When UGK‘s Pimp C first heard Project Pat’s 2002 song “Choose U,” he was immediately taken by the beat. The track samples Willie Hutch’s soulful “I Choose You,” and Pimp C couldn’t believe it wasn’t a hit.
When UGK got back into the studio to work on their 2007 album Underground Kingz, they wanted to see if they could make their own song using the same beat. They enlisted Three 6 Mafia‘s Juicy J (Project Pat’s little brother) and DJ Paul to produce for them, and both were supportive of the duo putting their own twist on the Pat deep cut. The song was also supposed to feature Three 6 Mafia, but their label blocked clearances. (Three 6 Mafia was still in the middle of a post-Oscar whirlwind after winning an Academy Award for their song “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp.”)
Thankfully, UGK’s take on “Choose U” didn’t die in label clearance purgatory. Both André 3000 and Big Boi of OutKast heard an early version of the song at different times, and the duo separately reached out to see if they could add their own verses. They end up framing the track, with André rapping over a stripped-down version of the sample without a drum beat at the beginning and Big Boi delivering a verse over just the drum beat at the end.
On this week’s episode of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss “Int’l Players Anthem” with special guest Bun B. The surviving member of UGK details the fateful way the song came together with OutKast — and describes how their iconic video almost didn’t happen.
Bun B sings the praises of his UGK partner Pimp C, who died six months after “Int’l Players Anthem” was released as a single. He credits Pimp C for his musical intuition and for seeing the potential of this sample. Plus, the rapper notes how much of an impact the video has had on the song’s legacy. Originally, UGK and OutKast were not planning on making a video together, but eventually turned around a star-studded and iconic wedding-themed visual.
“Here’s what’s crazy: I don’t know if André doesn’t do a wedding-themed video, if this [becomes] a wedding song,” Bun B explains. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but this is a huge wedding song now in the world. So many people have come up to me and said, ‘We walked out to this record.’ ‘It was our second dance.’ ‘I came out with my groomsmen.’ So many different aspects of weddings have utilized this record.”
In 2004, Rolling Stone launched its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Tabulated from a massive vote that had artists, industry figures, and critics weighing in, the list has been a source of conversation, inspiration, and controversy for two decades. It’s one of the most popular, influential, and argued-over features the magazine has ever done.
So we set out to make it even bigger, better, and fresher. In 2021, we completely overhauled our 500 Songs list, with a whole new batch of voters from all over the music map. Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs takes a closer look at the entries on our list. Made in partnership with iHeart, Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs finds Brittany and Rob discussing a new song each week, delving into its history and impact with the help of a special guest — including fellow RS colleagues, producers, and the artists themselves. It’s our celebration of the greatest songs ever made — and a breakdown of what makes them so great.
Check out the latest episode above, on iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts, and look for new episodes every Wednesday.
