Rap Artist Pimp C Passes Away at 33

It was announced that Jive recording artist Pimp C was found dead this morning in his room at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, California. He is best known as one-half of the Hip Hop legendary group, Underground Kingz (UGK).

After a 911 call, authorities arrived to find the rap legend in a room on the sixth floor of the hotel still lying in bed. The Los Angeles Police Department have informed Mediatakeout that they believe that no foul play was involved and that a drug overdose may be the cause of death.

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Chad "Pimp C" Butler was surrounded by music at an early age. His father was a professional trumpet player and worked with soul singer Solomon Burke. Growing up, Pimp C's musical influences included anyone ranging from the Motown greats to early Hip Hop legends like Run DMC.

It was while he was in high school that a dynasty was born. In 1987, he and longtime friend, Bernard "Bun B" Freeman formed the group, Underground Kingz. They continued to work on their craft and struck gold when they were signed to a deal with Jive Records. Since their partnership, they have released nine albums and have worked with such artists as Outkast, Jay-Z, David Banner and Three 6 Mafia.

This year, they released their album "UGK" and it debuted at number one in the United States with 327,200 albums sold in its first week. Their biggest single off the album, International Player's Anthem (I Choose You), which featured rap duo Outkast was in heavy rotation on the radio and garnered an award for Best Collaboration at the 2^nd Annual Hip Hop Awards. In 2006, they won the Living Legend Award at the Ozone Awards.

In a press release, Jive Records' President and CEO Barry Weiss made this statement:

"We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I've known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family."