By Odeisel

Pimp C has been gone for some time now, but his legacy has been carried on by partner Bun B in yeoman fashion. The UGK brand remains unblemished even as years later, posthumous Pimp C verse permeate like postmortem ‘Pac. In that regard, the verse will only be as good as the producer and the new beat fashioned around it will allow. On this new track with wunderkind Drake, the Boi-1da produced “What Up”, Pimp sounds as good as he ever was. Drake, on the other hand…not so much.

The snares and the drums provide the bulk of the rhythm with horns for character. Drake is corny on this, with talk of smoking blunts and player talk that stand in stark contrast to his general mic persona. He comes across as contrived and out of his element in trying to keep up stylistically with the Texas twosome. Trying to fit his crooning in doesn’t mesh well with the uber manly UGK. His ad libs and the chorus also sound a bit misplaced on the track.

Pimp sounds fresh on this, flush with the brashness that made him beloved in Hip-Hop. The panache, the way he cuts his words and Boi-1da’s break beat on his verse give his verse so much flavor. It’s typical collar-popping player flicking verbiage but Pimp C’s aura and delivery give it the oomph to separate it from say, a Paul Wall.

As usual Bun B’s booming voice overpowers the music. While he doesn’t sound as fresh as Pimp, which is usually the other way around, that smooth bass in his voice pours like Colt 45 in Billy D’s glass. The trill talk is all there and there is nothing exceptional, but meh Bun B is solid enough to keep any track moving.

The track is noteworthy for Pimp C’s presence an it’s not bad music, but Drake is a bit out of place on this and they may have been better served with a Rick Ross or someone “heavier” in presence and experience opening up the track. Having the Memphis born, Toronto-bred Drake shouting out Houston all over the track just doesn’t sound right. Otherwise, UGK lives on with another solid performance in their immense catalog. Enjoy.

Pimp C ft. Drake & Bun B – What Up (Prod. by Boi-1da) Pimp C ft. Drake & Bun B – What Up (Prod. by Boi-1da)

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