UGK

"I'm A Ho" is mechanized saggy pants from the leather-legged '80s. You can hear it sauntering underneath "Front, Back & Side To Side," released in 1994 by UGK, from the former oil-boom town of Port Arthur. In a Pimp C verse, the '64 Chevy in the front yard or the act of simply getting from here to the corner, keeping it local is a marvel of decor and detailing. Note how he mustards the word "Behind" in the rearview mirror. On songs like "Murder" and "Short Texas," the UGK menace almost sounds casual, but not easy-going. When Bun B rapped about sticking a 12-gauge in your guts, he put a lot of thought into that "smelly jelly." The most beloved MC out of Texas, the late-night door-knocker considered technique and craft more than the biggest Ultramagnetic nerd. Released in 1988 on Bigtymers, UGK's "The Southern Way" EP introduced trill and tapped a Marvin Gaye piano years before Dre and The D.O.C. owned it with "The Formula." Rap-A-Lot CEO James Smith would later release solo projects by Bun B and Pimp C.