Bun B

Blessed with one of rap’s most authoritative voices, Bun B has long played a dual role in the genre, making music that is deeply specific to his native Texas while bridging the divide between the South and the rest of the U.S. Born just east of Houston in Port Arthur in 1973, Bernard Freeman was still a teenager when he met Pimp C, the wildly charismatic rapper and producer with whom he formed the duo UGK (for “Underground Kingz”). Their songs, informed by tragedy but infused with funk and verve, were frequently deemed too volatile for radio, but broke through nonetheless: The 1996 masterpiece Ridin’ Dirty stands alongside Scarface and the Geto Boys’ best as the most heralded Texas rap LP ever. Following a star turn on JAY-Z’s “Big Pimpin’”—and Pimp C’s incarceration—Bun embarked on a solo career that made him a beloved, still-inventive veteran presence, with 2010’s Trill O.G. earning rap magazine The Source’s exceedingly rare perfect five-mic rating.