No one starts their career as a legend, and there was one point in time in which Bun B never thought he'd get a phone call from Jay-Z. Moreover, during an interview on UPROXX's "Fresh Pair" series, the UGK legend recalled a funny story about how the duo linked up with Hov for their smash hit "Big Pimpin'." For those unaware of the show's premise, fellow hip-hop legend Just Blaze and sneaker artist Katty Customs made Bun customized sneakers honoring his career path. After the renowned producer described his reaction to the New York and Houston crossover (around the 11:30 minute mark of the episode below), the Texas icon explained how the Brooklyn icon tapped them to collaborate in the first place.
"I thought the call was a prank,” Bun B revealed of the "Can I Live" MC's first phone call to him. “It was a blocked number. I was like, ‘Who’s this?’ He was like, ‘It’s Jay-Z,’ and I was like, ‘Yo, stop playing on my phone,’ and I hung up." However, when he called back and Bun recognized his voice, he realized how big he had made it.
Bun B Recalls Thinking That Jay-Z's Phone Call Was A Prank
Elsewhere during their conversation, the Trillstatik legend also explained how his late and great partner Pimp C initially didn't vibe with the song. In addition, as hard as it may be to believe, they were both quite hesitant on "Big Pimpin'" due to the lackluster release of an earlier single. Of course, the rest is history, and the track is now one of the most iconic, beloved, and scene-bending hits of any corner of 2000s hip-hop. Also, it resulted in a killer music video, of which Bun B also had a comical anecdote to share. While they filmed in Trinidad and Tobago, Pimp hilariously reacted to someone asking him to take off his mink coat during the shoot.
Meanwhile, the Southern pioneer found a lot of success elsewhere in his storied and legendary path. Now, he's the proud owner and architect behind his own restaurant, Trill Burgers, in Houston, at which he recently linked up with Drake. He's one of the greats of all time, and it's amazing to see that there's still so much more to learn, uncover, and look back on with this genre's history and leaders. On that note, keep checking in with HNHH for the latest on Jay-Z and Bun B.
