Thirty years after Bun B and Pimp C released Ridin’ Dirty, the landmark UGK album remains one of Southern hip-hop’s defining records. As UGK, the Port Arthur duo helped elevate Texas hip-hop on the national stage and remain one of the defining acts of Southern rap.

To commemorate the milestone, Bun B and his friends are hosting Been Ridin’ Dirty, an evening featuring special guests including Chamillionaire, Lil’ Keke, Killa Kyleon, Big K.R.I.T, Slim Thug, David Banner, 8 Ball & MJG and LE$.

More surprise guests are expected to be announced ahead of the event, which takes place Saturday, August 1, at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land.

“This is something that we are putting a lot of thought into and trying to be very intentional about because it’s a once in a lifetime experience. I’m still putting it back a bit that this is actually 30 years. That’s crazy that this album is still being celebrated after so many years,” says Bun B, adding, “I’m excited to bring it to life on stage for people. I really am.”

Bun B says the anniversary “popped up on him” and he knew he couldn’t just let it go by as Ridin’ Dirty is an album that represents a time that not only means a lot to him personally, but to generations of fans.

“Let’s try to find a place where we can all come together and remember where we were at the time because music sometimes marks moments in your life. If we can get in this room and turn up with these songs and all those songs can bring back all those different memories and times past, I think we could have a really nice night of entertainment for people.”

Planning an event of this magnitude, Bun B and his team have been conscious about who they have chosen to participate and what each artist’s catalog contributes to the themes of Ridin’ Dirty while honoring Pimp C and Mr. 3-2.

“There are a lot of people who care about Pimp and miss him as I do so we are very careful about who we allow to be involved with this,” says Bun B about his musical partner who passed away in 2007. “It can’t just be a superficial thing; we have to make sure that we are complementing Pimp C in the right way and that we are complementing Mr. 3-2 in the right way as well.”

That careful curation reflects the way Bun B has approached preserving UGK’s legacy and the passion Pimp C brought since his passing in 2007.

More than musical partners, Bun B and Pimp C balanced one another creatively. Bun’s measured lyricism complemented Pimp’s outspoken personality and musical instincts, a combination that became the foundation of UGK’s sound.

“As far as music was concerned, one of the things that I can say in all of the years that we did work together is music was never anything that we argued about. We never had any real differences because he didn’t wear the same kind of clothes, or drive the same kind of cars, we didn’t like the same women so we never lyrically stepped on each other’s toes.

“If we were talking about a subject, I know how he was going to talk about it and he knew how I was going to talk about it. Our identities were very clearly defined on all the music.”

Though the loss of Pimp C and other friends and collaborators has left its mark, Bun B says the evening isn’t about grief. “We are here to celebrate. We don’t ever want to just sit down and be sad about these things. There’s a lot that we were able to accomplish that we can celebrate and the love that we can contribute to people’s lives and memories that we can and should celebrate,” says Bun B.

The album endures not only based on their beats and carefully placed samples but also because its themes remain universal—from grief and survival to hustling for opportunity and questioning the authenticity of relationships. It is a thematic album painting a vivid picture of life in Houston and really representing it as a hustle town, filled with street stories from real life experiences of survival and community.

“As kids growing up you’re seeing things or hearing things and as you got older, you start participating in things,” says Bun B describing growing up in a hardworking town with limited opportunities for adults and kids but never losing its sense of community.

“We felt like a lot of people could relate to that and if not, they would definitely want to hear about it or be interested in it. We just thought we could put that stuff to paper and tell some truth about living that life in a small town and it seemed to resonate with people.All we hear about is a lot of the major cities in America, there’s hundreds if not thousands of small towns that we never hear about at allso we wanted to be one of those groups that tell some of those stories.

“We were very ambitious as a group with this album. Pimp had big dreams about the music and trying to get it executed and N.O. Joe helped us execute that stuff and put it in the right studio and the right position to be able to make the best version of an album we could possibly make because that was our dream, to make an album that would be something that people would love,” says Bun B.

Nearly three decades later, Ridin’ Dirty remains one of Southern hip-hop’s defining records. Even without any singles or videos to push it forward, Ridin’ Dirty peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 67,000 copies in its first week.

“It is a very singular album because not many albums are made like that anymore. It did have a theme to it and all of that was intentional from Pimp of what this album was supposed to be, how it was supposed to feel and how it’s all connected, and it still resonates in the same way in a very real way to this day. We really were trying to make big music. We were young and you couldn’t really tell us we couldn’t and we didn’t believe that we couldn’t and it’s only with that kind of audacity that you can create something that stands the test of time.”

Bun B credits his experiences in Houston with helping him become the artist and person he is today.

“I’ve been given so much from this city,” says Bun B. “It’s helped me become the man I am, to have the family I have, the career that I have and to have been able to build up the bond with the people. All those things have been given to me and much more from this city. I’m not saying it’s the only city that saw into me but obviously there’s so much that’s been given to me from the people of this city and their level of support for me throughout my various careers at this point.”

Celebrating 30 years of Ridin’ Dirty in Houston means a lot to Bun B and he has been meticulously planning all of the details for this event. He feels ready for this great undertaking and is looking forward to a memorable night.

“I’m proud of the connection that I’ve been able to build up in Houston. Being raised in Port Arthur, then being able to come to Houston and make it in the big city so to speak, I’m very proud of that and to be appreciated still beyond the music, I think is an amazing thing.”

Bun B and friends will present Still Ridin’ Dirty on Saturday, August 1, 8 p.m. at Smart Financial Centre, 18111 Lexington. S: Houston Press