Bun B’s All-American Takeover Creates A Home For Hip-Hop At Houston Rodeo
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Bun B’s brilliant smile outshined a cloudy evening last week in Texas as he welcomed his friends from across the country to the All-American Takeover at the Houston Livestock Show, a 93-year-old Texas tradition. Bull riding and mutton busting prefaced the night’s performances, a tradition established in 1942 with Gene Autry.
This is Bun B’s 3rd year producing the musical showcase for the event which hosts various concerts from Feb. 27 through March 17. During his first year, Bun B kept the talent homegrown. The veteran rapper, born Bernard James Freeman, invited Houston representatives Z-Ro, Lil’ Keke, Lil’ Flip, Big Slim, Paul Wall, and That Girl Lay Lay to take the stage for the H-Town Takeover on Black Heritage Night. The event garnered 73,259 fans, the largest crowd of any of the rodeo concerts that year, according to The Source.
In 2023, he followed up that success with performances from Erykah Badu, David Banner, Juvenile, and more at the Southern Takeover leveling up to 74,573 tickets sold, per ABC13.
This year’s sold-out show featured icons from a variety of Hip-Hop hubs and a crowd in excess of 75,000 at NRG Stadium. The 50-year-old underground Hip-Hop legend was joined by E-40, 2 $hort, Nelly, Ying Yang Twins, Eve, Rick Ross, That Mexican OT, DMC, and, of course, the night’s headliner Drake who brought “Rich Baby Daddy” to life with fireworks and flair during the unforgettable night.
In the weeks leading up to the main event, Bun B joined Crown Royal to present the Crown Royal Saloon and Showroom, which celebrates Black and Tejano influences and history in Western culture. Together, the partnership debuted the Crown Royal Saloon and Showroom where guests were able to learn about rodeo fashion, local rodeo artists, and how they incorporate rodeo culture into their work. The philanthropic effort promised up to $20,000 to Magpies and Peacocks Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to the collection and sustainable reuse of post-consumer clothing. On the night of the American Takeover, Bun B sat eagerly in his green room next to another room designated for his fallen bandmate Pimp C.
“Every year we try to think of a theme for a show and then try to pick the artist based on that theme that best fits,” he told VIBE as he and a stylist laid out his custom branded cowboy boots, wide-brim hat, and a freshly tailored leather jacket ahead of the takeover.
“We have an idea of the type of energy that we want to bring, and we take those things in[to] consideration when we decide to book people for a show. With this being the All-American Takeover… we wanted to definitely have people from the East Coast, from the West Coast, the Midwest, and the South. Luckily for me, I have friends from all over. I [also] have to keep in mind that [the] rodeo is a family event and that people travel for the rodeo. We wanted to make sure that we booked talent this year that people would know and know the music.”
While the performers repped Philadelphia, Atlanta, The Bay Area, and more, the acts also embraced the Houston culture by stepping into the Lone-Star-shaped spotlight with their own Western-style interpretations.
E-40 brought hyphy energy alive in a slick red leather get-up with a tan and red cowboy hat. Eve went for an all-black, leather outfit complete with a fringe top and floral-embroidered cowboy boots.
The inclusion of artists from other regions was also meant to amplify the spirit of Southern hospitality. While welcoming “Ruff Ryders’ First Lady” to shake her “Tambourine,” Nelly to raise the temperature with “Hot In Here, and Too Short to “Blow The Whistle,” the audience proved that the South culture is both aware and appreciative of other regions.
The audience roared as it danced along to Atlanta crunk music provided by the Ying Yang Twins, Rick Ross’ luxurious Miami rhymes, and Texas’ own That Mexican OT’s effortless flow. All of whom presented a different aspect of the seemingly endless evolution of artists who continue to expand the definition of Southern rap music.
As Drake’s set time approached, fans screamed at the top of their lungs before he even took the stage, despite online criticism of the Toronto native’s inclusion in the lineup.
“Many people don’t live where they were born, and he is of Canadian descent and heritage, but he lives in Houston, and he’s been here for many, many years,” explained Bun B.
“He’s synonymous with the city of Houston. You see it through his music, through his actions. It’s very hard to separate him from here, and he pretty much lives here now. He has to reside here the majority of the year, in order to be a citizen. So this is not inviting Drake to come to America or come to Houston, he’s just coming home.”
Bun B welcomed the chart-topping rapper as “our newest resident, Houston’s own Drizzy Drake,” who emerged from a luxury Black truck wearing a fresh set of cornrows and a t-shirt featuring Bun B’s Trill cover art.
His set rang out his best hits, including “God’s Plan” and “Hotline Bling,” before closing the show with “November 18,” a fan-favorite track that samples DJ Screw, Big Moe, Big Pokey, Lil Keke, and UGK, in homage to his new home city.
“As I’m sure you heard, I now reside in Houston, Texas!” exclaimed the 37-year-old artist before the city’s residents applauded gleefully, welcoming their new neighbor. He continued to later detail, “A large part of that is because of this man, so y’all better make some noise, as loud as you can, for the legendary Bun B.”
The 90-minute All-American Takeover ultimately closed with a surprise appearance from DMC, extending the open-door policy that Hip-Hop acts can find a home at “Bun’s House.” Hopefully, the Trill Burgers owner is invited back for another year to allow his creative genius to put together another unforgettable rodeo.
“I mean, I could do this a thousand different ways, but I don’t want to get ahead of the ball because realistically I haven’t even been booked again,” he said. “So it’s something that we’ll start taking into consideration and formulate certain ideas that we might want to do, but we won’t make a phone call until we get a phone call.”
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