Finally. After a banner year full of endless cameos, Bun B offers his first solo effort – Trill. The rapper’s tour of duty has been well documented with UGK, his enduring group with incarcerated Pimp C. Although the story’s been told again and again, there are aspects of the Houston vet that have yet to be uncovered. Songs with Chino XL and Self-Scientific? Bun’s advice for Little Brother? Punk Rock Music? Underground versus commercial? The President of the South or the president? Fearless reader, allow yourself to be educated about Bun B.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel that Trill is significant in restoring the Rap-A-Lot name and brand?

Bun B: Pimp C and myself probably wouldn’t be rapping today if it wasn’t for a label like Rap-A-Lot. We don’t like to let legends go to waste. Legacies don’t go to waste in the South. Rap-A-Lot Records is a reflection of the city of Houston as well as the South. We always wanted to see the label taken back to the glory – the height of the Geto Boys fame, or whatever.

James [Prince] has always been a big supporter for all of our success and the furtherance of all our careers. It was only right to try and reciprocate that love and bring it back to him.

AllHipHop.com: In speaking on the restoration of Houston’s image, were you emotionally invested in this year’s World Series?

Bun B: I’m God-damn proud of them ‘stros, man. ‘Cause of the fact that they weren’t even suppose to make the playoffs. You look at these guys, they where 15 games under .500. There was no way they where supposed to make the playoffs, or much less win the pennant. In Houston man, we are real grateful for what we did. We are not going to look at a trip to the World Series as a downer. Last year we made it to the playoffs, we didn’t win, we was happy being there, happy to be in the club and next year, we’ll get ‘em.

AllHipHop.com: Why do you call yourself “President of the South”?

Bun B: I did that ‘cause I really want to stand up for us right now. I want us to be represented by us and for us. We in the South, need to learn how to stick together and ride together. I think it’s just time for some pure leadership. Like on a honest level, on a street level, on a community level. And that’s what I hope to do. We’re not concerned with Bush’s politics. We’re not concerned with what’s [happening] on Pennsylvania Avenue. We’re not concerns with what’s going on inside a five-sided building [The Pentagon]. We’re not concerned with none of that s**t right now. ‘Cause obviously, their priorities aren’t us. I think it’s time for us to start making ourselves our own priority. So I’m going to use this time and this forum I have with my album being out right now to speak on s**t, and to try to unite my Southern people.

AllHipHop.com: How have you kept your legendary status untarnished?

Bun B: You have to give it up for the next generation, point blank. You can hover around the top, but eventually, the baton gets passed. You can either pass the baton voluntarily and hopefully out of respect, they’ll give it back to you. Or you can hold on to that b*tch until somebody comes and takes it. And the spectacle of the baton or crown being taken from you, can damage your image so bad that it’s no coming back from it. It looks more presentable to the public if you’re like, “Yo, this the next new n***a right here, give it up to him right now.”

AllHipHop.com: Your musical tastes extend beyond Hip-Hop, tell me about other things you dig…

Bun B: I like a lot of early 80’s Punk music like Black Flag and Dead Kennedy’s. Some of the Ramones stuff too. I really dig Dead Kennedy’s, and I’m a Sex Pistols fan. ‘Cause if you think about it, the same timeframe of that music [was] when early Rap was breaking. Whether it was Hollis, or coming out of Queensbridge or coming out of the Bowery or Hell’s Kitchen – all of it was out of poverty. Whatever you want to call it, it’s below standard living. There is a certain intensity and rage that come out of living in that type of world, and the way that they view the rest of the world, because it’s not comfortable where they sit. That’s the same mentality that Rap had in its inception. The same mentality that Punk had. ‘Cause I can feel like that, mothaf**kas are p##### off. And I can buy it a little more from them than I can from Rap, because I’m too closely tied into the performance and the artist, and Rap music. ‘Cause I be p##### off, mad, and angry, and I be wanting to vent. But some of this Rap don’t do that. I listen to Radiohead every now and then. I’m still trying to figure out how they make that s**t. There’s really just an art of the music that they put together. I really have no clue on how they sit there and put that type of s**t together. But I’m not going to sit there and try to decipher it. If I like it, I just like it.

AllHipHop.com: As far as Punk and Rap, the 80’s were an interesting time…

Bun B: Well, we all got our music from the same source in the 80’s. There was no BET, there was no VH1. We was watching Friday night videos, the s**t on USA that used to come on all night and f**kin’ MTV. So we would sit around and listen to Billy Idol and Rod Stewart and Michael Jackson. We all watched the same s**t. White kids in New York. they went to the Black corners. They partied down town, walked through the park, they didn’t hang in the park, but they walked past the park. Everybody was getting the same music from the same place. We all relate a lot better to each other than we think we do. That’s why when you be at a concert you be thinking, like if you go to a Jay show or a 50 show, you see all them White boys. And you be like, “These White boys gonna get f**ked up.” They don’t. You always think they do, but they don’t. They be the ones that’s partying too hard.

AllHipHop.com: Fans have always valued UGK’s underground sound. Is that be lost on this, a more commercial album?

Bun B: Well it’s not a UGK album. Anything that UGK made before, wasn’t that commercially successful. So people didn’t get a chance to accept it. We made songs like “One Day” and “Diamonds Up Against the Wood” all these were big in my region. It’s not that these records weren’t big…they never impacted these records to the East Coast. They never impacted these records to the West Coast. So it took time and word of mouth to get that s**t out there.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve faced in your career?

Bun B: Probably dealing with Pimp C being locked up. In the sense of …I guess you’d say I’ve made it my responsibility to keep this thing alive. Pimp was [recently] saying, “You’ve put a lot of s**t on your shoulders, Bun you gonna be alright.” But I just feel obligated ‘cause I know what me and the kid been through. And I know what the kid would do for me in my situation. But it hasn’t been easy. But I’ve had a lot of support , Rap-A-Lot really stood up for the UGK s**t – more then a lot of them, if you ask me.

AllHipHop.com: How much time does he have left?

Bun B: He’s supposed to go up for probation next month.

AllHipHop.com: How’s it looking?

Bun B: It’s lookin’ good. They don’t have to pop him. He doesn’t have anything in his file. But you know how they look at you. So we trying to get a petition going. We gonna get a bunch of letters from rappers and some more professional people. It’s something that we really pray on. We just men, we just people, it’s really out of our hands. We do what we can and leave the rest to God.

AllHipHop.com: What made you go so hard with the Free Pimp C movement? Do you think that’s going to be helpful in that side of things?

Bun B: I hope it does man. I never meant for it to go as far as it did. The Free Pimp C Movement initially started probably in the first month or two of him being gone in. Like rumors started coming in that we where breaking up, and the rumor I had heard was that I had went and signed with The Roc. This was in Houston. So I was like, “Nah, let me go out here and let these n***as know that I ain’t signed wit’ nobody.” They were like, “Yeah, he don’t care about his man. He want that n***a to stay locked up forever.” So out came “Free Pimp C, UGK For Life.” It really just started as damage control. But then I’d go to places and people would be like, “Free Pimp C.” So. I had my mans with the t-shirts and stuff. So he made some and I made some and everybody wanted to f### wit em. This is my man Dave Marsell. He runs Antown Fashions in Houston. So he went tog the family and talked to the family and let the family know that he was going to be making shirts and he’s keep them down with the shirts. So he’s the only person with the rights to make them. It’s kind of like the Snowman and all of that. Everybody wants to be apart of something like that, of something real.

AllHipHop.com: You were the cameo king of 2005. Was that your idea, or you just being approached?

Bun B: Nah, people just kept coming. Part of it was Rap hustling and going out doing features for money. Part of it was people reaching out like “Bun I got this project come get on it, it would be a good look.” And that’s people like Lil’ Jon, and Ludacris and Chingy. The other part of it was like people saying “I know what you trying to do right now what can we do to help?” We have a album here you can come do this that or whatever – that’s where Jeezy come in. I understood the kind of music that Jeezy was going to be making, and I knew there was going to be a lot of hating. And I didn’t want that early hating to stop him from what he needed to do. The only thing that’s going to stop Jeezy is Jeezy. I had let him know that from the beginning. I was like, “What you’re doing is going to transfer like a mothaf**ka. People gonna be scared at first. People going to resent you at first. Keep mashing. Remember who you’re representing. Keep mashing.” S**t, ain’t you can’t stop him now. Same thing with Lil’ Webby. With the Lil’ Webby and Lil’ Boosie situation, these are people that a friends of ours signed. So Pimp came in and was like I’ll do the artist and music and that will be my contribution for so much of the label. And y’all put the money in, and that will be y’all contribution, and we’ll put all our labels together. And that’s where Trillville Entertainment comes from. with Boosie and Webby. And that’s not just in the South, I’ve done the same thing with Casual in Brooklyn and make sure that he gets a good look. I’m f**kin’ with Jae Millz now. I’m f**kin’ with Chino XL on the West Coast.

AllHipHop.com: Not too many people can move from Jay-Z to Kweli to Self Scientific to Jeezy to Chino XL…

Bun B: Well, l I don’t think to many people want to. A lot of them are comfortable in their own skin and take the easy route. You just really have to be real with people. I think that right now in the game a lot of the real cats are seeking each other out. You can’t judge a book by its cover.

AllHipHop.com: More and more, people are gravitating to new things…

Bun B: I like Little Brother, man. But I wonder… The Minstrel Show”…I wonder who’s apart of the minstrel show? I know what they mean, but I think a lot of the people that they think are against them would pull for them. I really like them and I like their music and I know they are not making what everybody down South is making right now, but that don’t mean we against you.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think they attacked you?

Bun B: I wear a lot of jewelry and s**t. I would be considered on of those flossy type n***as. But it’s deeper than that. If you know me, you know that. I don’t know but I do know that a lot of n***as like those cats’ music. But you have to be careful ‘cause you don’t know, you could be turning away people that might be supporting you. I learned that going through the game and my years. Some of my biggest supporters in the game where the least likely people I would have thought, like Chino XL. This cat pushes for me hard. He’s getting me on the air in New York. Hit me in Philly Phil, getting me on [Cosmic Kev] giving me good looks. Never would have thought in my years that Chino XL would have been the cat to hold me down on the West Coast. And I love these cats man.

AllHipHop.com: I guess they’re just criticizing the game…

Bun B: I hope that’s what it is, ‘cause if that’s what it is, then I’m all behind them. ‘Cause it’s hard …this game is hard and you can’t knock cats for how they are getting in. We are all blessed to get into this game. ‘Cause it’s like they are in “the show” now, so be careful. I think a lot more people would support them. They North Carolina n***as. I just really like them cats. I listen to this album faithfully. I never knew that 9th Wonder was from North Carolina. I never know that s**t until I saw some press on them. I’m like, “Give me some of that heat.”

AllHipHop.com: I don’t know what happened, they haven’t sold the units people thought…

Bun B: Man, you have to associate s**t right. Y’all from down South man, we’ll support you. Don’t be surprised [that] the South is gaining up. I think they would lean more towards the South. I don’t think they believe that.

AllHipHop.com: You think they see themselves as New York focused?

Bun B: They like Hip-Hop, and I understand that. But down here…I read in the article that they don’t make the kind of Rap that people make today because they didn’t grow up on that type of Rap. They grew up on NWA and A Tribe Called Quest. So did I. Everybody did. I want to say the right thing about them cause I like them. I really want to find them cause I want to talk to them. I want to make sure that I didn’t get them misinterpreted and that I didn’t get a clue. I want to push for them n***as. They have some of the best music on the shelf, right now. I think they should have gotten a better look.

AllHipHop.com: I wanted to ask you about this song “Keep Pushin’.” How would you describe that song?

Bun B: It’s a keep ya head up for the hustle. Yeah it’s a motivational type song for the hustlers. I know it’s hard out there on the grind, especially now, it’s even worse. Finding work is funnier than ever. So if that’s what you want to do and that’s how you going to get it then just keep ya head up, man. Don’t let these haters keep you down.

AllHipHop.com: Has anything come out regarding the Lil Troy and Scarface snitch accusations yet?

Bun B: Man I don’t even know. I’m in the streets, I’ve seen fliers, but I don’t know.

AllHipHop.com: Lil’ Troy’s putting out fliers?

Bun B: Yeah, if it’s a file the show it and let that be known. Ain’t nothing nobody can say if his paper works. But there are so many beautiful things around unity going on in Houston right now, and I hate to see this from some people that’s been representing from Houston for so long. Lil’ Troy put out one of the first record labels in Houston. Everyone is an OG. I just hate to see this type of situation from Houston right now.

AllHipHop.com: Can you talk about your relationship with the Internet?

Bun B: I f**ks around with the net a little bit. I mainly be checking out the blogs and s**t, seeing what the streets are saying about me.

AllHipHop.com: What are they saying?

Bun B: It’s fittin to go down. People from different regions where curious from the songs with Jeezy and Jay. They figure this n***a is really trying to do something. They realized it wasn’t just going to be a little album.

Black Rob hadn’t put out an album in five years prior to his latest release and that ain’t whoa. Once the backbone of Bad Boy Records, B.R. put the label on his back with his Buckwild-laced hit, “Whoa,” and led an Uptown resurgence long before Cam’ron painted the town pink. Since then, however, the troubled rapper has had to deal with a string of endless setbacks, including health and legal troubles that have been harder for him to shake than Donald Trump trying to do that dance made famous in Rob’s hood.

But Blacko’s back and that is whoa. Poised to bring the house that Diddy built back to prominence once again, Rob has readied The Black Rob Report, chocked full of the same street anthems and vivid storytelling that made his debut album a success. Always engaging, Black Rob talks about his kidney troubles, his robbery and gun charges, and shares his life story from the past five years, which is as interesting as any of his albums. He’s ready.

AllHipHop.com: What was it like putting this album together for you during the past five years, which seemed to be particularly tumultuous for you?

Black Rob: It was like something I had to do. It was just me making music. Like I say all the time, I’m trying to look past Life Story. That’s a classic, we always gonna know that and respect that. But you know, I can’t be just up under that “Whoa” like that. You got artists that went from one record to another, and they always had that record in the background. So that’s what I’m trying to do. I need to have a couple more joints I can do on stage.

AllHipHop.com: I saw you perform a few months back at Manhattan’s SOB’s—

Black Rob: Yeah, for the Big L [tribute] joint.

AllHipHop.com: It’s funny that you mention that you need more hits or songs to perform, because the crowd was definitely excited to see you that night.

Black Rob: I feel that, especially that night. I could see it in their eyes. They had the look; especially the dudes in the front. They was like, ‘Ayo, come on, dog, that’s hot. I’m gonna do what I do, trust me.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like you’re in the familiar position of having to put Bad Boy on your back again?

Black Rob: Yeah.

AllHipHop.com: Is that something that you enjoy, that responsibility?

Black Rob: I do. Because, sometimes Puff pushes me to the limit. Like, sometimes I feel like he don’t got faith in my joints.

AllHipHop.com: He drives you crazy?

Black Rob: Yeah, that, too. That, too, man. [Laughs.] But, hey man, that’s what families do. That’s what it is. He drives me crazy. I drive him crazy.

AllHipHop.com: Are you contributing any verses to the Biggie duets album?

Black Rob: Yeah, I’m doing the “Gimme The Loot” joint right now as we speak.

AllHipHop.com: That’s a good track for you to jump on…

Black Rob: And why not?

AllHipHop.com: Because the story telling aspect of it

Black Rob: Okay, okay.

AllHipHop.com: Not that I expect you to run my jewels!

Black Rob: Okay, my dude. It’s real for you to think like that, because I thought like that. When they said they wanted me, I was like, ‘Ah man, I know what made you n***as want me for that s**t. That’s what I do. That ain’t what I do, but what I used to do.

AllHipHop.com: Is the storytelling aspect something that try to put forth? Or does it come naturally for you?

Black Rob: It comes natural, because when I used to hear Rap back in the days, people used to tell stories. All these great story tellers, Slick Rick, B.I.G., everyone that came before me; Spoonie G, Busy B, Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel, so when I’m coming up they telling me stories. They ain’t talking about no bulls**t, they talking about real s**t.

AllHipHop.com: You mentioned Slick Rick and Biggie, and people put you right along with the greatest when it comes to storytelling despite you only releasing one album. How?

Black Rob: That’s crazy. I got a street following with that, too. I used to be that Radio Raheim kid at one period in my life, I can’t remember what year it was. I had the radio and the tape with the beats on it. I used to go through 139th [in Harlem], Big L, McGruff, all them cats was out there. I’m rhyming with these dudes. I do it all, but that story s**t, they was like you got that, dog.

AllHipHop.com: What are your thoughts on your former label mate, Ma$e, joining G-Unit?

Black Rob: Hey, man. You know what? That n***a is backsliding, man. I don’t know, man. Me? I don’t play with God like that. I don’t know what his motive is, because I don’t talk to Ma$e. You don’t play with God like that, man. Me? I respect God, I know he there, and I know he’s the reason that I’m still here. But you ain’t gonna hear me spitting bulls**t and going to church on Sunday, you know what I mean? That’s a hypocrite.

AllHipHop.com: Did you ever feel like giving up Rap in the past five years, because of the health and legal battles?

Black Rob: Nah. I don’t know what it is that drives me, man. I really don’t, man. It can’t be the honeys. I’m like Wilt Chamberlain, man. That’s real. But I ain’t gonna go out like Wilt. No disrespect to Wilt. He’s’ the greatest of all time—

AllHipHop.com: In two games!

Black Rob: [Laughs.] So it’s like, that ain’t what drives me. It’s just I see my kids, I guess? I don’t know. I guess my will to live the way I been living. I spoiled myself, man.

AllHipHop.com: Did your health problems force you to change your eating habits and your diet?

Black Rob: Oh yeah, no doubt. Hell yeah. All that greasy s**t, that fried s**t, I can’t do it. I’m on strictly no sodium at all. My s**t tastes bland like a motherf***er.

AllHipHop.com: Was this problem something you ignored?

Black Rob: Yep. I ignored it, but I never knew I had it. My moms had it but never spread the work. Nothing, you know what I’m saying? Me wildin’ out, it just got worse

AllHipHop.com: How much time were you actually locked up in the past five years? Some people thought you were out, some thought you were in, people didn’t quite know.

Black Rob: I was locked up a couple of times, man. The gun s**t, when I got bagged with that. I f**ked around came to court, they locked me up again. I probably did 13-14 months. But the five before that, I ran from they ass. Yeah! I got the rabbit in me when they come after me! Call me Rob Rabbit. [Laughs]

AllHipHop.com: Jails are big business in the U.S., making high profit margins at the expense of low-earning inmates. Do you think about that much?

Black Rob: I used to work in cold craft. You know what that is? N***as make. That’s crazy. I never worked in my life! They tried to make me wash walls! I was like, “Get the f**k out of here. Put me in the box, fam.” We was making soap! And getting a quarter a day, dude; 50 cent at the most. These n***as is making billions of bars of f***ing soap. I hate jail, man. I hate that s**t with a f***ing passion, dog. You hear me? I f***ing hate that s**t. When I think about that sh*t, I get stressed, man.

AllHipHop.com: Did that compound your health problems?

Black Rob: Definitely.

AllHipHop.com: Is that when your health problems started?

Black Rob: Nah, when I was in jail, I was throwing it like Michael Jordan, n***a. I was flying out the gym. But when I got out, when I was out there on my little hiatus, I was in Atlanta and that’s when that s**t caught up to me.

AllHipHop.com: You stay out in Atlanta now?

Black Rob: Nah, I got a house out there, but I’m stationed in New Jersey.

AllHipHop.com: What ever happened to the Alumni crew?

Black Rob: Alumni is still here. Right now you gonna hear my man, Phenom; he gonna be on the promo tour with me. G.Dep got some more fire. Rudolph The Red, ugly. We still doing music. You gonna hear a lot of my artists on Bet On Black. These are dudes that I brought through Bad Boy; P gave the stamp of approval. These cats ain’t playing. We talk about what we been through. When I say alumni, we all been through the penitentiary. We don’t just talk about it. We trying to education the youth, make money, and just make good music.