Bridge the Rap: Samba and Bun B

The foundation of hip-hop is rooted in the art of storytelling. Since its inception, rap music has been a bridge between cultures, documented by street poets who told stories of hustle, ambition, and pride, originating as an underground art form shaped by the creativity of inner-city youth. Today, hip-hop stands as one of America’s most significant artistic exports, trading the underground for the mainstream. Emcees are the new rockstars—true symbols of resilience and proof that pressure can truly make diamonds when you bet on yourself.  

Hip-hop has always been about lineage. Houston royalty Bun B and Bay Area leader of the new school, Symba, are not only two of the genre’s most formidable wordsmiths, but students of the game, set to preserve the traditions and pillars of this thing we love called hip-hop.  

Bun B’s affinity for the genre was love at first sight. “Hip-hop instantly left a mark on me. I knew from the beginning that this was something I wanted to be a part of,” he said, recalling the first moment he discovered Rakim, the emcee that prompted him to first put pen to paper. “Rakim was the reason I wanted to be an emcee. The people who did it at the highest level inspired me. You can always learn from afar and apply that shit.” Inspired by those who operate at the highest level, Bun B’s mastery comes from observation, discipline, and the heart to take risks. As he puts it plainly, “You just gotta be willing to lose.”  

Symba was drawn to hip-hop for its authenticity, falling in love with 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ for its unflinching charisma and bravado. “50 Cent, for me, was the first time I saw something so raw and real,” he said. “I wasn’t even on no street shit, but it made me feel like I was.” The Bay Area emcee explains that music afforded him a life far beyond his wildest dreams, exposing him to a whole new world through touring, professional opportunities, and partnerships. “The exposure to the world that hip-hop gave me set me on a new path.” 

Join Symba and Bun B as they sit down for a candid conversation about hip-hop past, present, and future. Two emcees from different generations, shaped by different backgrounds, while standing on the same foundation built by boundless storytelling.  Two artists. Two generations. One culture. This is Bridge the Rap.