Only a few might recognize Jay-Z's reference to UGK in "99 Problems" but Bun B doesn't seem to take any issue with that. During a recent interview on The People's Party With Talib Kweli, Bun B reflected on Jay-Z using his bars from "Touched" on The Black Album highlight.
Kweli noted that not everyone is aware that Jay used his bars on the third verse of "99 Problems." However, Bun B said he feels it was a way that Jay-Z showed respect to him and Pimp C.
Young Jeezy, Bun B, Jay Z and Bernard Hopkins during Young Jeezy Launch Party at the Hugh Hefner Suite in the Palm Hotel at Hugh Hefner Suite in the Palm Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
"But I don’t feel like it’s that big of a deal. I would call it mutual respect," he said. "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.'”
Bun went on to explain that Jay-Z ultimately put more people onto UGK's Ridin' Dirty hit by using his lyrics.
HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 07: Bun B performs during Future and Friends One Big Party Tour at Toyota Center on January 07, 2023 in Houston, Texas.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
"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," he continued. "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.”
Check out the clip below.
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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