bun's reasonable message
Exclusive: Bun B and his team closing in on lost UGK poncho missing after RodeoHouston's Southern Takeover
Bun B and his team are closing on the party responsible for taking the UGK poncho.
As a 30-year music legend, mastermind of the hottest smash burger in the country, and a devoted family man, Bun B has learned to be reasonable in life.
So it's not surprising that Houston's hip-hop icon and OG sounds very Don Corleone in his message to the person or persons who made off with his custom UGK poncho after his historic RodeoHouston Southern Takeover at NRG Stadium on Friday, March 3. Bun is even offering a $1,000 reward for the custom poncho designed by chic fashion label, Purple.
But, the clock is ticking for the offender.
“We’ve already made a level of progress,” Bun B tells CultureMap exclusively regarding the search. “I pretty much know where the thing is. We’re just trying to allow [who's responsible] to do the right thing. I don’t wanna have to publicly embarrass somebody about this. I'm a fair person: Just give me back what’s mine quietly and I'll resolve it quietly.”
A reasonable offer, right? Bun B tells us there's “no way” the item was merely misplaced — it was clearly taken. In short, the offender can still make this right. Or, things could go very badly for he or she.
“If I have to make noise in order to get this back, then somebody's gonna be embarrassed,” Bun adds. “I don't have to do anything to anybody. Just the public embarrassment of being outed as the person who took this from me on such a memorable night will do more than enough damage to their public — and quite honestly, their professional — reputation as well.”
Though he doesn't want to out them — yet — for their safety, Bun assures us that his team are closing in on the party responsible for lifting the celebrated poncho crafted by Purple, the hot New York City-based fashion brand. Purple's co-founder, Luke Cosby, is a Houston success story; he relocated to NYC last year and thus holds the Rodeo — and Bun B and his legendary act UGK — dear. Indeed, Bun B walking out onstage sporting a poncho emblazoned with the logo of the rap duo he co-founded with dearly departed Pimp C was a seminal Rodeo — and Houston — moment.
And so ideally, this poncho would become a piece of Rodeo history, one preserved in NRG Stadium halls like other hallowed pieces of concert memorabilia from past shows. Thus, the person or persons who've taken the poncho aren't just messing with Bun B and Cosby, but also Rodeo history, Bun adds.
“Here's the thing: Just the idea of me not being in possession of the garment, that's not a big deal,” he continues. “If it got damaged or anything like that, I'd be okay with it, because the moment was documented and it served its purpose. But this was a one-off, commissioned piece created by one of the top designers in the country — Luke Cosby — who's from Houston and has one of the hottest brands in the country right now. And if for nothing else, the man wanted to keep the piece for posterity's sake. The Rodeo may want that in a glass case, to preserve for history. And you're interfering with that, you're interfering with the destiny of this poncho, its final resting place.”
Bun even manages to chuckle about how how onstage item has become a cultural headline. “There's a lot more attention on a piece of clothing I think I've ever seen in my life — outside of a murder investigation,” he says. Our OG also agrees that this poncho pilfering is reminiscent of an NFL G.O.A.T.'s jersey being stolen after Super Bowl XLIX in 2017.
“Oh yeah, this is the Houston equivalent of Tom Brady's jersey for sure,” he says with a laugh. “This is the TB12 jersey after the Super Bowl.”
Joking aside, Bun B's team, Rodeo staff, and others are “adamantly” looking for the poncho and take the (alleged) theft seriously — namely for the offender's sake. To that end, Bun B is staying reasonable — for now — as to him, it's less about the theft of a garment and more about the repercussions for whomever stole it.
“Look, I'm not gonna cry because I don't have a f*cking poncho,” he says. “But, I've had several scenarios where people have done me wrong. I've tried my best to resolve these things quietly, because I know that if I pointed to somebody and say 'this person did me wrong,' that they will be basically excommunicated. In the city of Houston, opportunities will be very hard for them. And I don't wish that on anybody.”
Bun B has spoken. With hope, the party responsible is listening.
