To this day Jay Z's "Big Pimpin'" featuring UGK still bangs when it comes on at any given time. The track comes off Jay's 1999 album Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter and although the song seems like a flawless effort, there was actually some second-guessing behind the collaboration.
Too Short recently chatted with BET and spilled some tea on what really went on with the song. Apparently, Pimp C (who died in 2007) was conflicted with teaming up with Jay since he had beef with Tupac. “Turns out, [Pimp C’s] only logic for not wanting to be on that song was all about Tupac…He said ‘I’m not fuckin’ with nobody that didn’t fuck with Tupac,'” Short says in the video below.
Even though UGK (Pimp C & Bun B) never worked with Tupac they ran in the same circles and had the same friends so the same respect was on the table. “I was one of the people who was sayin’, ‘Man, just do it,'” Short adds, explaining how Pimp C even kept his distance for the video shoot. “He missed the fuckin’ video shoot in Trinidad during Carnival. Who the fuck is going to be, like, ‘I’m not going with JAY-Z and Dame Dash to Carnival?…Pimp C.'”
Watch the full clip below and the music video to remember the vibe.