Pimp C
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pimp C | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Chad Lamar Butler |
| Born | December 29, 1973 Crowley, Louisiana |
| Died | December 4, 2007 (aged 33) West Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, Producer |
| Years active | 1987—2007 |
| Label(s) | UGK, Rap-a-Lot, Trill |
| Associated acts | UGK, Bun B |
| Website | pimpcmusic.com |
Chad Lamar Butler (December 29, 1973 — December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and producer. He was one half of the influential hip-hop group UGK.
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[edit] Early life
Butler was born in Crowley, Louisiana [1] and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. His father, who played trumpet professionally with Solomon Burke, exposed Butler to a variety of music throughout his youth.[2] Butler studied classical music while in high school, and, as a testament to his singing ability, Butler also received a Division I rating on a tenor solo at a University Interscholastic League choir competition.[3] He began to be interested in hip-hop when a friend of his gave him a Run-DMC album.[4]
[edit] Music career
[edit] UGK
With friend Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, Butler formed the rap group Underground Kingz, colloquially known as UGK. In 1992, Jive Records signed UGK and released Too Hard to Swallow, followed by the critically acclaimed Super Tight. The group's third album, Ridin' Dirty, reached #2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,[5] and their momentum was continued with features on the popular singles "Big Pimpin'" with Jay-Z and "Sippin' on Some Syrup" by Three 6 Mafia. UGK's fourth album, Dirty Money, was distributed in 2001.
Due to Butler's incarceration in 2002, UGK only released two projects prior to 2009: Side Hustles and the eponymous Underground Kingz, the latter of which spawned the hit single "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)", a collaboration with Atlanta's OutKast.
[edit] Arrest and solo debut
In 2002, Pimp C was sentenced to eight years in prison for violating his probation.[6] His arrest was widely protested by the hip-hop community, who immediately initiated a grassroots "Free Pimp C" campaign.[3] While Pimp C was in prison, Jive released Sweet James Jones Stories in 2005, most of which consisted of unreleased freestyle recordings.[6] On December 30, 2005, Pimp C was released from prison and placed on parole until December of 2009.[7]
[edit] Death
Pimp C died on December 4, 2007. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner, Butler suffered respiratory depression caused by an accidental overdose of promethazine and codeine cough syrup coupled with a preexisting sleep apnea condition. Like many other Houston rappers, Pimp C frequently referenced the recreational consumption of "syrup" in his music.[8]
[edit] Legacy
Pimp C undoubtedly played a huge role in shaping the archetypal Houston rapping style. His contemporaries often reference his contributions to the Houston rap scene as indelible.
After his death, Pimp C made posthumous appearances on Bun B's song "Underground Thang" (also featuring fellow Houston rapper Chamillionaire) from II Trill and much later, an as-of-yet untitled track which was to be featured on Chamillionaire's third album Venom. The latter track was produced by Pimp C, marking his final production credit. Chamillionaire announced on June 5th that Venom has been canceled, but another album would be taking its place.[9]
Bun B dedicated the final UGK album, UGK 4 Life, to Pimp C's memory.
YTCracker sampled a lyric referencing the Internet from Butler's I'm Free for the hook on his song Shineback, released in 2006 on the album Nerd Life. In 2009, Method Man & Redman sampled Pimp C for the hook on their song City Lights (featuring Bun B) on the album Blackout! 2.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 2005: Sweet James Jones Stories
- 2006: Pimpalation
- 2009: The Naked Soul of Sweet James Jones[10]
[edit] Singles
- 2006: "I'm Free"
- 2006: "Pourin' Up" (featuring Mike Jones & Bun B)
- 2006: "Knockin' Doorz Down" (featuring P.O.P. & Lil' Keke)
[edit] References
- ^ "Pimp C Last Interview/Tribute". YouTube. 2007-12-07. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTaQDZXplLk.
- ^ "RIP Pimp C - Interview Pt. 1". Cocaine Blunts. Cocaine Blunts. 2007-12-04. http://www.cocaineblunts.com/blunts/?p=739. Retrieved on 2009-06-18.
- ^ a b Pearson, Ryan (2007-12-05). "Chad Butler, 33: Rap musician known as Pimp C". Toronto Star. Associated Press. http://www.thestar.com/News/Obituary/article/282767. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ "FADER 40: Unpublished Pimp C Interview". The Fader. 2008-01-08. http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/1/8/fader-40-unpublished-pimp-c-interview. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ Bush, John (2007). "UGK > Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wzfrxqwgld0e~T1. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David (2007). "Pimp C > Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:09fuxqegldae~T1. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ "Rapper Pimp C released from prison". MSNBC (Associated Press). 2005-12-30. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10653665/.
- ^ Rieken, Kristie (2008-02-05). "Cough syrup found in Pimp C's hotel had no label". Houston Chronicle (Associated Press). http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5515791.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-02.
- ^ http://www.chamillionaire.com/
- ^ http://keepittrill.com/media/2009/04/bun-talks-pimp-solo-album-plans-tribute-shows/
