During an episode of “The Residency Podcast,” rapper Bun B revealed that his song “Big Pimpin’” with Jay Z was not meant to be a single. The recording artist also said that the song was the first rap music video to receive a $1 million budget.
The rapper, whose legal name is Bernard James Freeman, reflected on how much fun he had making the music video before telling the hosts the “Big Pimpin’” budget was $1 million.
“This was the first million-dollar budgeted rap video ever. Now, rap videos have had budgets that went over that and ended up costing a million dollars, but they literally blocked one million dollars just for this music video,” he said. “I had never seen anything like it. It was the first rap video, I think, on ‘Making a Video’ on MTV. … It accelerated so quickly, and then like within, I wanna say three months, it was the number one record on the planet.”
The musician also said the song was not originally supposed to be a single.
“Big Pimpin’ was more of a filler. It was not designed to be a primary single,” he recalled. “It ended up being, quite frankly, the biggest song of both of our careers.”
The music producer also discussed how much the music industry has changed with the internet. Bun B noted that although many changes have been negative, artists also have more freedom now than ever before in the music industry while noting it’s easier to capitalize off of a record as well.
“I like it better now,” said the rapper. “Because the artists have more power than they’ve ever had in the industry, which is all we ever wanted, right? Was the power and the freedom to make the music that we wanted to make.”
The “UKG” rapper went on to say that artists are now able to go directly to the consumer for feedback rather than waiting for an executive to make decisions for the listeners. “YouTube just literally took down that wall,” he added.
The rapper also discussed his infamous Thrill Burger during the podcast. The hamburger was named the best hamburger in America after winning the title of Ultimate Burger Spot on “Good Morning America’s United States of Burgers.” Bun B is opening his first Thrill Burger in Houston later this year.