend)
A ride or die homie that was with me 'til the end ('til the end)
Real talk, man we was closer than kin
And I know, that I'll never have a partner like that again (like that again)
So Chad Butler I just want you to know
I keep ya memory close, I'm never lettin it go (lettin it go)
And they gon' always remember that you was here mayne (mayne)
Cause I'mma make 'em remember, that's why I'm here mayne (mayne)
Yeah it's still hard (hard) and I still cry (cry)
But you and God keep me strong so I'mma still try (try)
Reppin this UGK now won't I (huh)
Cause through your music you live forever so Trill (Trill) don't die 

Both the brief spoken word skits before and after this song are again dedicated to him. I'm not sure when the work on this project began, but it was released on 20 May 2008, less than half a year after Pimp C's passing on 4 December 2007. Most of the songs reference Pimp C in some way, and so must have been recorded after his death. Despite the pain being so raw for Bun B, he managed to forge an album at real pace, yet it's still really good, and a fitting tribute. The final song, 'Keep it 100' is a contrast to the prior song, a hard hitting, fast paced track combining tributes to Pimp C and bragging/talking down to haters.

 

It's a solid album, though not perfect: 'Good II Me' is a bit fillerish, and as mentioned, some of the hooks from the features (like on 'If I Die II Night') aren't super enjoyable and distract from Bun's rapping, and the album could have brought more energy or gravitas in places. It also doesn't convert particularly well into being Chopped and Slowed (which isn't a fault of the album) – OG Ron C's version more 'submerged' sound doesn't work too well here I think. But it's a good album with a variety of topics, truly showing Bun B's flexibility as a solo artist both regarding lyrics, the beats he works with, and the guests featured on the project. 

 

Whilst it's tempting to say 'show this album to anyone who thinks that southern rap is degeneracy', I try to resist that impulse. I think it might denigrate the craft of hip-hop by using it as a point to prove, and in this case, would also minimise Pimp C as the ultimate tribute of the album. Hip-hop, and music are more than just serving to prove a point. Besides, many of those who have such an opinion would likely not change their opinion after listening to a single album, with such views often being rooted in racism. Instead, listen to this album to enjoy the rapping, (some of) the features, the beats and of course, a heartfelt tribute to Pimp C.