Bernard Freeman, also known as Bun B has, seen and been through a lot in hip-hop, as one half of the legendary southern rap group UGK. He's battled adversary, witnessed both disappointment and success, repped for his hometown (before the South was running hip-hop), become one of the most influential southern rappers ever, and remained loyal to his group while also becoming a force on his own as a solo artist. Recently though, Bun B has been dealing with some issues that are on an entirely different and more personal level.

On December 4, 2007, Chad "Pimp C" Smith, the other half of UGK and rhyme partner of Bun B for nearly 20 years, passed during the height of the group's commercial success. Bun B has had to deal with the stress of handling the loss in the public's eye, while also keeping his and the group's career afloat. Before his untimely death, Pimp C and Bun B were working on the follow up to their commercially successful 2007 self-titled album, Underground Kingz. The loss put the unfinished album in limbo and left fans uncertain of the next move by the surviving member.

Throughout the loss and the hardships that followed right along with it, surviving UGK member Bun B has kept focused. He's found solace in his music and that's evident from the release of II Trill in 2007, the follow up to his successful solo debut. He has also been in the studio prepping the last and highly anticipated UGK album, 4 Life. The anticipation for the album has been creating a buzz in the hip-hop community since Pimp C's release from jail nearly two years, with loyal UGK fans eager to hear some new material from their favorite duo. Although Pimp C's untimely and tragic passing has put a somber note on the upcoming release date, fans are more than ready to listen to the underground legends once again.

BallerStatus.com: So first off what's going on with the new UGK album?

Bun B: The album is mastered and ready for release on March 31st.

BallerStatus.com: Were you able to get to work with Pimp C on the new album before his passing?

Bun B: Yes.

BallerStatus.com: How far along with the album did the two of you get together?

Bun B: Pretty much since he came home from prison, we were in the studio recording songs just on a continual basis. In the course of recording, some songs were further along than others, you know? There were several songs that were fully completed prior to him passing, some were half way completed, and some were just the basic structure.

BallerStatus.com: So from a musical standpoint, what has it been like doing this album?

Bun B: I mean, it's just, you know, it's very emotional. Awkward at moments, just very real because nothing like this has ever really been done from a group aspect in hip-hop. It's about trying to keep a clear head over anything.

BallerStatus.com: So what about the overall process of creating and putting out albums from a personal level?

Bun B: It depends on the album because UGK albums come with different pressures than say a Bun B solo album. UGK album is in a larger system, there's a lot more people involved, a lot more red tape to cut through, a lot more history and legacy involved to keep in mind. Bun B projects and solo situation is still a growing thing. It's more of a grassroots type of situation, it's more homegrown. So, you have different difficulties with each one. Right now I guess it's just that awkwardness of not having my partner around more than anything.

BallerStatus.com: Vocally, are the fans going to get to hear a lot of Pimp C on the album?

Bun B: Yea he's on every song. Pimp C is on every song on this album. Some songs he's got more verses than I do. This is not a tribute album, this is a UGK album. That's something that I've tried to get really clear to people. This is a UGK album.

BallerStatus.com: So what kind of sound are people going to get from this album? Is it going to be geared towards more traditional hardcore fans or is there going to be a more mainstream sound?

Bun B: This is definitely all about maintaining the core sound of UGK. This album is more a tribute to the legacy of UGK in a sense. I wanted to make sure that the fans and the people that have been supporting us all these years were definitely happy with what we turned in.

BallerStatus.com: What's going to be the name of the album?

Bun B: The title of the album is 4 Life.

BallerStatus.com: So how did you come up with title and what's the significance of it?

Bun B: I didn't come up with the title. The person that told me the title was Barry Weis from the record company. I had been trying to figure out the right title, but I wasn't really in the place to think of nothing like that. But I think it just sums up everything that UGK has always represented, in terms of loyalty, which is something that you really don't find that often nowadays.

BallerStatus.com: So if you had to pick one song on the album that was your favorite, which one would it be and why?

Bun B: I couldn't, it would be hard for me to really just pick one. Everybody say that: "What's your favorite song?" It's easy for you to pick a favorite than for me because when I'm recording I don't consider one song better than the other. I'm trying to make an album full of great songs. I have songs each viewed differently than other songs will, but that's like asking me which of my children do I like the most. Do I like the smart one? Do I like the funny one? Or do I like the shy one? It's more of a judgment that the outside listener has to make. I make music to be judge, not to judge it.

BallerStatus.com: How do you feel Pimp C would want himself and the group, UGK, to be remembered by fans?

Bun B: Well I can't sit here and guess what somebody else would think, but I would hope that he would want UGK to be remembered as just a group that made good music and kept it honest and a real relationship with the people they made music for, regardless of what people who didn't really understand him had to say about it.

BallerStatus.com: What about your own opinion on the subject?

Bun B: Pretty much the same thing. Just to make sure we kept an honest and a real relationship with the fan, and that everybody still understands that it's still UGK for life. In light of all the situations that happened, I put together the best UGK album that I could possibly make and I kept it line with everything else and it makes sense.

BallerStatus.com: Off the top of your head could, you give me one of your most memorable UGK moments?

Bun B: The day we signed to the label. That was a big moment. I never expected to come to New York and sign a record deal. Our first video shoot, the first time we heard ourselves on the radio, there's a million moments. The first time one of our kids like heard our voice and knew it was us on the radio; there are too many different things to go into. So much of what we do in this job is a blessing that people don't recognize and I recognize it all. That's why it's so hard for me pick apart individual things because each one has contributed.

BallerStatus.com: What can fans expect from 4 Life?

Bun B: The same that they've been hearing all the time. Same sounds, same production, still Bun and Pimp, UGK for life man. I'm not trying to change up the formula for this last album. This album is going to sound just like it's supposed to sound next to all the other UGK albums.