Southern gangsta rap duo formed in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1987 by Bun-B (b. Bernard Freeman, 19 March 1973, Port Arthur, Texas, USA) and Pimp C (b. Chad Butler, 29 December 1973, Port Arthur, Texas, USA, d. 4 December 2007, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA). UGK (Underground Kingz) made their debut in 1988 with the Big Tyme Records release Banned, a stripped-down slice of gangsta rap featuring the notoriously obscene ‘Pregnant Pussy’. The EP established the blueprint UGK would adhere to throughout their career, no-frills gangsta rap with lyrics almost exclusively concerned with sex, drugs and money. The duo signed a major label contract with Jive Records at the start of the 90s, making their debut for the label in 1992 with the album Too Hard To Swallow. The follow-up Super Tight … included further lewd delights including ‘I Left It Wet For You’ and ‘Pussy Got Me Dizzy’.
The duo enjoyed a major commercial success in 1996 with Ridin’ Dirty breaking into the upper regions of the mainstream R&B charts. The project was then put on hold for four years before the duo reunited to produce 2001’s desultory Dirty Money. UGK ground to a halt the following year when Pimp C was jailed for eight years on an aggravated gun assault charge. Despite his incarceration he released his solo debut, The Sweet James Jones Stories, at the start of 2005. Bun-B made his own-name debut later in the year with the US Top 10 album, Trill. Pimp C was released from prison in December 2005 and was soon reunited with Bun-B, the duo recording a new studio album. After several delays, the self-titled double CD was released in August 2007 and duly provided the duo with their first US mainstream chart-topper. Tragically, Pimp C was found dead in his hotel room in West Hollywood the same December.
