Chad Butler

Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer.

He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK).

Chad Lamont Butler was born December 29, 1973, in Crowley, Louisiana, but was raised in Port Arthur, Texas.

Butler was the only child of Charleston Butler and Weslyn "Mama Wes" Butler Jacob Monroe.

Butler was born prematurely and had numerous health issues, including a birth defect that caused his legs to point inward, which required braces to fix.

He also had to be propped up when he slept due to digestive problems.

His eyesight was poor, and he almost went blind after a severe bout of pinkeye.

Butler also had pneumonia at least nine times as a child.

As the son of a trumpet player, Butler had an interest in music since childhood: "I come from a classical background, I came up singing Italian sonnets, Negro spirituals, and shit of that nature."

Even before studying musical notation in school, he learned to play many instruments by ear, including piano, trumpet, drums and flugelhorn.

His vocal style was once described as "high-voiced, unstable and provocateur, as likely to slap your face as to sing you a love song."

Influenced by Run-DMC, he started synthesizing beats to rap over after receiving a drum machine and keyboard one Christmas.

Butler joined the choir as a teenager and played numerous instruments at school, and after being encouraged by his stepfather Bill Monroe, began writing and creating his own music.

Butler was particularly interested in the emerging hip hop genre as a child, and soon bonded and became friends with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman over their shared passion for music.

Butler formed the rap group Underground Kingz (often referred to as UGK) with friend Bernard "Bun B" Freeman in 1987 in Port Arthur, Texas.

After taking a short hiatus from music in the late 1990s, UGK returned in 2000, appearing on Jay-Z's smash hit single "Big Pimpin'", which peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200, as well as "Sippin' on Some Syrup" by Three 6 Mafia, which peaked at #30 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Both of these collaborations greatly increased the duo's reputation, and helped fuel anticipation for their next project.

Signing to Jive Records in 1992, UGK released their major-label debut album Too Hard to Swallow to critical acclaim.

Initially signed to independent label Big Tyme Recordz, the duo released two EPs, The Southern Way and Banned, in 1992 to moderate local success, which lead to the group being signed to Jive Records later that year.

In November, they released their major label debut, Too Hard to Swallow through Jive, which peaked at #37 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The group followed this with their second and third major-label albums Super Tight in 1994 and Ridin' Dirty in 1996, both of which charted in the Billboard 200 to further success.

UGK's second album, Super Tight was released in 1994 to critical acclaim and commercial success, charting at #95 on the Billboard 200 and #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In 1996, UGK's third album, Ridin' Dirty, became their most successful, reaching #2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #15 on the Billboard 200, receiving widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, having sold 850,000 copies to date.

The group received national attention in 2000 after being featured on Jay-Z's hit single "Big Pimpin'", which peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Rhythmic Top 40.

The group went on hiatus for the first half of the 2000s after Pimp C was sentenced to eight years in prison for a probation violation.

On December 16, 2000, Butler was arrested in Houston's Sharpstown Mall after allegedly holding a woman, Lakita Hulett, at gunpoint and threatening to shoot her after a confrontation in a shoe store.

After both Butler and Hulett had exchanged words in the store, Hulett alleged that Butler pushed a gun into her side and said, "Bitch, I'll shoot you," before she ran away and informed police.

Butler claimed he simply lifted his jacket to show the gun and did not remove it from his waistband.

Jive Records failed to capitalize on this new-found interest in UGK, as their fourth album, Dirty Money, was released in 2001 with little to no advertisement or promotion.

After Pimp C was sentenced to eight years in prison in August 2002, UGK was once again forced to go on hiatus, which led to both members pursuing solo careers.

Butler married his wife, Chinara, while he was in prison in 2003.

They had one child together, a daughter named Christian, and he had two older sons, Chad Lamont Butler II and Dahcory Butler, both of whom were born in previous relationships.

During this time both members pursued solo careers, with Pimp C releasing his solo debut, The Sweet James Jones Stories, in 2005, composed of material recorded prior to his sentencing.

After being released from prison in December 2005, he released his second solo album, Pimpalation, in 2006.

Pimp C's debut studio album, The Sweet James Jones Stories was released in March 2005, composed of material recorded prior to Pimp C's incarceration.

After being released from prison in December 2005, Pimp C released his second solo studio album Pimpalation in July 2006 and peaked at #3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

UGK released their eponymous fifth studio album in 2007, which spawned the single "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" featuring OutKast, which peaked at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Pimp C was found dead in his hotel room on December 4, 2007, with a coroner's report attributing his death to complications stemming from heavy consumption of lean and his pre-existing condition of sleep apnea.

On August 7, 2007, UGK reunited to release their eponymous fifth studio album, debuting at #1 on both the Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

The album was the last UGK album released during Pimp C's lifetime, and spawned the hit single "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)", and received universal acclaim from critics.