Triller: Bun B Releases Il Trill, Performs at Emo's Tonight

Bun B
Wed., May 21
Emos (603 Red River St)
8 p.m. / Outside / $20
[info] | [tickets]

I tried my best to avoid the leaks of II Trill, mostly because I knew I would buy it. If there's one rapper that deserves my 18 bucks at Cheap-O, it's Bun-B; and not just because he's been through hard times no man should have to know or because I feel like my cash in his pocket doesn't just = weed. No, I say that because I feel compelled to not steal his shit. I like and respect all sorts of rappers, but would I care if Jeezy came over to watch some Gossip Girl and a burned copy of The Inspiration was on my dresser? No. But if Bun came over for some C-Span and found "3_damn_im_cold_ft_lilweezy.mp3", I would be WAY embarrassed.

Which is to say that I not only respect him as a rapper, but that - and I think a lot of his fans feel this way - I want Bun to respect me back, even if that little man-date is never going down.

In his near two-decades in rap, Bun has evolved from, well, a very good rap artist to a rare sort of great, who brings a level-headedness to a music that is often great purely for how unrealistic it can get. You can toss the “conscious rapper” tag on him if you want, but none of the pejorative connotations of that phrase fit him, except that he is, yes, more conscious to the greater world around him than most. But his beats don’t suck and his core fans aren’t holier than thou and he doesn’t exist in some weird smart rap annex. No.

Bun shoots straight and rattles trunks.

Anyways, this is a long excuse for why I held off on listening to II Trill until yesterday, and I don’t know exactly how great of an album it is yet, as I’m still stuck on track 4, the gigantic "You're Everything.” Mr. Lee produced it and it’s the thickest thing I’ve heard since his last opus, even without the damage that Bun, Rick Ross and David Banner do in between the hooks.

I don’t want to get too much drool on these first four tracks. But it’s immediately apparent that Bun’s delivering on par with his best work in the past. It’s an amazing feat, even more impressive if you consider the great amount of strength it takes to even keep making art after Pimp C’s passing. And really what matters tonight, when he gets on stage at Emo’s, is not whether those 14 tracks I haven’t heard yet are great or garbage, but that Bun is out there performing in the first place.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Bryan Mochizuki in Arts & Entertainment on May 21, 2008 3:41 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

themo

One of the rappers from SouthBound, Bun B's opener, got tased by APD after his set

truecraig

I thought the 'conscious rapper' comment was directed toward the most recent incarnations of the backpacker style, and in that context it seems appropriate to me.

Bryan Mochizuki

I think all of those artists you just named are great. However, the term "conscious rap" carries with it a lot of bad stereotypes, none of which fit Bun, but are sure to turn off a lot of potential listeners. The other side of that coin is if you just called him a "Southern rapper" or "trap hop" - once again these terms carry negative stereotypes that turn a lot of folks off, but Bun doesn't fit them.

And the "weed" comment was just a way of saying that he doesn't seem as easy-come, easy-go sort of guy as, well, some of the other rappers on II Trill. Not that that matters, or is necessarily true. But when I read about Lil Wayne's drug intake and lavish spending, I don't feel terribly compelled to "make sure the artist gets paid" or whatever, even if I do love his music.

Grape Ape

Yeah, not quite sure what to make of that comment. And the whole anti Hip Hop vibe of this piece really erks me at least. The author seems to be discounting the work of people like KRS, PE, Rakim and a slew of others because apparently their beats suck because they are conscious in their message?

wells

my cash in his pocket doesn't just = weed.

What. the. hell?

seth

Thanks for trying to expose Austinist readers to this artist. That video clip, however, is useless. It's like a repeating series of shots of somebody about to get into a car in downtown new york, but somehow he never actually gets in. I guess this guy is from Houston, too, from his hat. But that's all I could get from the video.

Oh, well. At least Emo's (aka Stubbs Jr.) has given up any semblance of focus or genre.

Seth