When the history of Texas rap is written, its authors will need ten chapters to cover Bun B. As a high school student in Port Arthur, Texas, Bun partnered with his buddy Chad Butler (A.K.A. Pimp C) to found the incalculably influential rap duo Underground Kingz, or UGK. Founded in 1987 and signed to Jive Records five years later, the group is widely praised for drawing national attention to the Texas rap scene.With his polished, yet aggressive lyrics, Bun tackles a galaxy of themes; addiction, injustice, hopelessness, and the appeal of wickedness only begin to plumb his depth. Too Hard to Swallow, UGK’s seminal debut, is as visceral and pained as it is amusing and offensive. Bun’s lyrics deal with the reality of the streets in a tone so callous and cutting that they’re often misinterpreted as glamorizing drug culture. In reality, he considers all perspectives, acknowledging the appeal of cartel-wealth while cataloging the destruction and depravity wrought by the drug trade.In 2007 Pimp C died from an accidental overdose of cough syrup coupled with a preexisting sleep disorder. Since then, Bun has become an organizing principle, especially outside his home state. Over the course of his twenty-year career he’s worked with a staggering variety of artists, from fellow Texas heroes like Slim Thug to Memphis’ Three Six Mafia and Bay Area mainstay Too $hort.Houston’s DJ Screw, the La Monte Young of hip-hop, has masterfully remixed much of Bun’s early output. Chopped and screwed to the floor, Bun’s voice commands tracks like a young god booming orders over the 1000-watt woofers in the back of his Caddy. Which, given his current gig as Distinguished Lecturer on Hip-Hop and Religion at Rice University, sort of makes sense.You should definitely watch part 2 right now.