Bun B’s Appreciation for Mexican-American Fans Is No Slight to His Black Audience
Photo: Loren Elliott/Getty Images

Bun B’s Appreciation for Mexican-American Fans Is No Slight to His Black Audience

A throwback interview with one-half of UGK gets attention for crossing racial lines

A video interview that first appeared online at least a year ago has resurfaced and caught attention for comments that Bun B of UGK made about Latino audiences, namely the Mexican-Americans who show consistent support.

Rather than starting a cross-racial beef, Bun instead sings the praises of these audiences, for whom he has nothing but love. Bun said when you put a product out into the world, "... nine times out of 10, Mexican-Americans are going to be not only your biggest customer base, but also your most consistent customer base. That's just math. That's just basic math."

Nice, right? Bun is speaking as a Texan, where Latinos represent about 12 million of the population, outnumbering non-Hispanic whites in the state. In Houston, where events like the Rodeo are not just events, but gigantic cultural phenomena, it seems pretty smart to, as Bun B says, make sure there's representation on stage. Just ask Beyoncé, who played the Rodeo, or Cardi B, who showed appreciation for Latino legend Selena in her Rodeo appearances as a nod to the culture.

Related: How Bun B Aged Gracefully in Hip-Hop

As sites such as AllHipHop point out, though, not everyone is thrilled with Bun B's acknowledgement of his strong Latino audience. Some haters think Bun B is turning his back on Black audiences, rather than just embracing multiculturalism and the realities of market forces.

Haters gonna hate, like always and forever.