Without a doubt, the Underground Kingz are one of the most well-known and respected rap groups in the entire industry. Yet, mainstream audiences are but vaguely familiar with Pimp C and Bun B.
Having been sidelined since 2002 due to Pimp C's incarceration on an aggravated gun assault charge (he was released in December 2005), the group has reunited in the studio to begin recording their next album. Hailing out of Port Arthur, Texas, UGK has faced an uphill battle, trying to attract hip-hop fans to the gritty Texas sound. After all, they have been making moves in the hip-hop industry since 1990, when Texan music revolved around country line dances and folk singing, not hip-hop.
Indeed, all of the major acts out of Texas that are routinely blowing up the airwaves today give respect and reverence to those that kept hip-hop alive in Texas - the Geto Boys, Scarface, DJ Screw and UGK.
Why is this group so respected among its peers and fans? According to Paul Wall, producing juggernaut out of Houston, "They [are] not only pioneers for Southern music above all, but they're pioneers for the gangsta' music and the culture that we live here in Texas."
Rapper and Mississippi native David Banner adds, "They laid the foundation for the South, and they never really got [national] credit."
To be sure, Texan hip-hop wouldn't have been the mainstream monster it is today without acts such as UGK. And for anyone that is a UGK fan, it was 1996's "Ridin' Dirty" that catapulted, not only two aspiring artists, but an entire region into the national spotlight.
What made "Ridin' Dirty" such a pleasant surprise then - and what keeps it from growing old, now - was its ability to capture the listener's attention without the use of overly complex beats and rhymes.
This was their first album released by a major label (Jive Records) and, therefore, the first with the capacity to reach a large-scale audience beyond the borders of the Deep South.
In contrast to the West Coast sound of laid-back "G-funk," the East Coast sound, reflecting the life of hip-hop hustlers or the then-popular Miami sound of headache-inducing heavy bass, UGK takes a more stripped-down approach - the way hip-hop is supposed to made.
Pimp C, the group's main producer, took catchy soul samples and melodic horns and added a hard-hitting (but not over the top) bass line and drums to create the sonic landscape to which he and Bun B would celebrate the adoration of drugs, money and women.
The topical content might sound all too clichéd and worn-out, but one of the unique aspects about hip-hop is that its content is judged not solely on what is said, but how it is said. Bun B (the better lyricist of the two) comes through with a sort of candor that defines what "keeping it real" is supposed to mean, while Pimp C brought the Southern lexicon - complete with a unique Southern accent - to the mainstream ten YEARS before phrases like "what it do", or "chuckin' the deuce" finally became popular. The incessant arguing that rap has "nothing new to say" becomes a moot point when it is said in an entertaining and compelling way.
There is a common theme throughout "Ridin' Dirty" that speaks on the reflection of one's life. The album (and almost every song) begins with an intro with UGK giving potential rough-necks some advice on what life has to offer.
From there, the album is kicked off with the very mellow "One Day," using a soulful Isley Brothers sample. Bun B spits some intellectual verses here about growing up on the streets in a way that really separates his rhyming ability with the rest in his class. "Diamonds & Wood" is another great song that undoubtedly served as the anthem for Southern hip-hop years after its release.
Of course, there are those forgetful moments where UGK seems unable to avoid stereotypical topics without sounding fresh and original. "Murder" and "Pinky Ring," though lacking artistic merit for the most part, are equipped with enough Southern slang to keep the listener amused for a long time. But in the end, UGK and "Ridin' Dirty" were never meant to appeal to your standard hip-hop listener, just those willing to advance the art and take it to the next level.
Southern hip-hop might be in dire straits these days with everything sounding almost exactly alike, but leave it to Pimp C and Bun B to steer the ship back on its rightful course. UGK did it once with "Ridin' Dirty," so it should come as no surprise once they do it again when they finally release their long-awaited, newest album.
