Billboard and official 2024 tequila partner Tres Generaciones tequila are hitting major cities across America in search of the nation’s definitive “Get Up Anthems.”
The inaugural “Get Up Anthems” playlist spotlights Houston, TX, and will be followed by playlists throughout the year and feature “Get Up Anthems” created by artists in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.
Every region has its own distinct sound and flavor that informs its music, so Billboard and the spirits brand enlisted a panel of experts with strong ties to each city to help curate a playlist of homegrown jams that move the crowd.
Everything’s bigger in the Lone Star State. And the size of the stakes riding on the energetic conversation occurring inside the NFS Studios on this spring afternoon are as high as the mid-day temps. Rocsi Diaz, a veteran media personality who began her career in Texas, is negotiating with Bun B in an attempt to give the Houston rap legend’s classic single, “Get Throwed,” real estate on the “Get Up Anthems” playlist.
Renowned Houston DJ and boardsman Chase B chimes in to affirm Diaz’s case, while Billboard‘s deputy editorial director Damien Scott and Billboard events and marketing manager Cat Johnson second that motion. Strength in numbers wins out, as the Pimp C, Z-Ro, Jeezy, and JAY-Z-assisted record is christened as one of the greatest produced by H-Town.
These spirited exchanges are common on The Debate, a writers-room-style content series that coincides with each “Get Up Anthems” playlist and features esteemed artists, journalists, and personalities in Hip-Hop and R&B.
Each playlist consists of 15 tracks, with inclusion contingent on the song being released after Hip-Hop’s birthdate (Aug. 11, 1973), by an artist or group from that respective city. In addition to providing historical and cultural context to each “Get Up Anthem” selected, The Debate panelists go toe-to-toe in defense of the songs that resonate with them and their city as a whole.
The experts detail why each song speaks to the fabric of their city, with Billboard providing charting information signifying their impact on the airwaves. The Debate will conclude each episode with a ranking of those 15 songs, with No. 1 crowned as the greatest “Get Up Anthem” in that respective city, and a fresh round of Tres Generaciones tequila on the rocks.
Billboard and Tres Generaciones tequila’s stop in the H-Town was steeped in downhome vibes. Rocsi, Bun, and the crew plucked random cards out of a bow while lounging underneath vine plants, giving the feel of a game night on grandmother’s front porch.
Houston-based bartender Clifton supplied the experts with a steady stream of custom Tres Generaciones tequila cocktails, such as the Bayou Breeze, as they mulled over the final ranking of the debut “Get Up Anthems” playlist.
In the end, the inaugural episode of The Debate was less of a war of words and more of a crash course through the history of Houston Hip-Hop, with Billboard and Tres Generaciones tequila’s playlist of the city’s “Get Up Anthems” encompassing its cultural contributions.
Below, we highlight 7 insights we learned about Houston Hip-Hop during our exclusive viewing of The Debate. Also, watch the debut episode below or head over to Billboard.
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Bun B “Gets Thrown” His Flowers
A bonafide Houston legend, Bun B had already stamped himself as the more steely and reserved offset to Pimp C’s countrified flamboyance over the course of UGK‘s first four studio albums. Yet, the rapper took centerstage in 2005 with the release of Trill, his debut solo album, which featured the high-powered track “Get Throwed” featuring JAY-Z, Jeezy, Pimp C, and Z-Ro. “When you hear those guitars on the intro…,” Chase B begins while speaking to the ambiance of the track, mimicking the song’s opening adlibs.
Bun B gave context to the origin of “Get Throwed,” which he began crafting during Pimp C’s incarceration, revealing that he received the other artists’ verses via a dial-up internet connection at the time. In addition to being omnipresent regionally, “Get Throwed” broke ground nationally, peaking at No. 49 on Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart. “You heard it playing out of cars, it was everywhere,” Scott said of the resonance of “Get Throwed” among New Yorkers. “One of my favorite songs,” Rocsi said of the timeless collaboration.
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Fat Pat's Role In Amplifying Houston's Tradition Of Dropping Tops
Car culture plays a big part in the lives of Houstonians, so when Fat Pat released his 1998 single, “Tops Drop,” the late rap star gave locals a cause for celebration. “It was a very car dominant scene. That’s how people chose to identify themselves,” Bun B said of the city’s love for riding clean. “I feel that embodies where we’re from,” Chase B added, noting that “Tops Drops” always “surpasses the test” of bringing a crowd to its crescendo.
An original member of DJ Screw‘s Screwed Up Click, Fat Pat is considered Houston rap royalty. “If DJ Screw was the king, Fat Pat was the Prince,” Bun B declared while touching on the legacy of “Tops Drop,” which peaked at No. 5 on Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart. “He may not have had the biggest success, but he is one of the pillars of his community.”
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Southside’s Neighborhood Hero
According to Bun B, Screwed Up Click member Lil’ Keke ranks among the most recognizable figures in the Houston rap scene, as he remained active in that community for upwards of a quarter century. One of the youngest rappers in SUC during the crew’s heyday, Lil’ Keke broke out nationally in 1997 with his hit single “Southside,” which reached No. 28 on Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart.
“This is the only song from Houston [on this list] with a dance,” Chase B said of “Southside,” while Scott speculated that the song would be even more commercially successful today. “If this was released later in streaming it would be a way bigger hit. If you’re a rap fan, you just know it. It’s a classic record.”
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The Song That Changed Houston Hip-Hop Forever
In 2003, Mike Jones released “Still Tippin” from the Swishahouse compilation The Day Hell Broke Loose 2 AKA Major Without A Major Deal, a song sampling a Slim Thug freestyle from years prior. Gradually gaining traction on the airwaves, a revamped version of “Still Tippin'” was released the following year and the rest is history. The commercially released version of the song, which features Slim Thug and Paul Wall, peaked at No. 14 on Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart and got the panel’s vote as unanimous Houston anthem.
“It means so much to not only the three artists on it, but our current culture,” Chase B said of the lasting impact of “Still Tippin’.” Scott attributed the hit’s release as “a watershed moment in music,” with Bun B stating its case as being a Top 5 song in Houston rap history. Scott brought the discourse surrounding the song full circle, adding, “If nothing else, it was the start of a new generation of Houston dominance.”
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The Spark Of "25 Lighters" Summoned The Ghost Of Fat Pat
The city of Houston suffered a major loss in the death of Fat Pat, who was slain in his hometown in 1998 in a murder that remains unsolved. Shortly after Fat Pat’s passing, DJ DMD unveiled “25 Lighters,” a song featuring Lil’ Keke and an unreleased verse by the fallen Screwed Up Click member. “This song [was] released shortly after Fat Pat’s murder,” Bun B said of the circumstances surrounding the track’s release. And it was a new verse from him. That’s a big part of this record being as big as it was.”
Scott waxed poetic about the longevity of “25 Lighters,” noting, “It’s one of those songs that’s an indelible part of the fabric of Hip-Hop,” with Chase B echoing that sentiment. Despite DJ DMD being a Port Arthur native like Bun B, the UGK rapper doesn’t feel that disqualifies the record, being that it includes contributions from two Houston titans and was instrumental in tempering the mourning surrounding Fat Pat’s death with a dose of joy. “Such a beautiful note to him and his legacy.”
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Z-Ro’s Rallying Cry For The "Mo City” Dons
Houston is among the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., with various neighborhoods and suburbs bordering the city that have contributed to and bled into its history. In 2005, Z-Ro paid homage to one of those locales, Missouri City, with “Mo City Don,” an epic freestyle over Eric B. and Rakim’s “Paid In Full” instrumental. Reworked into a syrupy groove, the backing track was emblematic of the chopped-and-screwed sound, which Scott, a Brooklyn resident, could even attest to. “If an alien came to earth and they asked you what does this city sound like, I think this would be one of the songs,” he said of the iconic record.
For Bun B, “Mo City Don” is a top contender for the most recognized rap song among Houstonians to date. “Somebody gotta say it, this is No. 1,” the elder statesman told his fellow panelists.”It’s the H-Town Identifier.” Another element to the song’s history is the divide it occasionally caused among residents in the city and its outskirts, with lines sometimes being drawn. “This song did cause a little problems every now and then,” Chase B, a Missouri City native, said of the controversy surrounding the classic. “This was our chance to represent [what part of town] we’re from.”
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Houston’s Unofficial Holiday
Mixtapes and freestyles have resulted in not only some of the more cited, but popular Houston rap songs to date. And one Houston classic that fits this bill is DJ Screw‘s massive Screwed Up Click posse-cut “June 27,” a freestyle that spans over thirty minutes and includes verses from the founding members of the crew. Released on June 27, 1996, the track features Big Moe, Big Pokey, D-Mo, Bird, K-Luv, Haircut Joe, Yungstar, and Key-C. “It’s an unofficial holiday,” Chase B said of the day that inspired the freestyle. “It’s almost a challenge to see who knows most of the record.”
Despite never appearing on a Billboard chart, Johnson said “June 27th’s” lack of commercial success lends itself to being “so much more” of a homegrown staple, rather than the typical song championed by the mainstream. With all of the iconic Houstonians involved in the making of “June 27th,” Bun B felt it’s only right that the freestyle be named the city’s greatest “Get Up Anthem,” as it acknowledges the various moving parts that are symbolic of what Houson is all about. “It doesn’t give No. 1 to a single person,” he said, deeming the song as a “call to action” for locals. “You can feel It in your heart. It’s like our Happy Birthday.”