Pimp C Net Worth

What Was Pimp C's Net Worth?

Pimp C was an American rapper and record producer who had a net worth of $2 million at the time of his death in 2007. Pimp C (also known as Chad Butler) was a member of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK), along with Bun B. UGK signed with Jive Records in 1992 and went on to release the studio albums "Too Hard to Swallow" (1992), "Super Tight" (1994), "Ridin' Dirty" (1996), "Dirty Money" (2001), "Underground Kingz" (2007), and "UGK 4 Life" (2009).

They had top 10 hits on the "Billboard" Hot Rap Songs chart with 1999's "Pimpin' Ain't No Illusion" and 2007's "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" (featuring OutKast). UGK was featured on the 2000 Jay-Z single "Big Pimpin'," which reached #1 on the "Billboard" Rhythmic chart, #6 on the "Billboard" Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, #9 on the "Billboard" Hot Rap Songs chart, and #7 on the UK Dance chart and UK Hip Hop/R&B chart. UGK went on hiatus while Pimp C was in prison for a parole violation, and he released the solo albums "The Sweet James Jones Stories" (2005) and "Pimpalation" (2006). Pimp C died on December 4, 2007, at the age of 33, and his death was attributed to sleep apnea and heavy usage of lean (a combination of promethazine and codeine).

Early Life

Pimp C was born Chad Lamont Butler on December 29, 1973, in Crowley, Louisiana. He grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, and was the son of Weslyn "Mama Wes" Butler, Jacob Monroe, and Charleston Butler. He was born prematurely, and his legs pointed inward because of a birth defect and required braces. He also had digestive problems and had to be propped up to sleep, almost went blind due to severe pinkeye, and suffered from pneumonia numerous times during his childhood. Pimp C's father was a trumpet player, and he became interested in music at an early age. He learned to play trumpet, drums, piano, and flugelhorn by ear, and he studied musical notation in school. He was influenced by Run-DMC, and after he received a keyboard and drum machine for Christmas, he began synthesizing beats and rapping over them. Pimp C was in a choir during his teenage years, and he played many instruments in school. His stepfather, Bill Monroe, encouraged him to start writing his own music. During his youth, Pimp C befriended Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who he later collaborated with.

Career

Pimp C formed Underground Kingz (UGK) with Mitchell "Big Mitch" Queen in 1987, and after Big Mitch left the group, Bun B replaced him. The duo signed to Big Tyme Recordz, an independent label, and released the EPs "The Southern Way" and "Banned" in 1992. Later that year, they signed with Jive Records and released their debut studio album, "Too Hard to Swallow," which reached #37 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. UGK followed that album with 1994's "Super Tight," and it peaked at #95 on the Billboard 200 chart and #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Their third album, 1996's "Ridin' Dirty," reached #15 on the Billboard 200 chart and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certified Gold. The 2001 album "Dirty Money" reached #18 on the Billboard 200 chart and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and the single "Pimpin' Ain't No Illusion" was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. UGK's most successful album was 2007's "Underground Kingz," which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album featured a collaboration with OutKast titled "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)," and it peaked at #10 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and earned a Grammy nomination. The 2009 album "UGK 4 Life" was released after Pimp C's death, and it reached #6 on the "Billboard" 200 chart and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Pimp C also released two solo albums "The Sweet James Jones Stories" (2005) and "Pimpalation" (2006). "The Sweet James Jones Stories" reached #50 on the "Billboard" 200 chart, #3 on the Top Rap Albums chart, and #7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and "Pimpalation" reached #3 on the "Billboard" 200 chart and #1 on the Top Rap Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

(Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images)

Personal Life

In 2003, Pimp C married his wife, Chinara, while he was serving time in prison. They welcomed daughter Christian together, and Pimp C had two older sons, Dahcory and Chad II, from previous relationships. In late 2000, Pimp C was arrested at Sharpstown Mall in Houston for allegedly holding a woman at gunpoint after a confrontation at a shoe store. He was arrested while trying to leave the mall, and when he ignored the officers' instructions to surrender, he was forced to the ground and handcuffed. He was taken to Houston Central Jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Pimp C claimed that the authorities used excessive force while restraining him and that they knocked him unconscious and wouldn't let doctors perform a CT scan on him. The day after the arrest, Pimp C posted $10,000 bail, and in early 2001, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation. In January 2002, he was sent back to prison after he failed to report to his probation officer several times, didn't pay his outstanding court fees, didn't complete his community service hours, and tested positive for marijuana twice. In August 2002, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. The hip-hop community protested Pimp C's arrest and launched a "Free Pimp C" campaign. After spending the later part of his sentence at the Charles T. Terrell Unit and the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, before being released on December 30, 2005.

Death and Estate

In December 2007, Pimp C was staying at West Hollywood's Mondrian Hotel. He was scheduled to fly home on December 4th, but when his wife didn't hear from him the morning of the flight, she called the hotel and asked someone to check on him. Hotel staff found him in his room unresponsive, and paramedics pronounced him dead soon after. Pimp C was 33 years old at the time of his death. The coroner ruled the death accidental and attributed it to heavy usage of promethazine and codeine, along with sleep apnea. Three 6 Mafia's DJ Paul said that Pimp C's manager, Rick Martin, described the rapper's body "laying down like he was praying but there was blood around like he was shot. They thought he was shot in the head, but they didn't know what the hell happened because there was blood everywhere. They thought he was shot. He was kneeling down like he was praying, and the candles were all the way burnt down, so they knew he'd probably been dead for a day or so because he always lit those candles to sleep." Pimp C's funeral took place at the Bob Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur, Texas, and the town's mayor spoke at the funeral. He was laid to rest at Jefferson County's Greenlawn Memorial Park. Pump C was honored by Bun B in the songs "Pop It 4 Pimp" and "You're Everything," by Lil' Flip in the song "RIP Pimp C," and by Lil Wayne in the song "Me and My Drank."

Pimp C's widow, Chinara Butler, was in charge of his estate until 2016 when his son Chad Butler II claimed that she was mishandling funds, and a judge ruled that she be removed as the estate's administrator. According to BET.com, Chinara "reportedly failed to account for particular assets, including $150,000 worth of jewelry. Additionally, Butler has allegedly spent more than $150,000 of the estate's revenue from 2011 to 2013 and more than $80,000 since 2014, with the estate facing a $7.2 million federal tax lien. On top of all of that, it was reported that the estate still owes Pimp C's former manager, Bryon Hill, $5.1 million."

Awards and Nominations

UGK earned Grammy nominations for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group for Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin' in 2001 and "International Players Anthem" (featuring OutKast) in 2008. They won a BET Hip Hop Award for Best Collabo, Duo or Group for "International Players Anthem" in 2007 and BET Awards for Best Group and Video of the Year for "International Players Anthem" in 2008. The duo also received four Ozone Award nominations, winning the Legend Award in 2006 and Best Group and Best Video for "International Players Anthem" in 2008.

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