Jay Z and UGK’s ‘Big Pimpin’ Was Released 17 Years Ago Today, Twitter Celebrates

One of Jay Z's most popular songs in a long discography is undoubtedly his 2000 hit, "Big Pimpin'" featuring UGK.

And while Jay had the foresight to call on one of the most influential southern groups of all-time, just before the south began consistently dominating the charts and just as it was becoming fashionable for rappers from other regions to emulate the sound, the track really belonged to Bun B and Pimp C.

Alongside OutKast, The Geto Boys and Eightball & MJG, UGK's brand of syrupy street realism, punctuated with an insightful, often wise perspective and philosophy set a precedent with 1994's genre-defining Super Tight and 1996's classic Ridin' Dirty. But "Big Pimpin'" arguably loosely introduced Bun and Pimp's signature style, albeit their less serious side, to a broader audience when they collaborated with the biggest name in hip-hop at the time.

The song, featured on Jay's Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter, peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, but its popularity isn't necessarily affirmed by the numbers— it's in the song's delivery, the swagger that it projected, which was laced by Timbaland's bounce beat and Pimp C's slow-rolling, pimp-infused flow. The video, which was shot in Trinidad during Carnival and shot by Hype Williams is just as memorable.

At any rate, Twitter decided to remember the track in all of its glory, and it began trending today on its 17 year anniversary. Check it out below.