trill takeover

Houston rap legend Bun B launches 'Trill' new show on SiriusXM

Bun B head shot hat stadium Houston Astros

Bun B is set to take over the satellite radio world with his new show.

Photo by Maigen Berg

As anyone who has attended the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards can attest, few can host a party like Texas rap legend Bun B.

The charismatic, larger-than-life pride of Houston broke through the clamped-tight lock of New York and West Coast hip-hop as one half of the iconic group UGK in the ’90s. Since then, the unofficial mayor of Houston has achieved titan status, working with superstars such as Beyoncé and Jay Z, making appearances on national TV, and even guest lecturing at Rice University.

But now, the hip-hop statesman wants to give back — something intrinsically part of his value system, as evidenced by his work during the George Floyd rallies and recent storms.

To that end, the icon has launched the “2 Trill Show” on Sirius Radio. The show will air on Rock The Bells (43), the channel founded by LL Cool J that just received a major cash infusion of $8 million. The 2 Trill Show premieres Wednesday, April 14 at 11 am and runs Wednesday; shows re-air during the week. The schedule can be found here.

Bun B relayed to CultureMap recently that the show is a “natural evolution” of his career. Expect candid, raw, and real talk with his wife Queenie, his sidekick, and special weekly guests — and of course, the best of Southern hip-hop. “I want to open my doors up to the OGs from the South, let them come in and we honor them, give them a platform,” Bun B said in a statement. “This is not really about me. I want to celebrate us. And I feel Rock The Bells is the perfect place to make that happen.”

Bun B also noted that, “if you're not necessarily from the South, there are a lot of very small, regional groups who maybe didn't get a big push to make a name for themselves on a national scale, but in their areas, were very big deals, musically. In certain situations, they [may have] outsold bigger artists, locally. And they are very respected in their regions and had a great track record and toured around the South, but maybe never cracked on the East Coast or the West Coast or whatever.”

While Bun B pitched the idea for the show and ultimately agreed to host, he acknowledges that the potential for growth is “huge.” Get onboard now, fans — it’s just a matter of time before Bun brings Southern Trill to the world.

---

Bun B’s “2 Trill Show” premieres at 11 am Wednesday, April 14. New shows air Wednesdays and are re-broadcast during the week. Find the schedule here.

media celebrities music

In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

obituary music country music