UGK, the Port Arthur, Texas duo of Bun B and Pimp C, are legendary for a few reasons. There's Pimp C's indefatigable wit and ear for a hook, Bun's sonorous baritone, their taste in beats, and their sheer workmanlike attention to the craft of making great hip-hop. Regardless of the (many) specifics, the pair cemented themselves in 1999 as major figures in the national rap canon with their scene-stealing performance on Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'."
Underground Kingz, UGK’s fifth album, was the one that pushed them into the discussion of global rap stars. It was the first of their albums to debut at No. 1, finally giving them the commercial success that they deserved after years of becoming underground icons. It was also their final album with both living members, as Pimp C died four months after its release. The album turns ten years old this month, and in reflection, here are the 25 best UGK songs—the ones that built the road to that album, and built their legacy beyond it.
25. "Protect and Serve"
24. "Short Texas"
23. "Feds in Town"
22. "Diamonds and Wood"
21. "Heaven"
20. "The Pimp & The Bun" (f/ Ronald Isley)
19. "Something Good"
18. "I'm So Bad"
17. Lil Keke "Chunk Up the Deuce" (f/ Paul Wall and UGK)
16. "Cocaine" (f/ Rick Ross)
15. "Use Me Up"
14. "Wood Wheel"
13. "Murder"
12. "Living This Life"
11. "Everybody Wanna Ball"
10. "Three Sixteens"
9. "Front, Back & Side to Side" (f/ Smoke D)
Album: Super Tight (1994)
Producer: Pimp C
One of the key UGK car anthems, “Front, Back & Side To Side” has it all: a smooth beat that summons the windows down on a car in any season, a tale about riding slow down a street that feels like any street, and a hook that gets inside your head and never leaves.