Trill O.G.

Bun B was never meant to be a solo artist. As half of the great Texas rap duo UGK, Bun found his ideal complement in partner Pimp C. Bun brought the gravity and the technical prowess, and Pimp, besides being an incredible producer, had both the snarling fuck-the-world charisma and the expansive sense of vision that Bun always lacked. As a duo, they counterbalanced each other perfectly, Bun playing the sage big brother to Pimp's guttural loose cannon. And every time Bun has released a solo album, it's been at a time when Pimp was unavailable. (Pimp was in prison when Bun released 2005's Trill, and he died before the release of 2008's II Trill.) It's increasingly becoming obvious that Bun is somewhat adrift without his old partner.

Through no fault of its own, Bun B’s Trill triptych comes to a close in shockingly divisive fashion. Some relics of hip-hop’s Golden Age have an interesting habit of remaining relevant through the years; for The Source, it’s most obviously their genius marketing of the coveted 5 Mics award. Nevermind that its last recipient was the maudlin pornography of a fading Lil’ Kim, the mythology of 5 Mics remains ingrained in hip-hop culture. This is the award genre classics like The Chronic, Enter the Wu-Tang, Ready to Die and Reasonable Doubt weren’t considered worthy of at the time of their release. It’s the award that certified OutKast, and the South as a whole, as nationally accepted hip-hop with the crowning of their 1998 LP Aquemini.