Pimp C

Before he passed away in 2007, Chris "Pimp C" Butler had one of the most distinctive voices in rap. As one-half of Texas icons UGK, he helped nurture a generation of artists, and his influence on the genre is widely acknowledged. Unfortunately, while his musical partner Bun B eventually parlayed fame as an "underground king" into mainstream rap stardom, Pimp C was waylaid by legal and personal problems. The two joined forces in 1987, and their early releases (1992's Too Hard to Swallow, 1994's Super Tight and 1996's Ridin' Dirty) are considered classics of Southern hip-hop. However, it took a memorable appearance on Jay-Z's 2000 hit "Big Pimpin'" for UGK to reach national audiences. After 2001's Dirty Money, Pimp C was incarcerated for violating probation on an earlier assault charge. Prerecorded material formed the basis of 2005's Sweet James Jones Stories. After getting out of prison in late 2005, he completed Pimpalation. Pimp C then embarked on what he planned to be his first true solo album. Sadly, he died from an overdose of codeine and cough syrup on December 4, 2007. In 2010, Bun B helped assemble Pimp C's final recordings into The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones.