U.S. rapper Pimp C found dead

BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. rapper Pimp C, one half of the Houston hip-hop duo UGK, was found dead in an upscale Los Angeles hotel early Tuesday, according to media reports.

Police responded to a 911 call and discovered the artist, born Chad Butler, in his bed at the Mondrian Hotel on the Sunset Strip. He was 33.

Capt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office said Butler had apparently died while in bed in his hotel room.

"At this time there's no signs of foul play," Winter said. "It appears to be possibly natural, but pending autopsy and toxicology we can't say the cause."

"We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad," Jive Records president and CEO Barry Weiss said. "He was truly a thoughtful and kindhearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront.”

By Tuesday afternoon, the rapper's MySpace page featured the headline: "C the Pimp is FREE at last."

The rapper formed Underground Kingz with partner-in-rhyme Bun B while the pair was in high school. Though they never enjoyed massive pop chart success, UGK's early CDs are considered landmarks for the then-burgeoning Texas hip-hop scene. Signed to a deal with Jive Records, they released "Too Hard to Swallow" in 1992, "Super Tight" two years later, and "Ridin' Dirty" in 1996, considered a rap classic.

(Agencies)