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The 6 Best Moments from Bun B's 'Southern Takeover' at The Houston Rodeo

The 6 Best Moments from Bun B's 'Southern Takeover' at The Houston Rodeo

Published Mon, March 6, 2023 at 10:26 AM EST

On Friday, March 3, Bun B dominated the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with his Bun B's Southern Takeover — a dynamic concert that featured some of the biggest names in southern Hip-Hop.

It's not surprising the concert was energetic — early reports showed the popular event was in the top spot of first-day sales for the Rodeo when tickets went on sale back in January. This year, the final count was at 74,573, slightly higher than last year. Fans packed into NRG Stadium for the show, many of which also stood in the super long line at Trill Burgers to grab one of Bun's award-winning burgers before the jam-packed set (seriously, the hype over Bun's burger is warranted).

Last year, Bun's event focused on Houston rappers, but this year, expanded across the south, though he kept the names of most of the performers a secret. When Bun emerged on the gorgeously lit, star-shaped stage, the crowd went wild. Wearing a black cowboy hat and custom-designed UGK poncho from PURPLE, the always-cool O.G. was in great spirits. He opened with the UGK classic "Wood Wheel," rapping Pimp C's verse, and the crowd went nuts. The energy didn't dwindle much from there as Bun brought out a bevy of southern artists including, Big K.R.I.T, David Banner, Lil Flip, Tela, Jazze Pha, Eightball & MJG, Trinidad James, Cupid, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, Chalie Boy, Yungstar, Big Mike, Scarface, and Dallas native Erykah Badu.

Check out six of the dopest moments from the show below.

1. Bun B came out to a live band.

Bun always puts on a great show and with a live band backing him, it kicked things up another notch. Pimp C's production with UGK is even better with live instrumentation, and the wah-wah's and syrupy bass lines were especially muddy as Bun easily slid over classics like "Wood Wheel," "Get Throwed," (produced by Mr. Lee) "Pocket Full of Stones," and "Big Pimpin" (produced by Timbaland). The band stayed throughout the duration of the show and added to the down-home, juke-joint-in-a-stadium vibe, including when Bun closed with "Int'l Players."

2. Bun B's UGK Poncho.

As aforementioned, Bun came out rocking a fly custom UGK poncho, designed by PURPLE. Sadly, it apparently went missing at some point, and now he's offering over $1,000 for its return, no questions asked.

3. Big Mike hit the stage.

Big Mike has to be one of the south's dopest unsung lyricists, and it was a pleasure to see him hit the stage to perform his classic, "Havin' Thangs," which was famously produced by Pimp C and featured him on the hook.

4. Scarface brought his guitar.

Of course, a set featuring Houston classics wouldn't be complete with Face, and he showed up with his guitar, joining the band for a somber performance of "Smile" from The Untouchable, as Bun paid tribute to fallen rap stars including Nipsey Hussle, and of course Pimp C, who tragically passed away in 2005. Scarface stayed to deliver one more song, his wavy classic, "Mary," from the same album.

5. Badulla Oblongata aka Sara Bellum aka Manuela Maria Mexico aka Erykah Badu popped up.

Look, the entire Southern Takeover was high-energy. Even Cupid of "Cupid Shuffle" fame came out and had folks moving it "to the left, to the left" in the cramped seating area. But when the Dallas native out with a slow-moving version of the staple track from her debut album, "On & On," the energetic crowd went into a frenzy — a testament to her incredible showmanship. She stayed for one more track, the forever bum-dude classic, "Tyrone."

6. The Slab Parade

At one point, Houston's Slim Thug, Killa Kyleon, and more rode into the arena, showcasing their cars, a fitting moment for a perfectly curated set from Bun B.

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