As the spotlight began to shine over his city, Pimp Killa Thug found himself in the darkest corner that Houston could offer. After being amongst the who’s who list of underground artists within his city during the late ‘90s, his self imposed hiatus taken at the turn of the century had placed him in the unfamiliar position of obscurity. Seemingly shunned by the same artists that he had once upon a time lent a helping hand to and even been looked up to by, PKT was left all alone with the job of making a name for himself, by himself. After releasing 3 highly acclaimed mixtapes and landing cameos for everybody from The SwishaHouse to Kiotti and the Bebe Kids, it was evident that Houston had a new problem to deal with by the name of Pimp Killa Thug.
Refusing to follow the path his predecessors had laid, PKT vowed not to become swallowed up by the local underground market that was already over saturated with sub par artists. In an effort to stake his claim in the industry, Pimp Killa turned to good friends Kenneth “Breallant” Williams, Anthony “Alejon” Johnson and T. Piper to form the record label Southern Majesty Entertainment. After numerous round table meetings and business plan conferences, the group decided to launch PKT’s first and much deserved solo project entitled “Retribution.” The project, slated for release in early 2008, is a soulful opus that reflects the artist’s life with no disguises or sugar coated situations. After a strong media push and an intense myspace response, it was made obvious that PKT was still a fan favorite.
“I think that people were just ready for a change and burnt out on all the fads that hip-hop was giving them.” Everybody can relate to being broke, overlooked and even ridiculed, so it’s no wonder that Pimp Killa Thug captured the people rather swiftly. “I don't consider myself to be anything more or less than a man, so everybody finds it easy to connect with my music because it’s like having a genuine conversation with me in person. I only rap about about things that I experience or believe in which makes me just one of the guys, not a rapper so to speak.” It has been a breath of fresh air for the hip-hop public to be blessed with an entertainer who not only speaks with substance, but isn’t draped in overpriced accessories and hard to pronounce garments that cost more than some people’s car notes. It’s obvious by the response of the fans that Paul Wall may be their “Champ,” but PKT is their “Choice.”
After being the number one Texas artist by rank for 2 months on the myspace top artists list and being nominated for the Best Underground Hip-Hop Artist award by the Houston Press, it is fair to say that the fruits of his labor are definitely paying dividends. Recently being spotlighted in All Hip-Hop.Com’s Breeding Ground section, Pimp Killa Thug has landed himself new found momentum as well as the pressure of living up to all the hype. “Ever since my interview on All Hip-Hop.Com, people want to know if I was really in a group with Paul Wall and Chamillionaire. Every publicist and marketing manager wants to use the story as a building block for my career since both Cham and Paul are Texas icons and at the height of their careers. But I wont do it. If my music alone isn’t good enough to get me into the industry then I’ll just have to find something else that I’m good at.” But we all know that wont be necessary, especially since all of the buzz surrounding Pimp Killa Thug was prior to the story ever getting out. “I love Paul and Cham as people, not just successful artists. I have a lot of respect for them and vice versa. They will be the first to tell you that I was present for their album releases and the autograph signings. I stood in line just like every other person that was there, even though I could’ve just called them on their phones and been let in through the back. I want to be known as PKT, not the dude who made it because he used to be in a group with Paul Wall and Chamillionaire.”
Solidifying himself as a legit Houston artist hasn’t been easy, but it has been done. Pimp Killa Thug can be found on DVD’s doing interviews or heard being talked about in household conversations when hip-hop fans are discussing who will be the next to blow. You can ask the Houston hard hitters from Mike Jones to Slim Thug about PKT or simply google his name. Either way, it will be clearly evident that this Houstonian is destined for great things in the industry. After hearing him speak and listening to his many compositions, it is no wonder why his album “Retribution” is so highly anticipated by the masses of web surfing genre heads. Somehow allowing his artistry and his life to remain one in the same, TeRay Green, better known now as PKT, has made it apparent that the man, the music and the mission are all the same- real.
