For hip-hop fans, Bun B has been a household name for more than three decades. Born Bernard Freeman, the Houston native moved at age 12 to nearby Port Arthur, where he formed the duo UGK (Underground Kingz) with fellow rapper Pimp C (Chad Butler) in 1991. Since then, Bun B has collaborated with a “who’s who” of hip-hop, including OutKast, Lil Wayne, Drake, and T-Pain, along with fellow Houstonians Beyoncé and Paul Wall. UGK’s brand of swaggering, twangy rap incorporated elements of bayou blues and soulful gospel, and it helped define the sound of Southern hip-hop.
In 2000, UGK catapulted into the national spotlight after appearing on Jay-Z’s hit song “Big Pimpin’,” and in 2007, their eponymous album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. But Pimp C’s tragic death the same year of that release cut UGK’s tenure short. Even after his friend and collaborator’s passing, Bun B forged a notable solo career that produced five studio albums, two of which hit No. 1 on Billboard rap charts.
More recently, Bun B has emerged as a restaurateur, apparel designer, college lecturer, and one of Houston’s most recognizable faces. After his food venture Trill Burgers hosted pop-ups for two years, the brand opened its first brick-and-mortar in the Montrose neighborhood in 2023. In addition to regular sports merchandise collaborations with the Astros and Texans, Bun B has organized a series of musical showcases at the Houston Rodeo since 2002. He’s brought in artists like Erykah Badu, Nelly, and Tobe Nwigwe—a hallmark of the hip-hop hero’s ability as a community connector.
Through it all, Bun B has kept it trill—a portmanteau of “true” and “real” that he popularized and has made synonymous with his persona. “Being trill is about being a stand-up individual, even when you don’t have to be,” the rapper says. “Even when representing where you’re from would not benefit you in the moment, you still do.”
Enjoying this article?Texas Highways: When you started making hip-hop music, Houston was an outpost compared to the East and West Coast cultural centers of New York and LA. What did it mean to help put the city on the map?
Bun B: In the early days, Pimp C and I were just happy to be a part of it. But the more we toured, the more people we met, we realized that the music was spreading. That gave a different level of importance to what we were saying. Once you realize you’re starting to influence people and the culture, it’s like, OK, what do we really stand for? What are we going to give out to the world that’s bigger than just us? You start thinking differently. You start recording differently—not changing who you are but digging deeper inside yourself.
TH: What did you uncover in yourself at that point?
BB: I wanted to disprove the notion that we weren’t necessarily lyrical here in the South. It influences people to consider being lyrical when they decide to be a part of hip-hop from the South. It’s not a necessity, but it’s an option. If anyone wants to step into that arena, they won’t feel out of place. Lyricism is not something that comes solely with an East Coast accent.
TH: You’ve talked about the influence of one of your English teachers. Is that where your love of language started?
BB: 10th grade. 1989. Mr. Agnew. I fell in love with literature and words and hip-hop all at the same time. It worked perfectly for me because hip-hop ended up becoming the conduit that I used to express my newfound love for words. I really took to journaling in those years. And in that class, he would pick certain people to get up and recite what they had written in their journal. And he just started picking me more and more often and took notice of the fact that I really had a penchant for writing.
TH: Port Arthur and Houston are very different, but they’re both Gulf Coast towns. How are they alike?
BB: I think it’s just that will to succeed. In a small town, there’s always that drive to try to make it in the big city. And in the big city you’re trying to prove that you can make it anywhere.
TH: How did you get started with Trill Burgers?
BB: It was brought to me by two friends of mine, Nick Scurfield and Andy Nguyen. I’d known Andy through the clothing business, and I’d known Nick through his association with the Houston Texans. Andy had transitioned into food. Nick had transitioned into branding and marketing, and Andy was one of his clients. Andy was looking to go into another venture and looking for a potential partner. I tried the burger, and the rest is history.
TH: Is the rap game like the restaurant game?
BB: Oh, absolutely. I marketed the burger like it was an album. I took it on a promo tour. I had to pay a lot of fees to get set up to be in spaces like music festivals. Then, by winning best burger in America [from Good Morning America], it’s pretty much best new artist. Now, people pay us to come to music festivals and set up. We’ve done Coachella, Something in the Water, Lyrical Lemonade, Rolling Loud. We’ve done Grammy after-parties. This burger has traveled all over America and is soon to be traveling all over the world.
TH: You’re a rapper, designer, college lecturer, restaurateur, and more. How do you have time for it all, and where does that drive come from?
BB: As you get older, you hit a point where you realize maybe there’s less time in front of you than behind you. So, you want to make sure that you leave it all on the table. I’m blessed, and doors are opening to new paths every day. I just really want to lead by example for this next generation—to dream bigger and go for it.
TH: What do you love most about Houston?
BB: That it loves back. I’ve been to every city that considers itself a cultural hub, and I look at the legends. You go to Hollywood, and you look at all the older actors. You go to New York, and you look at all the older hip-hop artists. Nobody holds their own down better than Texas, specifically Houston. They always show up in numbers with energy and enthusiasm for us, and it’s super encouraging because I don’t see other cities celebrate their elders in that way.
TH: You worked with the Astros on merchandise that celebrated DJ Screw last year. Why has it been important to you to not just talk about your legacy but also honor other artists?
BB: DJ Screw was a great friend of mine. He’s had a huge impact on hip-hop culture worldwide. I love the idea of the Astros wanting to celebrate that and deepen their connection culturally with the city. Because it’s bigger than us. All of us individually recognize that the collective is the endgame. It’s not about what I’ve done in Houston or what Houston has done for me. It’s about what we’ve collectively done for Houston, which makes Houston what it is. Celebrating us is celebrating Houston.
TH: You’ve been called Houston’s unofficial mayor. Is there any chance you would consider going into politics?
BB: I’ve always considered it, but it’s really a thankless job. Right now, no one in Houston has any good reason to not like me. Quite frankly, I think that would change if I became a politician.
