It’s a monumental year for Houston hip-hop. Not only does DJ Screw and DeMo Sherman’s iconic June 27th mixtape turn 30 this summer, but so does Ridin’ Dirty—the landmark 1996 album from legendary Texas duo UGK. And Bun B is going all out to mark the occasion.

This August, the UGK rapper and Houston icon is bringing a one-night-only performance to Sugar Land’s Smart Financial Centre in celebration of three decades of what he calls the most “seminal” UGK album. The aptly named Been Ridin’ Dirty concert is exactly what it sounds like: a full presentation of Ridin’ Dirty, performed start to finish—and in order—a rare occasion for modern-day music listeners and hip-hop heads. 

There is a twist, though. Bun B is not just the headliner—he’s also the orchestrator, weaving in moments of reflection and historical context throughout the night and curating a lineup of artists and performers influenced by Pimp C’s legacy. The goal is to bring the album to life with a heavy dose of nostalgia and nods to aspects of Texas culture—cars, fashion, and the energy that defined 1996, the year the album was released. 

The featured artists for the Been Ridin’ Dirty concert have yet to be announced, but if Bun B’s track record is any indication, it’s bound to be a party. Born in Port Arthur, Bun B made his rap debut in 1992 as part of UGK and has since become one of Houston’s most beloved figures and restaurateurs. His sound is synonymous with Southern rap, and his reach extends well beyond music—from curated lineups at the Houston Rodeo that have featured everyone from T.I. and Ludacris to Trill Burgers, his wildly popular smashburger concept that has drawn celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal and Drake through its doors.

Houstonia caught up with Bun B to hear about the plans for Been Ridin’ Dirty and to reflect on more than 30 iconic years of Houston hip-hop.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Houstonia: How long has this concert been in the works?

Bun B: It’s the 30th anniversary, so I would argue, for 30 years. When we did this album, we didn’t think it would last this long. We just hoped it would be appreciated, and we have created other albums since—both as the group UGK and as a solo artist—but for hardcore UGK and Bun B fans,  it all goes to Ridin’ Dirty. For the most part, that’s everyone’s seminal album. To be here at the 30-year mark and see that people are excited to celebrate—not just with us, but for us—is exciting. The fans who grew up with the album and enjoyed it in real time are all still here. We’re just excited to create something that I think is more than just a moment. I think this is going to be a life marker, just like the album was when it was released 30 years ago. 

Tell me about life 30 years ago. It seems like 1996 was a really important year for Houston and hip-hop. June 27th is also celebrating its 30th anniversary. What do you think contributed to this iconic period in music history?

I think it was just a great year. There were a lot of things happening around that time. We were very ambitious about how we wanted the Ridin’ Dirty album to sound, specifically Pimp C. That’s why N.O. Joe is part of the album. He helped us get into what was then the most state-of-the-art studio in town. A lot of us started very small, with home setups. If we did get into the studio, we couldn’t spend much time there, so you had to work really fast and be proficient, but they had all this new, burgeoning technology available to you if you wanted it. I think that’s why you hear a lot of different sounds. 

Then, on the other side of the culture, you’ve got this guy—DJ Screw—making these albums in his back room in his house, right?  So we’ve got the old way of doing things and the new way of doing things, and they’re both coexisting at the same time. It was just an opportunity for us to just go for it. With Ridin’ Dirty, we didn’t have anything really to lose. We were putting it all into the music at the time and really trying to signify what it felt like to be in Houston at that time—the good, the bad, the fun things, the cautionary tales—all of that wrapped up in one. I think everybody making music at that time was trying to show as much of a worldview as they had.

You had a lot of people from new areas in hip-hop who weren’t originally celebrated before then. I was happy to be a part of that. We had no idea how far it would go. But that was the year of Tupac, of Nas, and De La Soul. There was a lot of really, really crazy music coming from a lot of different places, and everybody felt confident in expressing themselves and representing where they were from, no matter what. I think you can hear that in the music from that era. 

Ridin’ Dirty feels timeless—the instruments, the vocals, the energy. How do you think the album fits in today’s world? 

It’s an album that still addresses things that people are thinking about today—how do I make money? How do I take care of myself and my family? How do I dodge the haters, stay aware of my surroundings, and go for it? 

This is another time in life where I think people are gonna go for it. People aren’t scared to take the shot and be ambitious, and many people don’t have anything to lose by trying something different. The album will lend itself to that. It talks about trying to get money, being self-sufficient, and figuring out if people really want to be around you for who you are, not because of what you got. Those ideas still ring true.

We were pretty careful not to timestamp our music too much. We wanted to keep things as general as possible, so it would always make sense no matter when you listen to it. The lyrics might be a little different, but I think a lot of the slang still translates. That album still translates to this day.

People talk about mumble rap, but the enunciation on that album is so clear. There’s such an emphasis on the words.

That was important to us. Like, yeah, we might have had our southern twang and our southern way of saying things, but we didn’t want anything about what we were expressing to be confused. We were very cautious to make sure we were well understood. Now, you might not have known some of the terms we used. You might have had to call somebody and ask about it, but it wasn’t that you couldn’t understand us because of how we were speaking. We were very clear about what we were trying to get across to the people.

Usually, concerts are performed in what feels like a random order, with the closer being the most popular song, but Ridin’ Dirty will be performed in order. Why did you decide to do it that way?

I think people would agree with me when I say that the sequencing of UGK’s Ridin’ Dirty album is perfect. The way it goes from one song to the next is almost as perfect as you can get, so we don’t wanna disrupt that at all. But then, we still have time to tell stories and enjoy the moment.

The album is maybe a little over an hour long, but we’re not just doing a one-hour run, and then we’re out of there. We’re throwing in some fun surprises for the show. We’ll tell different stories and share different things. We’ve got a nice evening plan for everybody.

Have you revealed any of the artists yet? 

We’ve got it about 75 percent down. We’re just waiting on a couple of artists, but we have an idea of exactly who and what type of artists we want doing certain songs, especially since they’re going to be standing in for Pimp C and 3-2. 

I’m not really sure if I wanna give away anything. Seeing that first musical guest is gonna get you excited about what could happen for the rest of the night. I just want people to trust me on this. 

Is there a song that you are especially excited to perform? Is it true that this is the first time “3 in the Mornin’” will be performed?

I think this will be the first time that “3 in the Mornin’” is performed in its entirety, and possibly the first time for “Good Stuff.” It’s definitely going to be the first time for the title track, “Ridin’ Dirty.” We get to have some really fun surprises, for ourselves too, because it’s new for me as well.

Some of these songs, I never performed before. Obviously, the people standing in, they’ve never performed these songs before, so I’ve gotta help train them on how to go about this in the best way, so that they’re ready. It’s a whole different approach for a lot of us.

We’re celebrating the album, but then, some of my contemporaries get to be a part of that celebration, and they’re also fans. When we dropped this album, they were jamming it like we were. We get to celebrate together. It’s gonna be a fun, nostalgic night for us and hopefully for everybody that gets to come out. 

It’s not anything I’ve ever done before, but when we did the 20th anniversary of Trill, that really showed us not only that we could pull off something like that, but also what the response would be. 

Food is mentioned as part of the experience. Will Trill Burgers be there? 

Definitely Trill Burgers and Trill Tenders to make sure that we’re representing Trill the right way. There’ll be other food, too, but people are coming from out of town, and we want them to have the opportunity to get it that night. It’s part of the experience that we’re trying to create for people. The tenders—it’s an opportunity for people to get their hands on them before we open the Trill Tenders brick-and-mortar, which we think could happen in the next six to eight months.

What are your hopes for this concert? What do you hope this concert says about UGK and Southern hip-hop’s place in the larger American music canon?

Thirty years later, the album really speaks for itself, given its longevity and how well it has aged. It helped to let people know exactly who we are, how we wanted to be seen, and how we wanted to represent, not just Port Arthur, but also the state of Texas, and really just be seen as contributive to Southern hip-hop culture. I think we’ve proven that with this album and our entire music library. 

For the concert, I think it’s just a matter of people getting to be 18 and 21 again—feeling like you felt in high school when you heard these songs, feeling like you felt in college or wherever you were in this world at that time. Just for one day, let’s go back and celebrate like it’s 1996 again, but we want to see the younger crowd there, too. This album and the people we choose to perform it with, how we present everything—I think it’s going to do that. I really do. 

Know Before You Go

• What: UGK Been Ridin’ Dirty – 30th Anniversary of Ridin’ Dirty
• When: Friday, August 1, 2026
• Where: Smart Financial Centre, 18111 Lexington Blvd, Sugar Land, 77479
• Tickets: Available online, starting at $39.50 for general admission and $495 for VIP packages.