About a month ago, Bun B stayed up late to watch the online premiere of Drake’s short film with the rest of the world fear of being left out. At least, he caught the beginning of the midnight livestream. “I fell asleep and then my phone started going off,” recalls the Texas rap legend. “And my niece is calling me: ‘Uncle Bun, the song is on. The song is on!’
The song in question was Drake’s long-promised remake of Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas”, featuring Houston’s Don Tolliver. And Bun B’s nieces were ecstatic over the remake – which now has a Top 10 hit in its own right, titled “Solar Eclipse”, following its official release in a deluxe edition this month habibati The album – also includes a lead sample of his uncle’s 2005 classic “Get Thrud”, with its signature descending bass riff.
This is actually the second time Drake has sampled the song after doing so in 2021 “N2 Deep,” And Bun B says he’s “absolutely grateful and grateful” for what those placements mean for his own streaming numbers. He says, “Not only does pairing your song with a Drake song bring in revenue, but people rediscover the original record. So the number of singles for ‘Get Thru’ started going up again as well.” “It’s a huge thing for us, and he’s a great person for it. You could definitely have worse friends in the music industry than Drake.”
Bun B has known Drake for nearly 20 years, and was an early supporter at a time when the future superstar was still known to many as a Canadian actor who signed with Young Money. He appreciates the way Drake flipped Langley’s record-breaking smash — which is sung from the perspective of someone who’s sad that her man chose a Lone Star rival over her — into a spontaneous homage to the music and culture of the state where he recently bought a $15 million farm. “It’s a full-circle thing, because Texas has inspired and influenced him on so many different levels,” Bunn says. “I would argue that Texas would be considered Drake’s second home at this point. I think the stars are really aligned.”
As for why “Get Thru” is the sample of choice, Bun B feels it comes down to original producer Mr. Lee’s memorable melody and the way the song represents a moment in time. When it was originally released as a single from his solo debut, trillAfter making some of the greatest records in Southern rap history as one half of UGK with the late, great Pimp C, Bunn was starting a new chapter of his career. “Get Thru” boasted super-quotable verses from both members of that influential duo, as well as guest shots from the killer line-up of Jay-Z, Jeezy, and Z-Ro, all of which put the song into heavy national rotation. “It’s not like UGK and Geto Boys 3-2 And Big Mike and all these other classic Houston rappers and groups didn’t already have an influence in the culture. [earlier on],” he says. “But Houston had another big run in 2005, 2006, 2007, which brought a lot of notoriety and shine to the city for the young base. “It immediately brings you back to where Houston was most impressive last time.”
As a highly knowledgeable observer of hip-hop trends, Bun B is not surprised to see Drake’s career bounce back from the negative headlines of 2024 and 2025. “As many people as there were who tried to count him out, there were just as many people who still believed in him,” he says. “I think the most important aspect we have to focus on is the fact that he’s never stopped believing in himself. I take my hat off to a guy like that who can persevere despite anything like that, getting into a very public feud, having a lot of people he helped turn their backs on him, and he’s still stood up and pushed, and look at him now. I would argue that he’s just as popular as he was before, and maybe some more.” levels even more popular than that.
bun b is calling rolling stone On my little break from Houston autumn trip with 8Ball and MJG, where they are performing songs from both their catalogs with the assistance of the Renaissance Orchestra. He says, “It’s a different musical interpretation of their legacy and our legacy, but it still feels as natural as it did when we released the hip-hop version.”
With Election Day just weeks away, he’s feeling good about Senate candidate James Tallarico’s chances. “There’s a shift happening right now,” says Bun B, who recently joined Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraves on the list of high-profile Texas musicians. supported Talarico. “People are not really engaged with the current administration’s vision, and people are looking to go in different directions, not only politically, but also ideologically. I’m part of that growing trend, and we’ll see what kind of change we have in the midterms.”
Otherwise, his focus is on his restaurant chain, Trill Burgerwhich recently opened a fourth Houston location in addition to serving customers at Rice University and Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. Furthermore, he promised that there would be more to come in 2027: “Keep your ears open, because there will be new music from Bun B next year.”