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Bun B has long been a pioneer in both hip-hop and Houston cultures, but his influence has far surpassed music. Over the past few years, he has become an integral part of the Houston Rodeo. Particularly with the introduction of Black Heritage Night, a pivotal event celebrating black excellence in the country, hip-hop and more. Earlier this month, Revolt was invited to Crown Royal to attend Black Heritage Night at the Rodeo. Not only did Van B celebrate this historic event, he also celebrated his birthday in an epic way.
The weekend began with an intimate dinner, leading to a star-studded concert featuring performances from Coco Jones, Jagged Edge, Yolanda Adams and TI. During the celebration, we had the opportunity to sit with Van B to discuss Beyoncé’s groundbreaking necrosis Cowboy carter The challenge of navigating different cultural spaces while winning and maintaining respect, and whether hip-hop and politics are destined to clash in today’s world.
Your decision to include gospel legend Yolanda Adams in your birthday Bonanza lineup was groundbreaking. What inspired you to bring gospel music to the Houston Rodeo stage? How do you imagine this fusion resonating with the audience?
Well, first of all, Yolanda Adams is a Houston icon. She is a legend and she is the one who announced her efforts worthy of spots at such venues on such nights. I am a Christian. I was born and raised a Christian. I don’t know why we can’t have a good time celebrating worldly and Christian music in the same place. I know that can happen as I see it at every barbecue, every dish, every family reunion. I always see it. It’s really about how it happens. At the rodeo, I try to create the round experience as best I can, but very often I get left behind because of someone’s tone, theme, or what they have. Usually it’s a grandparent, but also a grandchild.
So, by going to Yolanda Adams and getting it, I already know what she represents. I understand that some people are thinking, “Oh, well, we’re going to dance music and cast a curse.” First of all, we don’t actually do many curses on stage. Run all clean versions on stage. I don’t know why people feel they can’t become themselves. God already knows who you are. So, if you understand that, you don’t know why there is something to hide. I’m not a single one on this song. And the next song is praised (lol). Everything is meant to go in a specific way, but the way artists are presented is not representative of order and how everything goes on stage. We have already thought about this before bringing in certain people. So it will be very natural. When you see it in the building, it all makes sense.
What might be considered unorthodox in the music industry?
Some people identify as Christians who still have secular music they like and listen to, but they tend to keep it up to themselves, so they don’t see any particular way among their people. The same thing happens in hip hop. There are many hip hop people who identify as Christians, but they don’t really listen to a lot of Christian music around their hip hop friends because they don’t want to be identified like that. The reality is that everyone has a certain degree of duality. For black people, many of them are secular and religious. How do we live in the praises of the Lord, in His house and outside of His house. It’s a dichotomy that everyone has to deal with in their own way.
The rodeo allows us to allow a place to do this without feeling strange about it. That’s what I want to do. People who love R&B, hip hop and gospel music feel that they need clothes in different places, like outfits in different places. No, gather people at the rodeo. You cannot bring prejudice. You can’t see people as stereotypes because you’re not going to enjoy it. If you’re white and don’t like black people, don’t come to the rodeo – because they’re there. Or, if you’re black and don’t like white people, don’t come to the rodeo as they’ll have a good time. If you don’t like the way these people identify you, don’t come. They’ll have a great time.
Beyonce Cowboy carter The victory attracted attention on black artists in country music. In previous conversations, you highlighted the Knowles family’s efforts to shed light on the history of black cowboys. How do you see your role in continuing this story, especially in the context of the Houston Rodeo and the broader cultural landscape?
I’ve seen this – this re-engagement of the identity of a black cowhand known as a cowboy of history. It was first brought to my heart by Solange to a perfect circle. Solange was one of the first people to really embrace the subject and try to educate people about the story.
Obviously, Beyoncé saved pigs about it very well by bringing in other country artists. For me, it’s about making sure my nights represent as much black culture as possible. For me, it’s very important for people to understand that this is deeper than the music we do on stage. It’s about our voices and our bodies being flowed, seen and heard freely in this space. For me, as a black performer, if I can not only get to that stage, but also put as many black people as possible at that stage, I’m going to do that. I’m going to give them the opportunity. If we were selfish and did this for ourselves, we might have got that first year, but we would never have been brought back. The fact that we continue to reinvigorate our lineup, switch themes, and bring in a variety of presentations, we can forever say this. It also always gives someone the opportunity to get to that stage and shine. That’s really the heart of what we’re doing right now.
You’ve built relationships in so many worlds: hip-hop, academia, the culinary industry and now rodeo. Do you want to seamlessly navigate these different spaces and make sure you understand and respect them without losing authenticity in the process?
I wish it was as seamless as it looks, but it requires a lot of work. You need to understand the reactions that one person has in the room I walk, perhaps the person I meet in that room, as opposed to the others. I have to prepare for a “no” in many of these spaces. When we hear “no,” we don’t have to quit. We understand that some things may seem to us to what it might look like to us, we imagine what paths would be like for others before us, how difficult it was, how terrifying it was for them.
We are walking on eggshells, they are mines. So, we take that into consideration and only accept it in a room that allows us to become real and authentic selves. If I can’t be myself, I won’t take up space. Who I am is required in every space I enter. I feel culturally, I should not compromise on myself personally, professionally, religiously, or anything like that. I’m comfortable being me. If they’re not used to being me, it’s on top of them. Yes, that’s not for me. It really is about you. I can’t see the rooms I’m not eligible to enter. I can’t see the room… I need to be in it [feel I] Don’t enter. I need as much as I believe I’m in everyone I deal with.
Have you seen something in a world where you haven’t done anything you didn’t want to do in the first place?
Well, that’s a great question. I think some of it already exists. We have put tens of thousands of different people in common spaces ideologically unidentified from one another for the third year in a row. I live in Texas and we love football so I learned this. We share spaces with people who do not ideologically match us at any level. If you’re at NRG Texas Stadium and Texas is getting a touchdown, you’re going to have five people next to you. I always go to gas stations in Texas. You can see the man with four flags and a black flag above the window. In a common courtesy, people are still opening doors for each other. I see people coming to my restaurant knowing I don’t vote to vote. They don’t think the way I think, they don’t have the priority I do, but they don’t come to my restaurant using it. I don’t insert mine because they don’t bring their politics.
I think my company is a great place for people with different minds to come in. Hip hop, burger bundy, whatever it is. We can start by agreeing and expand from there. It gives people the opportunity to trill burgers as people and as a company, and to be themselves, get along or agree to disagree. So this partnership with Crown Royal is extremely perfect. Because they believe in the same things we believe. We believe in our community. We believe in people. I am a very charity person. Crown Royal is charity.
Hip hop artists often face serious scrutiny, especially when engaged in political events, when their actions do not match the expectations of the public. Artists like Nelly and Snoop Dogg performed at President Donald Trump’s inauguration event, leading to considerable backlash from fans and fellow artists. Given this climate, do you think hip-hop and politics can coexist? If so, how can artists navigate political engagement without facing overwhelming criticism?
I think we can get involved – we both answer people and when we mistell ourselves to people for that, we both take accountable. If we can start from there, we can grow from there if we can make sure that is a common ground and that we are doing what we say we want to do. If either of us is injustice in our approach and in carrying out our problems, it makes us all look bad.
So the question is not about the artists talking about their minds, but about which artists are talking about it. Do they have a reference? Did they really have a track record of talking about what they were talking about? Or should we have people give us an opinion and talk about our hearts before continuing with our business? To see him belonging due to the fact that Snoop was so vocal about his opposition to Trump… I think that’s why he pushed it so back. Obviously, I think people in our community have a common vision of who Trump is and how he should fight it. My mother always says, “You have to give people plenty of space.” You need to give people enough space to be wrong, that’s it. I don’t have time to sit down and argue you and prove I’m right. You’re wrong. I will play these things because things are said over time.
