Trill (2005)

A product of nearly 15 years of down-South spitting as half of the hip-hop duo UGK, Houston hardhead Bun B is the broad-shouldered uncle to his city's current white-hot rap scene. Trill, his star-studded solo debut, stumbles when it veers away from Bun's roughneck strengths on R&B-flavored duds like ''Hold U Down.'' But slow-riding burners like the narcotics ode ''Pushin''' and ''The Story,'' a harrowing autobiographical account, fitfully reflect the MC's prior accomplishments.