Chad Lemon Butler was born in Port Arthur, Texas, USA. There he met his friend, who would later become Bun B and together they formed the Houston-based rap group UGK. They rapped 'underground', until the duo signed with Jive Records in 1987. Pimp worked hard on the first UGK project, The Southern Way, which was available in 1988 and on cassette only.
It wasn't until 1992 that UGK really broke through into the hip hop/rap world. Jive Records signed them and they released Too Hard to Swallow. Pimp worked hard with Bun B for a while, until going on a hiatus in 1996, where the group would not work. In this time Pimp was aware that UGK's fans were slowly slipping.
Pimp C contributed to several tracks, until UGK came back on top by guest starring in tracks, such as Big Pimpin' and Sippin' on Some Syrup. Pimp C and Bun B came back with Dirty Money in 2001, but the album failed both critically and financially.
As Dirty Money was going through problems, Pimp was faced with even more problems. Pimp C was incarcerated for an aggravated gun assault charge in 2002. People cheered the catch phrase "Free Pimp C". During this time Bun B lived on the UGK name. Jive Records was forced to release a greatest hits for UGK and Bun B was forced to go solo, as Pimp C was locked up.[1]
Rap-A-Lot Records signed Pimp C, while in prison he released his solo debut Sweet James Jones Stories. Bun B also released his debut, which Pimp C slightly contributed to. Finally, on December 30, 2005, Pimp C was released from prison and was on parole until December 2009.[2]
Pimp C guest starred in many people's songs and contributed to artists, such as Slim Thug and T.I.. After that he started working again with Bun B on tracks for their upcoming UGK project UGK (Underground Kingz), which would end up being their most successful project of all time, in either artist's careers.
Pimp C released two solo albums.
4 months after the release of UGK (Underground Kingz), Pimp C died. On December 4, 2007, Pimp C was found dead at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, California, after Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a 911 call. The department arrived at his sixth floor hotel room to find Pimp C dead in bed. This was three days after Pimp C performed with Too $hort at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.[3][4]
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office state Pimp C died from an accidental overdose of Promethazine/Codeine "syrup" mixed with a pre-existing medical condition, sleep apnea, which causes a person to stop breathing during sleep.[5][6]
After his death, he made posthumous appearances on Bun B's song "Underground Thang" (also featuring Chamillionaire) from II Trill and much later, an as-of-yet untitled track which is to be featured on Chamillionaire's third album Venom. The latter track is produced by Pimp C, making this his last production credit.
The final UGK project, 4 Life will be dedicated to Pimp C and his legendary Houston-based rapping style. Many people have shown respect to Pimp C, including David Banner, 8Ball & MJG, Rick Ross, Bun B, Slim Thug, T.I. and Lil Flip.
Hold up
Pimp C Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hold up
Self-employed so I'm paying me
Stayin' true 'cause it stay to be
Won't loud part candy captain then get a ticket then pay the V
Rap 84 of the 83, ain't rhyme them and they end with me,
How you pay to get in the club, and then hate on the pressure y'all pay to see
Look at these whips we're riding in
Making ball and look easy baby, we don't practice like...
Sliding in I'm never super post when
I'm getting closer I'm just... the face
All the sinners star calling God,
All the rappers start calling Mace,
Drop sounding like an earthquake,
Trunk bound to make an earth shake
Every day is a movie for me, you like the destination on the first day
Telling me it's a birthday, new shoes and her persuade,
You should go appreciate the quire, I ain't the one you persuade,
She ain't worried of the hotel, I wouldn't even get to motel,
Mess around and take your girl from you then sell it to for the...
Oh... have her back, wont' love but I love the stacks
So I'm pulling up and then you know what
They looking at me like what is that
[Chorus]
Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up, hold up,
That's what they've been calling me,
Soon they see me roll up, roll up
Don't know what to call that
So they call, they call, they call it
Hold up, hold up, hold up,
That's what they call it.
Hold up, hold up, hold up,
That's what they call it.
Soon they see roll up, uh, roll up,
Don't know what to call that
So they call, they call, they call it
Hold up
Told Brad to send me a track,
He send me a track to sound like a trap,
I don't know normally do this,
But hey when I do it sound like the trap,
Competition left me in flat, I'm just hoping that you trap,
I'm just hoping you try to try me,
Get drag around by your suit tie,
You can catch me in the forn city,
They don't even know I rap,
First album when platinum so they ain't many places on my map,
Going golf in Iraq, going shopping in Dubai
She'll be asking the man forgives and gives me the gift form Dubai
Bottle water with a mouse trap, no rat can get to my cheese
Her... get no scraps get no bad like her ratches
Wanna book me for five G's,
Read the sign and say stop please,
Can't knock me, my trunk knocking,
My making woman looking knock me,
Call me but I'm unreachable, too trill to be speaker too
God loss in my own garage and they couldn't find me for a week or two,
My trunk are open like pickable,
Me I'm... to be sipping through,
Came to blue, all my speakers blue, but I turn em up and my speakers do.
[Chorus]
Hold up man, just hold up man,
Rap to state then pour down,
Chew up cheese then throw up grants,
Then guess some bread you know I'm jam,
It's lunch time, she got one friend, but just one fine,
One four, one dime, you already know which one is mine,
Tripping like Jessy Jay, see love and got me in the... day
If it comes between hoes and dough I drop off chick and then scoop you pay,
Might as well, I might as well, passing up dough is a major feel,
Take the trip to South Africa, but can't lead the the paper like... pill,
Realest rapper you have ever meet, she want n autograph on her fake breast,
Too young is just too dumb, girl slow it down and take a break twist,
Check it out when my lack is out,
Don't worry bout it, I ain't stressed,
Hot chocolate on my hallo tips they might mess around and get a taste test.
[Chorus]
In Pimp C's song "Hold Up," he talks about his self-employment and staying true to himself. He boasts about his rap skills and how he's been rhyming since the early ‘80s. Pimp C mentions how people pay to get into the club only to complain about the pressure they paid to see. He takes us along for a ride in his fancy cars and how balling comes easy to him. Pimp C even drops a reference to former rapper Mase. The hook repeats the phrase “hold up,” which is the name of the song, and repeats the notion that people don't know what to call him.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold up
Wait a minute
Self-employed so I'm paying me
I am my own boss and make my own money
Stayin' true 'cause it stay to be
I am remaining loyal because that is what I believe in
Won't loud part candy captain then get a ticket then pay the V
I won't drive recklessly and get a ticket and then have to pay a fine
Rap 84 of the 83, ain't rhyme them and they end with me,
I have rapped 84 bars in a 83 bar song, and I didn't rhyme with anyone before me
How you pay to get in the club, and then hate on the pressure y'all pay to see
You pay to get into the club, and then complain about the atmosphere that you paid to see
Now we got mob block live again
Our block is lively again
Look at these whips we're riding in
Look at the cars we are driving
Making ball and look easy baby, we don't practice like...
We make playing basketball look easy even though we don't practice
Sliding in I'm never super post when
I am never too sure when sliding in
I'm getting closer I'm just... the face
I am getting closer and just about to show my face
All the sinners star calling God,
All the people who have sinned will start calling on God
All the rappers start calling Mace,
All the rappers start calling on Mace
Drop sounding like an earthquake,
My music drop sounds like an earthquake
Trunk bound to make an earth shake
The trunk of the car makes the earth shake
Every day is a movie for me, you like the destination on the first day
My life is like a movie every day, and you are just like the destination on the first day
Telling me it's a birthday, new shoes and her persuade,
She tells me it's her birthday, and uses her new shoes to persuade me
You should go appreciate the quire, I ain't the one you persuade,
You should go appreciate the choir, I am not someone you can persuade easily
She ain't worried of the hotel, I wouldn't even get to motel,
She is not worried about the hotel, but I wouldn't even go to a motel
Mess around and take your girl from you then sell it to for the...
I might take your girl from you and then sell her back to you
Oh... have her back, wont' love but I love the stacks
Oh, I will have her back but I don't love her, I just love making money
So I'm pulling up and then you know what
I'm pulling up and you know what's going to happen
They looking at me like what is that
People are looking at me wondering who I am
Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute
That's what they've been calling me,
That's what people have been calling me
Soon they see me roll up, roll up
When they see me arrive in my car
Don't know what to call that
They don't know what to call it
So they call, they call, they call it
So they call it, they call it, they call it
Told Brad to send me a track,
I told Brad to send me a song
He send me a track to sound like a trap,
He sent me a song that sounds like a trap
I don't know normally do this,
I don't normally do this
But hey when I do it sound like the trap,
But when I do it, it sounds like a trap
Competition left me in flat, I'm just hoping that you trap,
The competition left me behind, I am hoping that you are still there
I'm just hoping you try to try me,
I hope you try to challenge me
Get drag around by your suit tie,
I will drag you around by your suit tie
You can catch me in the forn city,
You can catch me in the foreign city
They don't even know I rap,
They don't even know that I am a rapper
First album when platinum so they ain't many places on my map,
My first album went platinum, so there aren't many places I haven't been
Going golf in Iraq, going shopping in Dubai
I am going golfing in Iraq and shopping in Dubai
She'll be asking the man forgives and gives me the gift form Dubai
She will be asking for forgiveness and then give me a gift from Dubai
Bottle water with a mouse trap, no rat can get to my cheese
I have a mouse trap on my water bottle, so no rats can get to my food
Her... get no scraps get no bad like her ratches
Her friends don't get any scraps or any bad things like she does
Wanna book me for five G's,
Someone wants to book me for $5000
Read the sign and say stop please,
They should read the signs and stop trying to book me for that much
Can't knock me, my trunk knocking,
You can't criticize me, my trunk is knocking with music
My making woman looking knock me,
The music is making women look at me
Call me but I'm unreachable, too trill to be speaker too
You can call me, but I am unattainable and too real to talk to
God loss in my own garage and they couldn't find me for a week or two,
I got lost in my own garage, and they couldn't find me for a week or two
My trunk are open like pickable,
My trunk is open and can be picked
Me I'm... to be sipping through,
I am destined to be sipping through life
Came to blue, all my speakers blue, but I turn em up and my speakers do.
I came to play music, and even though my speakers are blue, they still work perfectly fine
Hold up man, just hold up man,
Wait a minute, just wait a minute
Rap to state then pour down,
I rap and then pour myself a drink
Chew up cheese then throw up grants,
I eat cheese and then make money
Then guess some bread you know I'm jam,
And then I make some money, you know I'm successful
It's lunch time, she got one friend, but just one fine,
It's lunch time and she has one friend, but she is the cutest
One four, one dime, you already know which one is mine,
One is a 14 and the other is a 10, but you already know which one I will choose
Tripping like Jessy Jay, see love and got me in the... day
I am acting crazy like Jeffery Dahmer, in love and living in euphoria
If it comes between hoes and dough I drop off chick and then scoop you pay,
If it comes down to money or women, I will choose money every time
Might as well, I might as well, passing up dough is a major feel,
I might as well choose money, it's a big deal
Take the trip to South Africa, but can't lead the the paper like... pill,
I might take a trip to South Africa, but I can't lose all of my money
Realest rapper you have ever meet, she wants an autograph on her fake breast,
I am the realest rapper you have ever met, and she wants my autograph on her fake breast
Too young is just too dumb, girl slow it down and take a break twist,
She is too young and foolish, she needs to slow down and take a break
Check it out when my lack is out,
Check it out when I am out of stock
Don't worry bout it, I ain't stressed,
Don't worry about it, I am not stressed
Hot chocolate on my hallo tips they might mess around and get a taste test.
Hot chocolate on my champagne glasses, they might get to taste it.
[Chorus]
Wait a minute
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Glenn Cortell Johnson, Jerry Peters, Kejuan Waliek Muchita, Sean Puffy Combs, Troy Donald Jamerson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sobriquét Tru
on I Know U Strapped
The lyrics of Pimp C's song "I Know U Strapped" address the issue of bravado and violence among some men who carry firearms, but are not willing or prepared to use them in the face of danger. The song uses a confrontational tone to call out these men, who Pimp C refers to as "cowards" and "bitches." The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that getting drunk, high, or hyped up on cocaine can lead to reckless behavior that can end in tragedy.
The lyrics also describe several encounters that Pimp C had with people who tried to test him, but he ultimately came out on top. He recounts an incident in which he was confronted by some women in Dallas, but he refused to back down and instead asserted his dominance. In another verse, he talks about a person who screwed him out of some money and whom he considered having attacked at a later date.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Know U Strapped" paint a picture of a world in which firearms are omnipresent, and the line between bravado and real danger is often blurred. Through his lyrics, Pimp C seems to be warning listeners about the consequences of taking violent actions, as well as urging a more thoughtful approach to conflict resolution. Also, he's straight up disrespecting Master P!