Houston rap legend Chad “Pimp C” Butler, who tragically passed away in 2007 from a drug overdose, is the first solo Hip Hop artist to be immortalized at Rice University Research Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning (CERCL), where the UGK co-founder’s lyric sheets and personal items are on display. On Monday (January 31), a panel dubbed “Pimp C: A Trill Legacy” is scheduled to discuss Southern rap and Pimp C’s pivotal role in its rise to the forefront of the culture. The panel features past collaborators, including his UGK partner Bun B, close friends and notable names who were influenced by the talented Grammy Award-nominated rapper and producer.
According to the CERCL website, the collection contains “several documents and other paraphernalia such as handwritten song lyrics on loose leaf paper and cardboard, papers from the Texas Department of Justice relating to his arrest for aggravated assault, a Grammy nomination, copy of his obituary from his funeral, and marketing plan by FM2 Radio, and the joint venture deal with Universal Music Group. Also included in the collection are several forms of artwork featuring Pimp C and a 12-inch record (warped) with the songs ‘Stop-N-Go’ and ‘The Game Belongs to Me.'”
In a statement to HipHopDX, Founding Director of the CERCL, Anthony B. Pinn, said, “The CERCL archive is committed to preserving the historical and cultural memory of Houston, and in this way helping to recall how Houston fits into national conversations and developments. One dimension of the archive involves Hip Hop culture in Houston. A vital component of the history of Hip Hop in Houston involves UGK, and so we are delighted to include Pimp C in the archive. His materials shed additional light on the importance of Houston and the global development of Hip Hop.”
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He expresses excitement about the panel where guests will get firsthand accounts of Pimp C’s impact on the culture.
“I’m looking forward to hearing from those who knew him well,” Pinn continues. “Those who can talk about his motivations and about him as a person as well as an artist.”
The collection is open to the public. Click here to RSVP to the January 31 panel.
