II Trill
II Trill is the second solo studio album by American rapper Bun B, released on May 20, 2008, through Rap-A-Lot Records with distribution by Asylum Records.[1] The project serves as a follow-up to his 2005 debut solo effort Trill and represents Bun B's continued commitment to the Southern hip-hop sound pioneered with his UGK duo partner Pimp C, who died of an accidental overdose in December 2007.[2][3] Comprising 18 tracks, the album features guest appearances from Houston affiliates like Z-Ro and J. Prince on the title track, as well as national artists including Rick Ross, 8Ball & MJG, David Banner, and Lupe Fiasco, reflecting Bun B's broad industry connections and dedication to elevating regional talent.[4] Production duties were handled by a roster of producers such as Scott Storch, Jazze Pha, Clinton Sparks, and Enigma, blending polished beats with gritty Southern instrumentation to maintain the "trill" ethos of authenticity and street realism central to Bun B's career.[5] The title II Trill explicitly honors Pimp C as the archetype of "trill"—a portmanteau of "true" and "real" coined in Houston rap circles—positioning the album as a posthumous extension of UGK's legacy amid Bun B's solo transition.[3][6]Development and Production
Background and Context
Bun B, born Bernard Freeman, emerged as a prominent figure in Southern hip-hop as one half of the duo UGK alongside Pimp C, whose partnership defined authentic street narratives rooted in Texas culture. Following UGK's established success, Bun B released his debut solo album Trill on October 18, 2005, via Rap-A-Lot Records, marking his initial foray into independent projects amid Pimp C's intermittent availability due to prior incarceration.[7] [8] This transition underscored Bun B's commitment to preserving the duo's legacy while navigating solo endeavors. The untimely death of Pimp C on December 4, 2007, from an overdose, profoundly impacted Bun B, compelling a deeper reliance on solo output to honor their shared "Trill" philosophy— a blend of "true" and "real" emphasizing unfiltered Southern authenticity and resilience. [9] [10] II Trill was conceived as a direct sequel, extending this ethos amid Houston's thriving rap scene, which UGK had helped elevate through gritty portrayals of Southern life. [2] The album's development reflected Bun B's determination to carry forward UGK's influence without Pimp C, focusing on continuity in thematic depth rather than stylistic reinvention. [3] Released on May 20, 2008, through Rap-A-Lot Records with Asylum Records handling distribution, II Trill positioned itself within the competitive landscape of mid-2000s Southern rap, where Houston artists asserted dominance via raw, regionally specific storytelling. [11] [2] This rollout highlighted Bun B's evolution from duo member to standalone artist, sustaining the "Trill" narrative as a cornerstone of his post-UGK career. [7]
Recording and Production Team
Production for II Trill was overseen by executive producers Bun B and Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince, with mastering handled by Mike Dean.[1] The album featured contributions from a range of producers, including Mouse on Tha Track, who provided beats, engineering, and mixing for tracks like "That's Gangsta," infusing the project with bass-heavy, bouncy rhythms optimized for high-volume car audio systems prevalent in Southern hip-hop culture.[1][12] Other notable production credits included Cozmo, Scott Storch, and Jazze Pha, who helped craft the raw, unpolished Texas sound characteristic of the album, drawing on chopped-and-screwed stylistic elements through slowed tempos and emphasized low-end frequencies without extensive mainstream gloss.[1] Recording took place in the months following Pimp C's death on December 28, 2007, as Bun B maintained workflow momentum amid personal loss, completing the project for a May 20, 2008 release under Rap-A-Lot Records with Asylum and Atlantic distribution.[13] This rapid timeline underscored Bun B's commitment to preserving UGK's regional legacy, prioritizing authentic Houston production aesthetics over broader commercial refinements.[14] The label's involvement ensured fidelity to gritty, slab-ready sonics, with producers focusing on instrumental layers that evoked resilience and street-level grit suited to Texas car culture playback.[1]Key Collaborations and Features
The album II Trill prominently features guest appearances from Southern hip-hop artists, including Z-Ro on multiple tracks such as the title track "II Trill" alongside J. Prince, "Get Cha Issue" with Lil' Keke and J. Paul, and "Two Thangs," which underscores longstanding Houston connections and regional authenticity through shared verses emphasizing gritty street narratives.[15] Similarly, 8Ball & MJG appear on "My Block," "I Don't Trust 'Em," and "Good Numbers," contributing Memphis-bred flows that complement Bun B's Texas drawl and reinforce Southern camaraderie without diluting the trill ethos rooted in UGK's legacy. These synergies highlight interpersonal ties within the Dirty South scene, where artists like David Banner on "You're Everything" and Juvenile on "Talkin' That Talk" with Kobe add layered vocal dynamics drawn from their regional experiences.[4] "You're Everything," featuring Rick Ross, David Banner, and Jadakiss, exemplifies artistic interplay as Bun B trades bars with Ross's booming presence and Banner's emphatic delivery, while Jadakiss injects precise, rapid-fire punchlines, creating a cross-regional contrast that enriches the track's hook-driven structure without overshadowing the Southern core. Young Jeezy's contribution to "What Happened To That Boy" with Junior Reid further bolsters Atlanta-Houston unity, with Jeezy's ad-lib-heavy style syncing with Bun B's methodical pacing to evoke trap-infused resilience.[5] Chamillionaire and Jazze Pha on "I Luv That," along with Lil Wayne on "Damn I'm Cold," introduce Houston flair and New Orleans energy, respectively, fostering variety through complementary flows that prioritize raw synergy over commercial crossover. Notably absent are any features from Pimp C, Bun B's late UGK partner who died on December 4, 2007, prior to the album's completion, resulting in no posthumous verses and a deliberate avoidance of such inclusions to honor stylistic continuity rather than artificial reunions.[7] This approach maintains the trill aesthetic via guest alignments with UGK affiliates and Southern peers, ensuring the project stands as Bun B's solo evolution while echoing Pimp C's influence through thematic and sonic echoes in collaborations like those with Z-Ro.[15]Musical Composition and Themes
Southern Hip-Hop Style and Influences
II Trill exemplifies core tenets of Southern hip-hop, particularly the Houston variant, through its emphasis on booming 808 bass lines and slow, deliberate tempos that facilitate a laid-back, cruising vibe reminiscent of the city's chopped and screwed tradition pioneered by DJ Screw.[6] The production prioritizes deep, rumbling sub-bass and syrupy, melodic samples—often drawn from R&B sources like Jodeci—to create a viscous, immersive soundscape that echoes UGK's foundational influence on Texas rap.[6] [10] This approach yields tracks with cold, unforgiving Dirty South tones, where tattering hi-hats and pulsating strings underscore the genre's raw, street-level authenticity without veering into overly polished or commercial trap aesthetics.[16] [10] The album's instrumentation draws heavily from 2000s Southern rap's wave, incorporating funky, bass-driven beats from producers like Mr. Lee and Scott Storch, who blend Houston funk elements with keyboard-heavy arrangements for replay value in car-stereo settings.[6] [16] Unlike more introspective East Coast styles, II Trill's sound favors drive-time functionality, with slow-crawling rhythms and heartbeat-like bass drums designed for booming playback during late-night cruises, prioritizing visceral impact over complex lyrical dissection.[10] This fusion maintains UGK's legacy of grounded, regional sonics—evident in the absence of aggressive hi-hat rolls or synthetic excess—while nodding to precursors of trap through subtle 808 prominence, though rooted in traditional Southern grit rather than Atlanta's later hi-hat frenzy.[16] [6] Overall, the record's sonic palette reinforces Bun B's commitment to unadulterated Texas rap traditions, satisfying fans seeking authentic Dirty South music that honors Pimp C's production ethos without dilution.[16] Its beats, characterized by golden-sheened production and syrupy flows, encapsulate the era's Southern hip-hop as functional, bass-centric anthems suited for communal replay rather than solitary reflection.[10]Lyrical Content and Messaging
Bun B's lyrics on II Trill revolve around the ethos of "trill," a term combining "true" and "real" to signify genuine authenticity, stand-up character, and unwavering loyalty amid street adversities.[17][18] This messaging prioritizes empirical realism—hard work, interpersonal bonds, and the tangible fallout of hustling—over the materialism dominant in much contemporary rap, presenting success as earned through resilience rather than unearned flash.[6][19] In tracks depicting street life, such as "Get Cha Issue," Bun B delivers unvarnished accounts of block-level survival, drug trade perils, and pimping's demands, highlighting consequences like incarceration risks and personal tolls without romanticization.[19] "That's Gangsta" further dissects authenticity by asserting that true gangsta status stems from core fortitude—"A gangsta ain’t cha clothes... he’s still a gangsta and you know it"—rejecting superficial markers in favor of proven street wisdom and loyalty to origins.[6] Grief over Pimp C's December 2007 death permeates select verses as motivational realism, transforming loss into fuel for legacy preservation; in "Damn I’m Cold," Bun B evokes pouring liquor for "my lil’ bro," framing mourning as a call to honor UGK's principles through continued output rather than paralysis.[6][19] Critiques of industry insincerity emerge via challenges to "fake gangstas," with Bun B vowing to "take gangsta back" from posers, while Southern pride anchors the narrative in Port Arthur roots and tributes to regional forebears like Scarface, privileging localized, experience-based verity over broader commercial veneers.[6][19]Track Listing and Structure
The standard edition of II Trill, released on May 20, 2008, contains 17 tracks sequenced to open with a declarative title track and incorporate a balance of solo verses, guest features, and production varying from synth-driven beats to sample-heavy Southern grooves.[1][20]| No. | Title | Featuring artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "II Trill" | J. Prince, Z-Ro | 4:19 |
| 2 | "That's Gangsta" | Sean Kingston | 3:53 |
| 3 | "Damn I'm Cold" | Lil Wayne | 4:31 |
| 4 | "You're Everything" | 8Ball & MJG, David Banner, Rick Ross | 5:25 |
| 5 | "I Luv That" | Z-Ro | 3:32 |
| 6 | "Swang on 'em" | Lupe Fiasco | 3:49 |
| 7 | "My Block" | Jadakiss, Styles P | 4:12 |
| 8 | "Get Cha Issue" | Z-Ro, David Banner | 4:22 |
| 9 | "Pop It 4 Pimp" | Juvenile, Webbie | 3:50 |
| 10 | "Good II Me" | Mýa | 4:18 |
| 11 | "You're the One" | — | 4:20 |
| 12 | "Trillionaire" | T-Pain | 4:06 |
| 13 | "Pain" | — | 5:08 |
| 14 | "If It Was Up to Me" (feat. Jazze Pha & Nicole Wray in some mixes) | Jazze Pha | 4:09 |
| 15 | "The Bill" | — | 4:46 |
| 16 | "Real" | — | 4:11 |
| 17 | "II Trill Talk" | — | 0:30 |