Bun B is roughly a month removed from the release of his third solo album Trill OG, and a rare classic rating in the Source magazine.The respected southern pioneer sat down with Beats, Boxing and Mayhem earlier this month to discuss what goes in to making a classic Hip-Hop record and what other albums from his past that he feels should have received the honor.
When first asked about which older album he felt deserved a classic rating, Bun B cited UGK’s third album Ridin’ Dirty. The LP’s stature has steadily grown outside of the South over the years due to references from popular artists like Jay-Z, who quoted Bun’s lyrics from “Touched” and “That’s Why I Carry” for his song “99 Problems” and Memphis Bleek’s “Murda Murda,” respectively.
“I feel UGK’s album Riding Dirty was a classic, but I also feel it was a little ahead of its time,” Bun B explained at the Atlanta stop of Red Bull’s EmSee battle tournament. “That’s why I’ve never been upset with UGK not winning any mainstream awards or getting certain accolades because I knew a lot of people didn’t understand what we were doing. We were really talking about things that people weren’t ready to address. We talked about the harsh realities of life when people were still in party mode. So we know everyone wouldn’t be able to grasp it.”
The Source’s classic rating on his latest album has had its critics, and not due to the quality of Bun’s art. The publication has had a tumultuous history post-2000 filled with sexual harrassment lawsuits, editor walkouts, and personal feuds. The last album to receive 5 mics before Bun B was Lil Kim’s 2005 LP Naked Truth. Aside from many feeling the Kim’s offering did not have classic credentials, the revered stature of the 5 mic rating was further damaged due to allegations that then owner Dave Mays was romantically invovled with Lil Kim’s manager.
Aware that debates will be ongoing regarding any album deemed a classic, Bun detailed the ingredients he believes are essential for a Hip-Hop album to cover in order to achieve universal praise. And in doing so, the surviving UGK member emphasized the importance of serious content over entertainment.
“It’s about making music that’s not tied into today. I can make about what’s going on today but don’t speak exactly about the situation,” he stated. “The more general and broad you can make the situation the more general and broader audience you’ll reach. You make a classic album [when] you make an album that speaks to people from all walks of life, all colors of skin and all cultures across the globe. You talk about real-life situations that real people deal with on a daily basis.”
“5 mic albums don’t consist of a lot of club records. 5 mic records don’t consist of alot of records about what you got or what you drive or how big your house is,” Bun continued. “5 mic albums are the kind of albums you listen to when you’re home by yourself. When you wake up in the morning and ride it’s what you listen to. It’s makes just as much sense to you sober as it does when you’re fucked up. It has to make just as much sense when you’re in a good mood or a bad mood. It has to make that sense whether you’re going to the club or going to church. That’s what a classic album consists of.”
Bun B’s TRill OG is available in stores now.
Christoper Daniel contributed to this article.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 