Pimp C, one-half of hip-hop duo UGK, was found dead Tuesday morning in his room at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood. He was 33 years old.
Craig Harvey, chief investigator at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, said the rapper's body would be examined Wednesday but a cause of death will likely be deferred pending additional tests. His officers were still at the scene early Tuesday evening.
L.A. County Fire found the rapper, whose real name was Chad Butler, dead in his bed at the Mondrian after responding to a 911 call by hotel security. The hotel released a statement that Pimp C's family called and said the rapper was to have checked out the day before.
"Security personnel went to Mr. Butler's room and found him in bed, apparently expired," according to the hotel.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman said the death is being investigated by its homicide division.
A statement by Pimp C's publicist said his manager "is asking that everyone please respect his family and those close to him at this time and refrain from rumors and innuendo."
In Port Arthur, Butler's mother, Weslyn "Mama Wes" Monroe, said she spoke with her son by telephone last week and found him excited about his latest project, a collaboration with Oscar-winning rap group Three 6 Mafia.
"He was in L.A., doing what he loved most," Monroe said.
Pimp C's death follows a commercial peak for UGK. Its first studio album in five years, Underground Kingz, was released in August. The two-CD opus tallied six-figure sales and gave the group its first No. 1 album, behind the popular single and video Intl' Players Anthem (I Choose You).
The rapper had performed Saturday in Los Angeles with labelmate Too Short.
In addition to working with his UGK partner Bun B, Pimp C collaborated with rappers including Mike Jones and Chamillionaire. Those two took a Houston rap scene that he helped build to a national audience.
"It's a sad day in the city. A legend has passed," said Jones, who traded verses with Pimp C on 2006 single Pourin' Up.
UGK's breakthrough was a long time coming. The Port Arthur duo formed almost two decades ago when Pimp C left a group called Mission Impossible to work with Bun B. A Mission Impossible song, Underground Kingz, gave the duo its name.
Some underground tapes circulated before the duo recorded Too Hard to Swallow in 1992. UGK recorded several albums for major label Jive, while also working on locally-produced recordings, some with Houston's late, legendary DJ Screw. Though big success took years, UGK had venerable status among Southern rappers.
"Pimp C is a true legend. As far as the South goes, as far as Houston goes, he was the definition of a true pioneer," said rapper K-Rino, who also got his start on the local scene in the '80s.
"(Pimp C) and UGK came along at a time — with the Geto Boys — and really hit the underground and then the mainstream when groups from the South weren't getting exposure. They knocked down a lot of doors and let a lot of people shine."
UGK earned its first taste of A-list attention with a guest shot on Jay-Z's Big Pimpin'.
"I know a lot of guys that call themselves pimps, but he's a real pimp," said Brooke Valentine, a Houston-bred singer who featured Pimp C on her single Dope Girl.
The rough and tumble lifestyle that informed some of UGK's music was sewn closely to Pimp C's life. The group's rise after the Jay-Z collaboration stopped when he was imprisoned in January 2002 after falling behind on community service required after pleading no contest to aggravated assault.
His label painted a kinder portrait of the artist. "He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person," said Jive Records president and CEO Barry Weiss. "I've known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly."
Pimp C was paroled in December 2005 and promptly issued a solo album, Pimpalation, in 2006. It was certified gold.
He then got to work with Bun B on a UGK album. The 26-track Underground Kingz showcased a barrage of explicit lyrics, hard club beats and trademark Southern swagger. It also played up the duo's contrasting dynamic — Bun B's cool flow vs. Pimp C's more aggressive, animated rap attack.
The album's release was a point of contention between the group and its label. Underground Kingz was first slated for retail in November 2006 but was held up. It was released nine months later. Pimp C was outspoken about his irritation at the way it was handled.
"The record was going to be thrown out there to the wolves, and they ... really didn't care," he said in an August interview.
"Make no mistake — this record business is prostitution."
Rick Martin, UGK's manager, said Butler was looking forward to a new solo deal on Jive Records, a satellite radio show and a national cologne endorsement.
Pimp C is the second area rapper to die in the past few months. Kenneth "Big Moe" Moore died two months ago of a heart attack. Hip-hop artist John "Big Hawk" Hawkins was shot and killed outside his home in 2006.
"The situation is we have to step our game up," K-Rino says. "The people who die, their job is done. They're examples for the people who are still here. We have to see what a person's death can teach us. What adjustments we can make on our life to make sure we get the best quality of life while we're still around.
"My prayers go out to his family. We lost a true legend, but more than that, he had friends and a family, he had children."
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