In case you’re unfamiliar, Bun B is probably best known as one half of U.G.K., the legendary Port Arthur, Texas duo responsible for classic tracks like “Pocket Full of Stones” and “Int’l Players Anthem,” as well as stealing the show on Jay Z’s “Big Pimpin’.” He’s done songs with everybody from Beyoncé to Pete Rock to Parquet Courts. Instead, I’m talking about Bun B, whose new record Return of the Trill has been playing on loop in my headphones since it dropped and is perhaps the perfect model of what it means to age gracefully in hip-hop. If you couldn’t guess from the headline of this article, as well as the picture floating above this text, I am definitely not referring to Eminem. He’s 45, it’s a record that only a 45-year-old, one with experience and perspective who retains a sense of playfulness, could make. The album showcased the rapper’s wordplay, storytelling abilities, as well as his considerable technical mastery over his craft. Though he’s been active since the 90’s, his new record felt as fresh and vibrant as anything he’d done in his prime, offering hints of where hip-hop could go in the future while still remaining resolute in its ties to history. On Friday, one of history’s all-time great rappers put out an album.
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