Who We Are: UGK, the Underground Kingz
We're UGK: Underground Kingz, a hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas. Two names carry the crown: Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman. Here's the short version of who we are, and why the shield on our merch looks the way it does.
Where does the name UGK come from?
Underground Kingz, with a z. We picked the name because our country rap was so full of slang and twang that people outside the South couldn't get into it. The name stuck, and it's written right on the ribbon of our crowned shield.
Who are Pimp C and Bun B?
Pimp C was our producer and a rapper, with a high-voiced delivery, and he played several instruments by ear. Bun B is the other half, known for his speeding-train delivery. Pimp C passed away on December 4, 2007. Every UGK design carries both of them.
When did UGK start?
In the late 1980s, in Port Arthur. By 1992 we had signed to Jive Records, and our major-label debut, Too Hard to Swallow, came out that year, after the independent EP The Southern Way.
What does UGK sound like?
Southern hip-hop and country rap, proudly from Texas. That sound runs through every album, from Too Hard to Swallow and Ridin' Dirty to UGK 4 Life.
What is on the merch?
The crown and the shield. Our designs use the crowned UGK shield in red, maroon and gold, the "Underground Kingz" ribbon, 4 LIFE in bold yellow, and the shape of Texas for home. Each design comes on tees, long sleeves, crewnecks and hoodies.
Want the story behind the records? Read the albums behind our designs.