Last month, HipHopDX went to Universal Fontana offices to get an early listen to Bun B‘s Trill O.G., and speak on-camera to the Rap icon. During the listening session of what became the album released August 3rd, Bun B explained that he devoted a year to making this project. Asked about that rare opportunity in 2010, Bun B explained the patient creation, and its affect on the album’s overall sound and polish. “[Trill O.G.] was a lot easier than [II Trillto make. With] this album, we had the time. [Trill] was a neccessity, [II Trill], I felt like I needed to do something to take my mind off of what was going on,” said Bun, referring to the 2008 death of his UGK partner Pimp C. “This one, we had the time and the ability to sit back and make a great album. That’s what we wanted to do – I wanted to try to make a great album. I didn’t feel like I made the quintessential Bun B album. I felt that the potential was there, and the ability was there, but it was about locking in and getting it done.”
With a #4 debut on the Top 200, Trill O.G. has garnered praise from numerous publications, and finds the Port Arthur, Texas emcee sharing the microphone with the likes of Gucci Mane, Twista, and posthumous verses from Pimp C and 2Pac.
Beyond just wanting his most memorable and developed album to date, Bun said that his legendary label’s improvements allowed for a more relaxed, more focused artistic process. “We now have an in-house studio at Rap-A-Lot [Records], so it wasn’t so much about getting time, and getting in and getting stuff recorded. We could go every day at any time and record for as long as we wanted to,” revealed Bun. “That really helped, having that kind of freedom. Not that it took us all day, everyday to record it, but just that when we felt it, we could do it. If we were there and we weren’t feeling it, we’d just shut it down and not have to worry about [that] we bought a block [of studio time], and wasting money or time or whatever.”
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Within the album trilogy, Bun B was asked about the evolution of Trill O.G. With new sounds and styles on the album courtesy of Drake, DJ Premier and T-Pain, Bun states that it was more about growing as an artist and pleasing core fans than attracting new audiences. “At the end of the day, we’re partying over here. At the end of the day, we’re not trying to throw away any old fans or anybody that’s been down just to get somebody else that may want to be down.”
Trill O.G. is in stores now.
