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Sweet Jones: Pimp C's Trill Life Story
A pioneer in the South's quest for respect in the Hip Hop world and one of the most colorful characters to emerge from the music scene which ultimately topped rap charts at the turn of the century, Chad "Pimp C" Butler's controversial life - and suspicious death in 2007 - left behind many unanswered questions, a family divided, and scores of talented new artists inspired by his group UGK's music. Sweet Jones pays tribute to the extremely talented - yet bipolar and complex - musician who embodied the Southern dream. Written by the founder and Editor-in-Chief of esteemed Southern rap publication OZONE Magazine and compiled from interviews with Pimp C himself, his mother and manager Weslyn "Mama Wes" Monroe, UGK rap partner Bun B, and hundreds of friends, family members, and collaborators like Snoop Dogg, Scarface, Too $hort, 8Ball & MJG, Jazze Pha, David Banner, Mannie Fresh, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Trae, and Willie D of the Geto Boys, Sweet Jones is a must-read for any Southern rap fan.
726 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2015
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854 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 23, 2015
This book could have easily trended into hagiography. Instead Julia Beverly gives an unflinching and touching account of a southern rap legend who embodied many contradictions. Without making excuses or dehumanizing her subject this is a definitive account of Pimp C's life.
January 27, 2016
"It ain't never too late to stop being a bitch." - Pimp C
September 29, 2015
This is an extraordinary and complete work by the author Julia Beverly. I grew up listening to UGK. Very first song I heard was Pocket Full of Stones. Been a fan ever since. This book covered his school choir days, his days as a producer, UGK's success, his temper, his drug use, his legal troubles, and the comeback that never quite came. I have no idea how the author was able to dig up so much information regarding Pimp C. The book takes you on the wild ride that was his life. The stories, speculations, and memories made me feel some type of way because he was on his way to being a bigger phenomenon. It's sad we will never get some how big Pimp C and UGK could be. Pimp C was truly a dope producer with live instrumentation, singing his own vocals, and using his country voice to his advantage. UGK are legends in every sense of the word. They basically invented southern rap music. This is a complete work and something every fan of Pimp/UGK should read.
September 17, 2025
I have so much respect for Julia Beverly. She researched the hell out of this ode to Pimp C's life and legacy, and really did it justice. It's required reading for any hip hop or rap fan. The only reason I took off a star is because it's 700 pages and the font is tiny, not unlike a textbook. It's dense, and took me months to finish.
Pimp C was always musically inclined; he played several instruments and performed at Carnegie Hall when he was in school. He also had bipolar disorder and went to go see a psychiatrist, which was a provocative, important progression in the Black community, especially for a figure so prevalent and respected. Learning about his legal woes and the backstabbers he and Bun B seemed to regularly get entangled with was enlightening and sad, as so much of their potential was quelled by setbacks from dishonest people.
I loved learning that Bun B was captain of his debate team in high school and was teed up to be valedictorian before prioritizing music over school. After graduation, he promised his mom he'd give rapping one year. If it didn't stick, he'd go on to college as promised. We all know how that ended. Later in life he was a professor at Rice, coming full circle. What I wouldn't give to be in that lecture hall!
Despite being extremely different people, Pimp C and Bun B were a legendary duo. Although Pimp is one of my all-time favorite rappers, his legacy is really in production and composition, being able to play all kinds of instruments long before most of rap became based on samples. Today, his creations ARE the samples. His oeuvre became canonical after just 33 years on earth, and, like DJ Screw, Pimp C's influence can still be detected in music. It hurts to imagine what he could've done with a full life.
Pimp C's mom, Mama Wes, was a master class in selflessness. Pimp C and his entire community were her life, and she was "mama" to many. Unfortunately, she died before the book was completed. In many ways it's a love letter to her, too.
Brava Julia Beverly, and RIP Pimp C.
Pimp C was always musically inclined; he played several instruments and performed at Carnegie Hall when he was in school. He also had bipolar disorder and went to go see a psychiatrist, which was a provocative, important progression in the Black community, especially for a figure so prevalent and respected. Learning about his legal woes and the backstabbers he and Bun B seemed to regularly get entangled with was enlightening and sad, as so much of their potential was quelled by setbacks from dishonest people.
I loved learning that Bun B was captain of his debate team in high school and was teed up to be valedictorian before prioritizing music over school. After graduation, he promised his mom he'd give rapping one year. If it didn't stick, he'd go on to college as promised. We all know how that ended. Later in life he was a professor at Rice, coming full circle. What I wouldn't give to be in that lecture hall!
Despite being extremely different people, Pimp C and Bun B were a legendary duo. Although Pimp is one of my all-time favorite rappers, his legacy is really in production and composition, being able to play all kinds of instruments long before most of rap became based on samples. Today, his creations ARE the samples. His oeuvre became canonical after just 33 years on earth, and, like DJ Screw, Pimp C's influence can still be detected in music. It hurts to imagine what he could've done with a full life.
Pimp C's mom, Mama Wes, was a master class in selflessness. Pimp C and his entire community were her life, and she was "mama" to many. Unfortunately, she died before the book was completed. In many ways it's a love letter to her, too.
Brava Julia Beverly, and RIP Pimp C.
March 12, 2021
This is a singular, extraordinary achievement, certainly the finest biography of a popular music figure I’ve ever read and it’s really not even close. Not merely an exhaustive, nearly down-to-the-day recounting of the life, music, and suspicious death of Chad “Pimp C” Butler, author Julia Beverly does a remarkable job weaving together the people and places of C’s life into an epic with themes both eternal (the bond between a mother and son- Beverly’s primary source for many anecdotes is Chad’s “Mama Wes”) and timely (one chapter is dedicated to Texas’ outrageous prison industrial complex and prison population explosion of the 90s). No lie, as I marched through the book’s impossibly dense 700+ pages, the connection I couldn’t stop making was that this was Homer’s Odyssey set in The Dirty South- if you prefer, O Brother Where Art Thou set to UGK’s trademark Country Rap Tunes. Such is UGK’s influence that damn near every rapper you’ve ever heard of makes an appearance somewhere- and Beverly does a great job making clear how while they indeed remained Underground, their defiant brand of southern rap can be found in basically every superstar act today. It’s a long haul indeed, but even a southern hip hop neophyte will be rewarded with a wild, engrossing, and truly emotional read. UGK 4 Life.
December 3, 2018
This should be the standard for biographies! The level of detail that was found and put in the book is second to none! Chad aka Pimp C was one of the most iconic hip hop artists ever and this book does justice by portraying him that way! Thanks to everyone who made this masterpiece happen! I thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning about the various subjects discussed throughout the book! It’s long as hell but it’s necessary! Shout out Julia Beverly!!! Mama Wes is a mothafuckin G for real!!! Don’t worry, you’ll learn about who she is as well! Salute to Bun B! Keep it Trill!!! UGK4LIFE!!!!! MUST READ!!! 😊
August 8, 2019
I'm 37 and I became a UGK fan with Pocket Full of Stones, this is one of if not the best and informative bios that i have ever read. Fan or no fan this is such a good account of an almost haunted man. UGK is the best or tied with Outkast as the best rap duo but there was so many side stories along the way that i never knew happened. Definitely read this book but beware the last couple of chapters are emotionally draining. After reading I was like wow and felt sorry for C being that he fought himself throughout his short life because of his mental health. Read it. It will make you laugh a d smile in parts and possibly even cry I did.
January 5, 2018
I thought, Holy Hell! over 700 pages!!! I, like most of my age group, grew up listening to UGK, but I personally met Pimp & Bun as a child, while visiting family in Port Arthur. I once had an ex tell me "Why do you like to so much gangsta music" ... I know probably 85% of UGK songs word for word. I've also been following Julia Beverly on social media for several years. I remember when she start OZONE so I knew she would do a wonderful job writing a book about Pimp C.... All in all, this book was amazing. #LongLiveThePimp
March 20, 2019
Very well researched; A GREAT READ FOR THE REAL HIP HOP FAN
Longest book I've ever read, it feels like. More than a Pimp C biography but a detailed history on Southern Hip Hop. The author goes off on long tangents sometimes like when she offered a view into a real Pimp's world and how she started Ozone Magazine. Too much information to digest and keep straight BUT great information for more than the casual Southern Hip Hop fans. This book is for the real rap aficionado.
Longest book I've ever read, it feels like. More than a Pimp C biography but a detailed history on Southern Hip Hop. The author goes off on long tangents sometimes like when she offered a view into a real Pimp's world and how she started Ozone Magazine. Too much information to digest and keep straight BUT great information for more than the casual Southern Hip Hop fans. This book is for the real rap aficionado.
August 20, 2021
I loved this book it wasn't only about pimp c but the breakdowns of industry , personal , and financial . Pimp was a genius who had his own problems I hate how the fake grew stronger after he passed. I wish a Tupac book would've came out and been as good and informative as this . Pimp C deserved better in life and in death I wish he had strong people around him instead of 'Yes' men ...... his death & marriage still makes no sense to me
November 7, 2025
Very detailed, heavily researched, and well written book. While there were many parts I feel could’ve been omitted, a lot of what seemed like unrelated incidents and figures provided a lot of context to Pimp C’s story, and many of the situations he found himself in.
This is a great read for rap fans, and could introduce Pimp C and UGK to an even wider audience. And if it does, I hope they heed this key takeaway; “never let ho a** n***as riiiiideee!”
LONG LIVE SWEET JONES!!
This is a great read for rap fans, and could introduce Pimp C and UGK to an even wider audience. And if it does, I hope they heed this key takeaway; “never let ho a** n***as riiiiideee!”
LONG LIVE SWEET JONES!!
October 28, 2019
"'And this ain't no mutha******* Hip Hop records. These country rap tunes. So you can separate us from the rest. Like I told you before on the last one.' He defined "country rap tunes" as a "hybrid," a musical cousin of New York rap. 'It ain't gangsta music-as white folks call it. I call it real n**** blues,' he told On Tha Road Magazine.
July 12, 2020
This book is for the rap/UGK obsessive. Where the average fan might feel like this is way more than he would ever need to know for the super fan this book is nerdvana. I have enjoyed few works of nonfiction more than this. I would have given it a 6th star if I could.
January 25, 2022
One of the most detailed biographies I've ever read on a musician. Only hangup was not having an index, would is essential for anyone wanting to reference all the relationships and names. The timeline at the end seeks to be a workaround, but doesn't replace the index.
August 12, 2018
jumped into my top 5. author did a great job with details. I definitely recommend!
April 29, 2020
This book was amazing. You can tell a lot of research was put into it and the author had a lot of access in order to give you a full idea of who Pimp C was and the people around him.
September 6, 2020
An Excellent read on a complex rapper. It provides the insight and depth to Chad butler's life and the full contributions of UGK to hip hop. A must read for hip hop fans.
December 8, 2022
fantastic
January 12, 2023
This is probably the only long book I've ever enjoyed. I couldn't even finish the last 100 pages of that boo-boo story Anna Karenina. Now THIS is a story.
December 6, 2024
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January 21, 2017
Best biography I've ever read!
I will start out by saying I'm a huge UGK/Pimp C fan. But I've learned so many things I'd never known before. This book was very well written and extremely detailed. Possibly the most well written book I've ever read. I'm very critical when reading. I hate typos & there were none in this book. I would recommend this book to anybody, but more so to a true UGK fan or a fan of southern hip hop. Currently my 13 year old son is reading it & so is my mom lol. And they both love it!
I will start out by saying I'm a huge UGK/Pimp C fan. But I've learned so many things I'd never known before. This book was very well written and extremely detailed. Possibly the most well written book I've ever read. I'm very critical when reading. I hate typos & there were none in this book. I would recommend this book to anybody, but more so to a true UGK fan or a fan of southern hip hop. Currently my 13 year old son is reading it & so is my mom lol. And they both love it!
August 25, 2016
New favorite!!! This book covers soooo much!!!! Not only the life of Pimp C & hip hop, but the bullshit that goes on in private prisons, drug game, record labels, etc! It's thick! Took me almost 2 weeks to finish, but definitely one you can't put down. RIP PIMP C AND MAMA WES!!! Julia Beverly beyond amazing work!
January 11, 2016
A fascinating, engaging, well-researched read on Pimp C. Julia Beverly gives you a look into Chad Butler the person and the artist. It was such an extensive read it could also serve as the history of UGK, too. Great read.
January 15, 2016
Had to give this joint 5 star rating.
Great read!! I've been a Ugk fan since the beginning, yet I still learned a lot reading this masterpiece! Great job Julia Beverly you are now on my wishlist.
Great read!! I've been a Ugk fan since the beginning, yet I still learned a lot reading this masterpiece! Great job Julia Beverly you are now on my wishlist.
August 14, 2015
Awesome.
Great book that gives any UGK full, through, and an in depth look at pimp c. This book also answers many questions.
Great book that gives any UGK full, through, and an in depth look at pimp c. This book also answers many questions.
February 10, 2017
Flat out GREAT!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews