Bun B already belongs to one of Hip Hop’s greatest ever groups, UGK, but he was close to becoming a member of another legendary Southern rap collective, too.
In a new interview with Apt. 5H, Mannie Fresh revealed that the Texas rap veteran was initially supposed to be a part of the Big Tymers alongside himself and Birdman.
However, industry politics surrounding Cash Money’s then-rivalry with fellow Southern rap powerhouse No Limit Records prevented Bun from officially linking up with Mannie and Baby.
“Bun actually was supposed to be in the Big Tymers. A lot of people don’t know that,” the producer said. “But I think for reasons that — it kinda conflicted because you gotta think about how weird the dynamics of the South were.
“Pimp [C] was doing stuff with No Limit; Bun was doing stuff with us. So I think it would’ve made a rift in their group if any of them would have joined [a No Limit or Cash Money group].”
Despite not joining the Big Tymers, Bun B still appeared on the group’s albums How You Luv That and Big Money Heavyweight, as well as other Cash Money projects such as the Hot Boys‘ Get It How U Live!, Mannie Fresh’s The Mind of Mannie Fresh and Birdman’s Fast Money.
Praising his show-stealing contributions to the label, Mannie said: “I swear, some of the verses that Bun put down on some of the Cash Money shit is like, ‘Oh my God.’ I used to be like, ‘How you gonna keep up with that shit? He just said some incredible shit and his flows!'”
Bun B shared his own interesting slice of Hip Hop history earlier this year when he revealed that UGK turned down the opportunity to record a “Big Pimpin'” sequel with JAY-Z.
Appearing on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion show alongside frequent collaborator Statik Selektah, the Texas rap legend explained that his and Pimp C’s label, Jive Records, wanted them to do a “Big Pimpin’ 2,” but they rejected the request for both creative and financial reasons.
“UGK was Pimp’s baby and he would put his heart and soul into it,” Bun said. “And he didn’t wanna do all of that to get to this point and do one song with somebody and have his legacy perverted. That was the way he looked at it.”
He added: “When we were getting ready to do the next album [2001’s Dirty Money], the label, Jive, was like, ‘Let’s do a ‘Big Pimpin’ 2.’ Let’s buy a JAY-Z verse, let’s buy a beat from Timbaland, let’s get a video from Hype [Williams] and let’s do it again, boys!’”
After revealing that UGK were “$2.5 million in the hole” to their label at that point, Bun questioned whether another big-budget collaboration was a smart decision.
“I was like, ‘If I don’t do a song with JAY-Z and Timbaland, do I still get a Hype Williams video?’” he recalled asking. “It was never, ‘No.’ They were like, ‘Why wouldn’t you want that?’ What? Besides being $2.5 million in the hole from the first song we recorded?”
When asked if a song-for-song swap deal was ever on the table, Bun said he thinks Pimp C wouldn’t have viewed a JAY-Z verse as “equal value to him.”
I doubt Jive Records would’ve allowed Bun B to join the group
That did used to be funny how they both were linking up with each label when they had beef between them. Come to think of it, did Pimp C ever do anything with Cash Money back then and vice versa for Bun B? I can’t think of it. I don’t think I heard Pimp on anything Cash Money related until the posthumous records with Drake.
@Silent_Partner Pimp C shouted out Slim and Baby on Ridin Dirty’s outro
I know about the shoutout. I’m talking about on songs, and when he did that outro, that was after the infamous kick in the door ass whooping that Master P’s goons gave him and those two were no longer fucking with each other. It’s just odd because Pimp C with prime Juvenile and BG would have been nice to hear. He was locked up while Wayne was blowing up.
@Silent _Partner Ridin Dirty was released in 1996. The issue with Pimp C and Master P happened in around 2000.
Bun was on master p-break em off something. I think bun was the only one doing features with cash money artists that werent on cash money for most of the 90’s
I don’t know when the ass whooping happened, but the beef started way before that. His mama said it started after they recorded Break Em Off Something, which was recorded in 1995 and was on Ice Cream Man when P was talking sideways to her, and Pimp felt some kind of way about it. That’s the last time they worked together. Remember that Pimp C started ending shows by saying fuck Master P at the end of his shows after that.
Yeah, just listened to his mom’s old interview on the altercation. It happened during the Ridin’ Dirty sessions, which was recorded in 1995/1996. So before that album completed and after they did the Break Em Off song for P’s album. P caught him slippin’ after they had those problems over his mama.
Yeah, you’re right. His mama said he didn’t want to do the song, so that was the one time he crossed over to No Limit while Pimp was working with them and he was working with Cash Money. Funny that that was the last time they worked together because of the beef starting from setting that session up.
@Silent Partner UGK was featured on the I’m Bout It soundtrack and C-Murder album. Also, they were featured on Mean Green and No Limit Compilation album; after their Ridin Dirty album
I’m just saying what Pimp C’s mother said. She said Break ‘Em Off Something was where it went left and the last song they did together. So those songs were probably already in the can. You know how P did it. That mofo recorded 50 songs in a day and put all that shit out. She also said that that’s why it took so long for Ridin’ Dirty to come out because Pimp was depressed after getting lumped up and fell back for a minute. So that ass whooping definitely happened way before 2000.
You have to remember too that Ice Cream Man was supposed to come out summer of 1995, so that song was done way before that album came out in Spring 1996. Those other songs were probably done then too because she said they did like four or five songs when they did that session. That Mean Green Album especially felt like a bunch of loosies that he put together on an album.
master P n some goons set up Pimp in a hotel room over some beef so this musta been before that beef. Bun a G O D MC manny n birdman dr suess in comparison
Bun was always working with Cash Money while Pimp used to work with Master P and No Limit. They just always had their own separate paths seemed like in the industry but would remain down with each other.
Thank God he wasn’t…
Bun B would outrapped those wack ass Big Tymerz on every track.