Pimp C found dead in L.A., May be natural causes?
December 4, 2007

Houston UGK rapper Pimp C, 33, whose real name is Chad Butler, was found dead on Tuesday in a room at the Mondrian Hotel on the famed Sunset Strip in Hollywood. According to TMZ.com, L.A. Fire officials were dispatched to the sixth floor room at the Mondrian after a 911 call. Once there, officials found Pimp C dead in bed.

Only days after appearing on stage with legendary rapper Too Short at the House of Blues, the death of Pimp C comes as a sudden shock to both fans and the music industry. Since finding Pimp C's body, investigators have been on the scene gathering information to determine the circumstances surrounding the sudden death. TMZ provided several updates throughout the day, including a recently released statement from Jive Records, which states: "It is with great sadness that Jive Records announces the passing of Chad "Pimp C" Butler, a member of the celebrated rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz). Jive Records' President and CEO Barry Weiss states: "We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I've known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family."

In a further update, TMZ reports that Capt. Ed Winter of the L.A. County Coroner's office told the outlet that Pimp C might have "died of natural causes" since there were no indications of drug use in the room, inclduing paraphernalia, and that PIMP C was found laying in bed wearing all of his clothes. Although an autoposy will be performed in the coming weeks, including toxicology tests, Winter also revealed that it appeared that Pimp C was alone in the room at the time of his death.

Pimp C (real name Chad Butler) was one half of the Jive Records southern hip-hop rap duo UGK (aka Underground Kings) who also worked with such artists as Jay Z, Lil Wayne, and Outkast.