Video summary
Bun B reflects on his deep personal connections within the Houston hip-hop scene, particularly highlighting his close relationship with Thug than he had with Mr. Mike of UGK. While he respected Mr. Mike's private nature and professional demeanor, Bun B viewed him as a benchmark for excellence rather than a rival, citing the high quality of their debut album as an example that demanded artists always strive to be better. This sentiment extended to his admiration for 8 Ball & MJG, whom he initially hadn't met during the first two and a half years of his career despite them being perceived as partners by the public. Bun B notes that whenever they traveled, 8 Ball and MJG had already been there, leaving black-and-white photos on radio station walls before Bun B's group even arrived, illustrating their established dominance in the industry.
The narrative shifts to the gritty origins of their success, rooted in a time when Bun B lived in a trap house in Houston selling weed just two blocks away from Swat House studio. This proximity fostered long-lasting friendships built on shared experiences and music creation within that neighborhood before Bun B left due to his television show, which ironically coincided with the raid on the house. Bun B emphasizes that their bond with Tony Draper, owner of a local record store, began before their musical careers took off, as Tony watched them closely from Houston while his partner in Memphis monitored the scene. This network of relationships was crucial, as it influenced how quickly they signed and the terms they secured, with industry figures noting they sold out too fast compared to others like Russell Washington.
A significant portion of the discussion centers on Bun B's favorite album, *Ridin' Dirty*, which he praises for its completeness and the way Pimp C concluded it by shouting out everyone involved. The conversation takes a serious turn when Bun B addresses the issue of Larry Hoover, whom he describes as a political prisoner who has been incarcerated for thirty years despite beating his state case. Bun B expresses deep concern that Hoover is still held by the federal government to prevent him from wielding influence, especially given his age and deteriorating health. He argues that while some criminals have been released, Hoover has already paid his debt to society, and keeping him imprisoned denies him the chance to enjoy his family and spirit, a situation Bun B finds commendable yet unjust. Ultimately, Bun B concludes that the federal system fails to recognize that Hoover's time has served its purpose, leaving him in circumstances that are not right for a man of his stature and history.
Read the full video transcript
They were amazing. [clears throat]
But, I had more of a relationship with
Thug than I had with Mike. That's why I
say
>> was always a very private person.
>> Correct. And I respected that. But, Mr.
Mike, he he would just want to show up,
do his job, and then go on about his
business. You know what I'm saying? But,
man, he was rapping at a high level,
bro.
>> [laughter]
>> He was rapping at a high [ __ ]
level. You know what I'm saying? I
didn't consider him competition. I
considered him an example.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> Like, that's how you supposed to make
sure you sound like that every time. Cuz
they they first album was ridiculous.
>> Ridiculous, man.
>> You know what I'm saying? I was like,
man, this this dude Mike cold, man. I
don't know, man.
>> Cold.
>> It was he was he he wasn't somebody that
made me second-guess myself, but it was
like, you better make sure at all times
you rapping as good as this or better.
>> up.
>> Or better, because this is how it's
done.
>> Yeah, we on Boss Talk 101. 101. Yeah, we
going to talk
>> Think about your voice, man, and
thinking about how you are lyrically,
and thinking about Mr. Mike, and if I
could have got a track with y'all on it
together, by the love of that, God,
y'all.
>> Listen, man.
>> I'm sure he heard it as much as I heard
it.
>> I would have loved that.
>> Everybody.
>> even know, man. That would have killed
the game.
>> And so,
>> it'd have been over.
>> At the time,
I lived in a I be I can be honest cuz
it's it's it's a I lived in a trap
house. I was living in Houston, and we
were selling weed and pills and [ __ ] out
of the house. And we lived two blocks
away from Swat House studio.
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> We lived in the same neighborhood. Their
studio house and our house was in the
same neighborhood.
>> always say we bun was the one we seen
first. Thug told me the same thing.
>> They all came down the street. It was
two blocks down the street.
>> They
>> They all came down the street. It was
two BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET. WE HAD
ALREADY had a a bit OF A RELATIONSHIP.
>> [laughter]
>> BUT, YEAH, YOU KNOW MAN, EVERYBODY USED
TO COME THROUGH the house to come get
some weed and hang out and [ __ ] like
that, and we'd be playing music and
making music, and other people come and
play music, and it was It was time, man.
It was a really, really good time. But,
we built so many friendships,
long-lasting friendships off of selling
weed.
>> [laughter]
>> But, it was crazy because we only
trapped out of that house for so long
because I had a show on a Saturday. So,
I left and on that day they kicked the
door in.
>> Damn.
>> The day I left, the door got kicked in.
>> You know, the the thing I say, man, is
you just Man, you don't you don't
understand. If I'd have got that, boy,
I'd have been I know it would have been
crazy cuz you got to think about y'all
timing, man. All of y'all in the '90s,
bro. It wasn't nothing like none of
y'all. That's why my music I argue with
everybody and I tell them even when I
had like if I have anybody on there,
Ice-T, anybody, I was going to be like,
"Man, UGK." Cuz it was it was us down
here and we was we respected what was
built down here.
>> We [clears throat] all loved South
Circle as a group.
>> Correct.
>> They were amazing. But, I had more of a
relationship with Thorough.
>> Yeah, yeah, you did.
>> Mike was always a very private person
and I respected that. But, Mr. Mike, he
he would just want to show up, do his
job, and then go on about his business.
You know what I'm saying? Man, he was
rapping at a high level, bro.
>> [laughter]
>> He was rapping at a high [ __ ]
level. You know what I'm saying? I
didn't consider him competition. I
considered him an example.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> Like, that's how you supposed to make
sure you sound like that every time. Cuz
they they first album was ridiculous.
>> Ridiculous.
>> You know what I'm saying? I was like,
"Man, this This dude Mike cold, man. I
don't know, man."
Cold. Like, it was he was he wasn't
somebody that made me second-guess
myself, but it was like, "You better
make sure at all times you rapping as
good as this."
>> It's going to be up.
>> Or better because this is how it's done.
This is really how it's done. You know
what I'm saying? We had that level of
respect for people. We had Oh my god,
all the years of of
>> 8 Ball was one. He was the same way.
>> and I'mma tell you 8 Ball and MJG. 8
Ball and MJG. Um
Everywhere we would go,
we were
a week or a month after them.
>> Mhm.
>> Everywhere we went, they had already
been. Every radio station we went to,
they already had the black and white of
them on the wall.
And we hadn't we didn't meet 8 Ball and
MJG for at least the first 2 and 1/2
years of being artists. But everybody
just assumed we was all partners.
>> [laughter]
>> Everybody was like, "When the last time
you seen 8Ball & MJG?" I'm like, "My
[ __ ] I ain't never seen 8Ball & MJG.
I ain't never met them [ __ ] I was
excited to hopefully meet them one day
and finally did and they were exactly
who they were supposed to be."
>> Wow.
>> They were exactly who the records told
us they were. And I was like, "See,
that's how you do it."
>> Right.
>> You have to be You cannot present a fake
version of yourself cuz eventually
everybody will meet you, everybody will
see you, and they'll be able to call
[ __ ]
>> Bro, you respect them, they respect the
respect y'all have for each other.
>> Oh, it's We were We were We were
contemporary. We walked the same path.
They said I'll tell you this.
Tony Draper used to own a record store
in Houston.
>> Shout out to Tony.
>> used to go to that record store before
8Ball & MJG and before UGK. I used to go
to that record store. So, our
relationship with Tony started before
music. And so, Tony was watching us cuz
we came out probably around the same
time, but Tony was in Houston. His
partner was in Memphis. So,
he was watching what we were doing. He
ended up having a relationship with
Russell Washington as well. And they
watched when we signed, how quickly we
signed, and how much money he got. And
he really He was like, "They sold too
quick."
>> I'm telling you now, man, when I think
about just this event, I'm getting back
to my Ridin' Dirty, my favorite album of
all times. Ain't nobody better. Y'all
Y'all can holler up whatever you want to
holler. They know this, too. I just feel
like it's a non-skip and and it's
everything that a person could do on a
album. The way Pimp ended it, the way he
talked and just shouted everybody out on
that thing, man, just crazy to me.
>> Oh, the Free Larry Hoover was probably
the most
>> Come on, man.
>> was the craziest thing.
>> Come on, man.
>> Cuz it was literally like
he's talking about everything else. And
then he pauses. And he's like, "Free
Larry Hoover."
>> Mhm.
>> Free Larry Hoover.
>> Always.
>> Free Larry Hoover. You know what I'm
saying?
I was like, man, this is wild. I'm like,
this is wild cuz it's deep because we we
acknowledge him being a political
prisoner.
>> Damn right.
>> what I'm saying?
>> And to see he's still 30 years and he's
still not free.
>> 30
>> Meaning 30
>> years in yeah, yeah. No, he
he he beat the state case but it's still
the feds.
>> I talked to Larry the other day, Junior.
>> So,
and Junior became a good friend of ours
because of the fact that, you know, we
was shouting Larry out and they knew we
didn't know Larry Hoover but we being
around J Prince we understood the
situation. I understood that, you know,
some of our community activists are
being presented in a certain way. Now I
can't argue about what the man did or
what the dick man didn't do, that's not
for me to do. But I do believe that he's
being held
um just to keep him from having the
power of influence.
>> That's right.
>> You know what I'm saying? Cuz I believe,
you know, Chicago is a very volatile
city right now. You know what I'm
saying? I understand it and the
structure has changed a little bit, you
know, they used to have chiefs and
different people like that who could
speak to
>> old.
>> He's 75.
>> You don't understand what I mean?
>> Yeah, no, he's he's far too old and you
know, his his health is is not as good
as it used to be.
>> Exactly.
>> And I don't really know
>> go home and enjoy his family.
>> and spirit that this man has to survive
in these circumstances for so long is is
commendable. You know what I'm saying?
But we all realize that, you know, as
strong as he is mentally the physical
side of it is starting to break down.
You know what I'm saying? And if the
quality of life that he has in prison
now is not is not right. You know what
I'm saying? And I've seen worse
criminals than him be released.
You know what I'm saying? So,
there's already been one court system
that realized he's paid his debt to
society. But the federal government does
not see it that way.
>> [music]
>> Yeah, we on Boss Talk 101. Yeah, we
going to talk