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  • Lengendary Rapper Bun B, left, meets brothers Ray Riojas and Juan Riojas of Port Arthur at the sneaker boutique Sole Purpose in Beaumont Saturday. Morgan Jones

    Rap legend Bun B stops by local shoe boutique

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August 29, 2010

Bun B stops by local shoe boutique

Reesha Brown The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR — The scorching sun was no match for droves of Port Arthurans who patiently waited for about an hour outside Sole Purpose to catch up with one of their favorite rap legend’s, Bun B Saturday afternoon.

Jeremy Smith, of Nederland made sure he was first in line to get Bun B’s autograph on a picture he took of featured graffiti artwork of the rapper that can be seen in downtown Port Arthur.

“It’s good for him to come back because he is from here to support a local store,” Smith said. “We were always the first to get his music with him being local.”

Bun B, of the rap group UGK (Underground Kingz), stopped by the Beaumont shoe store, Sole Purpose to promote his new album, Trill OG, which can already be seen on shelves at local stores.

The rapper also collaborated with Meister Watches and Amongst Friends to release Bun-B-designed watches, T-shirts and snapback hats which were flying off shelves as soon as the doors of the store opened.

His main focus among all else was just to come back home and be amongst family, friends and his Down South fans.

“This (being local) is the foundation before you go anywhere, you gotta make it at home,” Bun B said.

The fab life of a famous rap star can be very busy. In fact, preparations for this special occasion began last year, Sean Otis, Sole Purpose owner said.

“We have been working on this since October,” Otis said. “I think it’s great that he (Bun B) is here to support our local business. He is promoting his products Amongst Friends and Trill OG shirts and watches. He is a real humble guy.”



Who is Bun B?

• Most fans know him as Bun B, of the rap group UGK, but Port Arthurans also know him by his birth name, Bernard Freeman. 

• Bun B together with Chad “Pimp C” Butler won national acclaim as the southern hip hop duo UGK.

• He has partnered with other famous rappers, such as Jay-Z and Three-6 Mafia but Bun B and UGK are from Port Arthur — relying on those roots for their Down South credibility.

rbrown@panews.com

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