The Story Behind the Story on “Hip-Hop Saved My Life”
The Houston rapper who inspired “Hip-Hop Saved My Life” didn’t even know that the song was about him.
MTV Base investigates:
“It is based on Slim Thug,” Lupe revealed. “I was with him when we shot the video, and he was like, ‘Yo, is this song about me?’ I didn’t know at the time, but there was a situation in Houston where they were trying to figure out who the song was about. Was it about Slim Thug? Was it about Chamillionaire? And it was about Slim Thug,
Lupe says the song also doubles as a tribute to Big Bun Bitta:
he genesis of the track came when the Chicago lyricist went to Houston for a show. The rapper said the town was “spaced-out,” in terms of the distance between things, and it gave the city a feel as if there wasn’t much to do. So UGK legend Bun B picked up Lupe and led him on a tour of H-Town. “He had his wife Queenie with him, and I was just sitting back, soaking it all in, and I was just thinking, ‘How can I pay Bun B back?’ ” Lupe recalled.
