Bun B
Veteran rappers Bun B and Raekwon get together at the behest of HipHopWired and they dropped all the triple OG knowledge you should have expected.
The acclaimed digital series I Got Questions returns to ensure that it’s the gift that keeps on giving, as this episode features two of Hip-Hop’s most official and highly respected MCs—UGK’s Bun B and Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon. The two veteran rappers and good friends sat down to talk about their careers, influences, and vital moments.
One of the conversation’s highlights was all about fashion and swagger, centered on the famous “Snow Beach” pullover jacket by Ralph Lauren that Raekwon wore in Wu-Tang Clan’s classic video “Can It All Be So Simple.” Bun B displayed his own “Snow Beach” jacket, telling the Staten Island, New York, native, “You created the most sought-after Polo piece ever.” Raekwon then shared that since the Clan didn’t have a budget, he went to find the most colorful shirt ever for the video, stumbling upon the jacket in a downtown Brooklyn store. “I had to look around, like no way that s—t is sitting in here.”
Another key moment highlighted a tough time that proved to be a bonding moment between Bun B and Raekwon is when the former was struggling with the loss of his UGK bandmate Pimp C, and the RZA reached out to him. “We just talked about grief and loss, and that was my first conversation with that brother,” the Port Arthur, Texas, native said. “It was such a blessing. It was words like that, that really gave me strength in the moment – eventually, I’m going to find a way to deal with this and move forward.”
The conversation also features Bun B talking about how he and Pimp C almost didn’t do their iconic collaboration “Big Pimpin’” with Jay-Z, and Raekwon sharing about the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan, particularly about him being one of the group’s artists chosen to get a solo deal with another label.
Check out the entire episode of I Got Questions featuring Bun B and Raekwon above.
Source: Hip-Hop Wired / iOne Digital
HipHopWired Featured Video
While the legend of Bun B’s Trill Burgers continues to grow and people who live outside of Texas can only daydream about getting a bite out of what Good Morning America dubbed the best burger in the U.S., the rapper and educator is out here doing more good with his food franchise as the people of Houston recover from the damage left behind by Hurricane Beryl.
Uproxx is reporting that over the weekend, Bun B’s Trill Burgers collaborated with Kroger’s grocery chain to help give away 500 meals to residents of Houston as they deal with the fallout of the monstrous hurricane that left tons of damage in its wake. With the help of Bun B and dozens of volunteers, hundreds of people were able to get themselves some good grub for free after making their way down to Bethel’s Family Church.
Not one to shy away from helping his fellow Houstonians in need of a hand, Bun B rubbed on some elbow grease and took part in the handing out of meals himself while at the church.
But the grind didn’t stop there. Bun B and his team continued their mission the very next day (July 13) and with the help of Levis, Lone Star Tents & Events, and Kroger, they handed out 713 burgers and bottled waters at Houston Galleria.
In a video promoting the giveaway, Bun B explained how to get your burger if you happen to be in the area.
Put some respeck on that man’s name if you haven’t already.
What do y’all think of Bun B’s initiative to help those affected by Hurricane Beryl? Let us know in the comments section below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Bun B and his wife, Queenie, were the victims of a 2019 home invasion that ended with the armed robber being shot and eventually arrested. Facing the robber in court this week, Bun B was rendered emotional after sharing that his wife is still suffering from the event.
Local outlet KTRK aired a report about Bun B testifying in court against the defendant, Demonte Jackson, an event that took five years to occur as Jackson reportedly struggled with mental health issues. After the Houston rapper and entrepreneur took the stand, he opened by stating to the defense how the 2019 incident was so horrifying that his wife never returned to the home.
From KTRK:
“This was an entirely new traumatizing incident,” Bun B said. “This is something we still deal with to this day.”
“There are times when she gets closed off. She can’t communicate, and I just get so angry all over again because she didn’t deserve this. She didn’t ask for this,” he continued, getting visibly emotional.
Bun B, real name Bernard Freeman, then began to detail how he eventually came to his wife’s aid after she warned him not to approach the robber from an upper-level room because she was fearful that Jackson would kill her. Jackson then made his way to the couple’s garage with Bun B opening fire and striking Jackson who then fled on foot but was later captured by the rapper.
The outlet added in its report that Queenie, real name Angela Walls, was also set to take the stand.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Bun B has the hottest thing coming out of Houston since “Still Tippin’” in his wildly popular Trill Burgers. But now, it seems like Bun B’s baby is at the center of a court case with several allegations being thrown around.
According to Chron, Bun B and his ex-associates and co-founders of Trill Burgers, Patsy, and Benson Vivares, are duking it out in a court of law as both sides are accusing each other of theft.
In 2023 Bun B, Andy Nguyen, and Nick Scurfield filed a lawsuit against the Vivares brothers alleging that the two had stolen $45,000 from the company’s coffers. Turning the tables on Bun B and company, Patsy, and Benson filed a counter lawsuit in which they claim that Bun B, Nguyen, and Scurfield not only stole their smash burger idea but also the original recipe, which led to Trill Burgers being crowned the best burger in America.
Represented by Saad Aziz and Walter “Web” Beard of Aziz and Beard Trial Law, the Vivareses are claiming that they linked up with Andy Nguyen in 2021 when they were looking for a new menu item to add to their Sticky’s Chicken restaurant menu.
Chron reports:
“[The Vivareses] spent a lot of time and energy developing the recipe,” Aziz said. “They are the ones who kind of came up with the specifics of the smashburger … now called the OG Trill Burger.”
According to the counterclaims made by the Vivareses, the siblings and Nguyen in July 2021 connected and partnered with Bun B, who had known Nguyen since 2010 and was said to be a fan of Sticky’s Chicken. At the time, Bun B was approached by the Vivareses through a meeting facilitated by Nguyen and Nick Scurfield, founder of the public relations firm Scurfield Group who at the time listed Sticky’s Chicken as a client. According to court documents, the initial meeting was set up to test the rapper’s interest in “being involved with the promotion” of the burger.
A partnership over the smashburger concept was confirmed on July 22, with each partner assuming a percentage of ownership, according to court documents. An email sent to each partner outlined the partnership, indicating that the Vivareses and Nguyen together would retain a 50 percent share, Bun B would have 40 percent, and Scurfield would retain the remaining 10 percent. It is unclear how ownership was split between Nguyen and the Vivareses, though court documents claim that the Vivareses are entitled to 33.4 percent. By Jan. 4 , 2022, a limited liability company was established for Trill Burgers.
Damn! We thought this was Bun B’s secret recipe, but the Vivares are claiming that it’s theirs. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in court and who came up with the recipe that put Trill Burgers on the map.
Still, the Trill Burger made its debut in February of 2022 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and was a massive hit. The Vivares brothers ran the pop-up themselves and cooked thousands of burgers that day bringing in quite the haul.
As for the $45,000 that Bun B’s team claimed was stolen by the Vivareses, the brothers admitted in texts to “misappropriating” the money but said that all the partners were aware that they would use the profits from the pop-up to pay off Sticky’s mounting debts.
The Vivareses are seeking $1 million from Bun B, Scurfield, Nguyen, and Trill Burgers, LLC, saying they not only stole their recipe for Trill Burgers but also poached their chef, Mike Pham, in the process.
What do y’all think of the drama surrounding Trill Burgers? Let us know in the comments section below.
—
Photo: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
This past Tuesday night (March 12), Bun B blew the roof off of NRG Stadium in Houston when he held the 2024 RodeoHouston concert, which featured the likes of Rick Ross, Nelly and Lil Jon amongst others. But fans in attendance got a surprise treat when the King of The North touched down in the big state down South.
That’s right, Drizzy Drake made a surprise guest appearance towards the end of the show and was introduced as “our newest resident” by the Hip-Hop OG. “Please make some noise for Drizzy Drake!” Bun B said. Rolling up like a boss and donning some Texas-ish attire, Drake took to the stage before the roaring crowd and delved into a few of his hits from his illustrious catalogue including “N 2 Deep,” SICKO MODE” and “November 18th.”
With the crowd eating out of his hand with every bar he delivered, Drake gave everyone in attendance something to remember before retreating into the night and possibly getting some Trill Burgers courtesy of Bun B himself.
Say what you want about Drake, but the man does know how to put on a show. Check out some more videos of Drake getting into the spirit of Houston’s Rodeo show below. Let us know if you were there to witness greatness in the comments section.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
Bun B recently discussed his involvement with the Houston Rodeo as well as the lineup for his upcoming All-American Takeover, including Rick Ross.
[embedded content]
Veteran rapper Bun B is a true representative of his home state of Texas, and in a recent interview, he shared how he got to be involved with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for his Takeover concert series celebrating Black cowboys and their contributions to Western culture. In speaking with The Madd Hatta on his Majic 102.1 radio show, the UGK MC was asked about how he got involved.“So, I had been part of a sounding board for the rodeo for a couple of years,” Bun B began, “They would come and sit with me and ask my opinion on different directions they wanted to go in.” Bun B had first performed at the event back in 2007 when Beyonce delivered her concert performance.
He continued: “There was a relationship that was formed. And then two years ago they asked, “Hey if we gave you a day, what would you do?” Just like that. And I had this very grandiose idea of bringing all these people in and we just gotta get a jet, and all that.” The “Still Trill” rapper then revealed that his wife helped him scale down his plans a bit. “That just seems like a whole lot of trouble. Why don’t you just bring a bunch of Houston people ‘cause they all live here, they can just drive,” he said.
That led to the H-Town Takeover, which featured Paul Wall, Lil Keke, Lil Flip, and Slim Thug in 2022. In its second year, the Southern Takeover featured Erykah Badu, Big K.R.I.T., Big Mike, David Banner, MJG, and Scarface. For this third year, the All-American Takeover looks to be just as huge as Rick Ross will take the stage along with Nelly, Too Short, and E-40 along with That Mexican OT. More artists are expected to be announced. The show will take place on March 12 to close out the festivities, and it will be held at Houston’s NRG Stadium. The rodeo itself will kick off on February 27. Tickets for the All-American Takeover can be found on the Houston Rodeo’s website.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Supreme / Supreme
SUPREME is taking their talents to H-Town. The brand has announced a UGK collection celebrating Ridin’ Dirty.
Source: Supreme / Supreme
The streetwear brand has partnered with Bun B to launch a series of apparel items to celebrate the duo’s iconic third studio album. On Monday, Feb 12 the “Let Me See It” MC took to Instagram to make the announcement. “UGK X @supremenewyork Spring/Summer ‘24 #RidinDirty” he wrote. While the brief caption didn’t give many details on the forthcoming the drop it was the visuals that got Hip-Hop fans excited.
Accompanying the post were three photos featuring a hooded sweatshirt and a set of fitted caps. The hoodie in question features both the UGK and SUPREME logos on the chest and some of the promotional copy from the album’s original roll out (“The Trill-Ass Partnas Return”). As expected the hats follow suit with the logo lockup and come in three different colors including black, burgundy and blue.
Recently SUPREME unveiled their forthcoming spring summer 2024 collection. To no surprise this season prominently features their iconic logo over some streetwear staples including a red varsity jacket, polos, graphic t-shirts, branded denim, mesh shorts and more. Additionally, a SUPREME x Ducati Streetfighter V4 Motorcycle that is sure to go for big money. At this time there is no release date for the UGK capsule collection.
You can preview more of SUPREME’s spring summer 2024 collection here.
Source: Supreme / Supreme
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
Bun B’s Trill Burgers have become the hottest menu item in the Hip-Hop culture since Popeye’s introduced their chicken sandwich (that actually led to violence out in the streets), but unfortunately the now famous hamburger is hard to come by and if you’re in Houston, Texas representing a sports team that rivals that of Bun B’s hometown heroes, good luck getting served a patty.
In a recent interview with The Houston Chronicle, Bun B admitted that though he loves serving his famous Trill Burgers to any and everyone who wants to take a bite of his creation, it might be a problem if you’re on a visiting sports team such as the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or LA Dodgers. Keeping it a buck and showing loyalty to his Houston Texans and Houston Astros teams, Bun made it clear that though he’s a business man, he’s a full-blown Houstonian first and foremost.
The Houston Chronicle reports:
“First thing, I did was, ‘Hey, do you guys mind if we feed the Dolphins?,’” Bun said inside NRG Stadium about an hour before Sunday’s kickoff.
Trill Burgers was delivered to the Dolphins players without any issues. Bun admits that might not always be the case, but that has more to do with him being a die-hard Houston sports fan than anything to do with the Texans’ wishes.
“I’ll just be very honest, if we’re playing the Cowboys, that could present a problem. If the Astros are playing the Yankees or the Dodgers, that could present a problem,” Bun said . “So, we have to take all that kind of stuff into consideration, but I am not trying to spoil this beautiful relationship that I have with the Texans to feed anybody.”
We can’t even be mad at that. This is what diehard sports fan are supposed to feel.
That being said it looks like players from the Yankees, Dodgers and Cowboys might have to send assistants or something to the Trill Burgers brick-and-mortar spot if they want to get a taste of what Bun B’s been cooking on the grill. Small price to pay for what’s considered the best burger in America if you ask us. If anything they can just go to any old Burger King in Houston and have it their way if they wish.
What do y’all think of Bun B’s assertion that serving some of his famous burgers to rival sports team might be problematic? Let us know in the comments section below.
HipHopWired Radio
Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Marco Torres / @MarcoFromHouston
As Hip-Hoppers continue to await for the moment they’re able to take a bite out of the best burger in America, Bun B’s Trill Burger, Drake vacated his throne to the North and flew South (on a dragon probably) just to feast on the most hyped Hip-Hop hamburger in history.
According to TMZ, Drake headed down to Houston to check out Bun B’s first official brick-and-mortar Trill Burgers establishment on Juneteenth, and after being greeted by the Hip-Hop legend personally, Drizzy sank his teeth into what he said was “the best burger I ever had.” Damnit! We want one… or two. Depends on how monstrous of a munchie session we get.
TMZ reports:
Drake and Bun have been tight ever since the Toronto rapper broke into the game, and says he opts to refer to Bun as a “mentor” rather than an “OG.”
As fate would have it, Drake’s other H-Town mentor, Rap-A-Lot Records CEO J Prince, was also in the building and they dapped it up like always.
Y’all know if Drake in Houston, J Prince isn’t going to be too far behind. Just sayin.’
Drake is the latest rapper in a growing line of MC’s who’ve had the pleasure of getting a bite out of the now legendary beef burger as others like Tyler, the Creator, Fat Joe and Jadakiss promptly gave Bun B his flowers after experiencing what he’d been perfecting in the kitchen all these years.
Can Bun B send a few our way though? Hook us up, Triple-OG!
Check out videos of their reactions below and let us know if you’ve had the pleasure of eating a Trill Burger in the comments section below.
[embedded content]
HipHopWired Radio
Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Veteran rapper Bun B took time to reflect on Jay-Z’s apparent usage of his lyrics for one of his hits and on their relationship in an interview.
The “Still Trill” rapper sat down as the guest on the most recent episode of the People’s Party with Talib Kweli podcast. At about the halfway mark the discussion soon turned to his feelings about the revelation that the first four lines of the third verse of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” were taken from Bun B’s verse from the UGK song “Touched.” The track was on their iconic 1996 album Ridin’ Dirty. “99 Problems” would go on to be one of the standout hits from The Black Album.
“I feel like enough people know,” the Port Arthur, Texas native said. “But I don’t feel like it’s that big of a deal. I would call it mutual respect. We do this a lot in Hip-Hop, right? Where we have artists who have said, ‘Fuck that was dope, the way he said that.’ And sometimes you wanna pay homage to that wordplay. How many songs, Kweli, have you listened to and been like, ‘I woulda rhymed that last part like this.’”
He continued plainly: And I think that’s what happens. I think you feel like, ‘This is a dope rhyme, I don’t think enough people heard this shit. I’m finna drop this shit in here.’ Sometimes you take a dope rhyme and make it a hook, and then people gotta go back and figure it out. But nah, I don’t think a lot of people know that. I don’t think it’s a big deal that they don’t know. Or a big deal if they do.”
The Trill Burgers founder has often spoken about his connection with Jay-Z, dating back to Pimp C’s guest verse on “Big Pimpin” from Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. In the years since Pimp C’s passing, Bun B has shared that his UGK partner had initial misgivings about appearing on the track out of respect for the late 2Pac.
“So, 2Pac was not a Jay-Z fan, this is very well-known,” Bun B said in another podcast interview. “Jay-Z had been introduced to UGK by a big DJ in New York named Clark Kent. And he’s like, ‘I like these guys, I wanna work with them.’ And Pimp C did not want to fuck with people that 2Pac did not fuck with, because he thought 2Pac was the best judge of character.”
Check out the entire podcast episode below.
[embedded content]
-
Pages