"You gotta think about how weird the dynamics of the South was" - Mannie Fresh reveals Bun B almost joined Big Tymers

Rapper Mannie Fresh recently claimed that Bun B reportedly almost joined Big Tymers. During an appearance on DJ Self’s YouTube series Apt. 5H on August 12, 2024, Fresh recently discussed his relationship with Bun B and the early years of the Big Tymers, the group he was in with Birdman.

He further talked about how there was meant to be a third member from another Southern rap group, Bun B, now associated with UGK.

Fresh also disclosed in the same interview that Bun was ultimately unable to formally collaborate with Mannie and Baby, the two members of Big Tymers, due to the business politics centered around Cash Money’s rivalry with fellow Southern rap giant No Limit Records. The former record group was associated with Mannie Fresh and the latter with Bun.

Speaking about the same, he said,

“Bun actually was supposed to be in the Big Tymers. A lot of people don’t know that. But I think for reasons that — it kinda conflicted because you gotta think about how weird the dynamics of the South were.”

He further added,

“Pimp [C] was doing stuff with No Limit; Bun was doing stuff with us. So, I think it would’ve made a ripple in their group if any of them would have joined [No Limit or Cash Money].”

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Mannie Fresh talked about Bun B’s alternate future

Mannie Fresh and Bun B are still in contact (Image via Getty/Bennett Raglin)

In an interview with Apt. 5H on Monday, artist Mannie Fresh disclosed that fellow rapper Bun B was on the verge of becoming a member of the former’s hip hop group, Big Tymers, another prominent Southern rap group.

Mannie Fresh further claimed that Bun didn’t join the group due to rivalries and industry politics. Furthermore, Pimp C of UGK was collaborating with No Limit at that time, while Bun B was working with Cash Money, which led to a conflict as well.

However, Fresh also revealed that Bun B maintained a good working relationship with him as he continued to work on Cash Money and Big Tymers projects.

In addition to working on Cash Money projects such as Fresh’s 2004 debut album The Mind of Mannie Fresh and the Hot Boys’ 1997 debut album Get It How U Live!!, he appeared as a guest on three of the group’s five hip-hop albums.

Moreover, Mannie also praised his remarkable contributions to the label during the interview, saying,

“I swear, some of the verses that Bun put down on some of the Cash Money sh*t is like, ‘Oh my God.’ I used to be like, ‘How you gonna keep up with that sh*t? He just said some incredible sh*t, and his flows!'”

Mannie also revealed that he and Bun still have that same bond and said,

“To this day, our relationship is still like that. Bun is like, ‘Sh*t, whatever you doing, I’m on it.’”

Furthermore, Bun B once revealed that UGK once declined to work with JAY-Z for budgetary and artistic reasons.

The Texas rapper, along with Statik Selektah, appeared on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion show on January 8 and said,

“UGK was Pimp’s baby, and he would put his heart and soul into it. And he didn’t wanna do all of that to get to this point and do one song with somebody and have his legacy perverted. That was the way he looked at it.”

The rapper further said another large-scale project wasn’t attractive and that UGK owed $2.5 million. So, he asked his label,

“I was like, ‘If I don’t do a song with JAY-Z and Timbaland, do I still get a Hype Williams video?’” he recalled asking. “It was never, ‘No.’ They were like, ‘Why wouldn’t you want that?’ What?”

However, UGK had no desire to work on another high-profile song.

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Nevertheless, Bun B has yet to say anything about the Mannie Fresh interview.