Throughout recent years, UGK had been supported in the major label mainstream by platinum releases from Young Jeezy, T.I. and Young Buck. One of the first artists to work with the duo though, from beyond Texas, was The Big Tymers. On 1998’s How You Luv That Volume 2, the neighboring Texas rappers collaborated with their New Orleans brethren.
On Thursday afternoon, Birdman, whose rap career started with The Big Tymers, spoke exclusively to HipHopDX, about his reaction to Pimp C‘s death in a Hollywood hotel room Tuesday. “I was hurt,” said Birdman of Tuesday’s news. “[Pimp C] and I talked at least once or twice a month, all the time. I’m like that with Bun too. I feel like them niggas is inspiration to me. I talk to Bun just about projects, and Pimp about everything. I was kind of schooling them niggas from my perspective too. I be fuckin’ with them on some artist shit, but the CEO shit I was fuckin’ with them on too, because they wanted the knowledge of it.”
Despite numerous collaborations throughout the last decade, Birdman also explained that he was days away from signing the late rapper/producer. “I was about to do a production deal with Pimp on some beats and shit. I just feel like me, myself, I want ties with everybody. In some kinda way, we need to be linked up and getting some money together. When I heard that, I knew he was out there [in Los Angeles] going to school and everything, it fucked everybody up.”
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Looking back at The Big Tymers’ inception, Birdman added that his duo with Mannie Fresh was largely inspired by their being fans of UGK. “We followed them; We looked up to Bun and Pimp. We formed our whole group around them niggas.”
The CEO of Cash Money Records continued, and stated that Pimp C‘s death was just another event in the string of negativity happening as of late. “We go through so much down here…with [legal woes from] T.I., my son [Lil Wayne], all that, this just looks like a chop. Niggas just got to stand up. Niggas got to be more focused, more aware, because we gone’ ride like we ride; that ain’t about to change. I think niggas just need to be more educated ’cause we don’t need to be in the penitentiary, ’cause ain’t nothin’ happenin’ in that muh’fucka; we can’t feed our families.”
Birdman‘s third solo album, 5 * Stunna, will release next Tuesday, December 11 on Cash Money/Universal Records.
