Houston-based southern rap legend Bernard ‘Bun B’ Freeman lit up the stage Sept. 18 at the Howlin’ Wolf with his signature style of baritone delivery and potent lyricism. The show started off with impassioned performances by a number of local New Orleans MCs. Once the tone was sufficiently set, the 41-year-old headliner took the floor and showed the audience he still had the stage presence and lyrical gusto to match any up-and-coming rapper.

Bun B began his musical career in the late ’80s with the formation of the group Underground Kingz with his friend, Chad “Pimp C” Butler. UGK went on to top Billboard charts and helped to define the chopped and screwed sound of southern hip-hop when it was still a burgeoning genre. After Pimp C’s death in 2007, Bun B embarked on a solo career.

His 2010 album, “Trill OG,” was awarded a classic five mic rating by seminal hip-hop magazine The Source, thus solidifying his legacy as a veteran of the rap game. At the Howlin’ Wolf, Bun B performed several tracks off this classic album as well as it’s 2013 follow up, “Trill OG: The Epilogue.” In keeping with proper rap etiquette, midway through the show, Bun B paused in order to pour out some champagne in honor of his fallen partner, Pimp C, before bringing the show to a raucous close.

Aside from rapping, Bun B is also a guest lecturer at Rice University in Houston and has collaborated with hip-hop writer Shea Serrano to create the “Bun B Rap Activity & Coloring Book.” A man of many talents, Bun B keeps his fans excited for his next big thing.