A legendary Hip-Hop artist, a force in the community, an entrepreneur, and a professor — it’s no secret that Bun B’s résumé runs deep.
At AFROTECH™ 2024, the Port Arthur, TX, native — born Bernard Freeman — joined Jeff Nelson, co-founder and chief operating officer of Blavity Inc., for an insightful fireside chat that explored innovation, entrepreneurship, branding, and building wealth and success beyond the music industry.
Highlighting his influence as an artist and how it carried over into his success in other business ventures, like his fast-food restaurant Trill Burgers, Bun B shared how he has leveraged his platform to create multiple streams of income and leave a lasting cultural imprint.
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During their conversation, Bun B traced a pivotal turning point in his life back to 10th grade, when a simple journaling assignment revealed his love for writing. Encouraged by his English teacher, Mr. Agnew — who recognized his talent — Bun B shared how he also wrote raps in his free time.
“And he was like, ‘Well, I’m not really sure what that’s going to be about, but if you are as good at it as you are with the way you journal and write in class, I think you might be pretty successful at it.'”
From there, Bun B began to put “a lot of focus and a lot of energy” into perfecting his craft, eventually transforming into a force to be reckoned with in the Hip-Hop scene.
Raised in a religious family, Bun B learned early on to have an important relationship with Christ, which led him to teach a course on the intersection of religion and Hip-Hop at Rice University. However, one of his most well-known ventures is the Houston burger spot Trill Burgers.
While breaking into the food business is challenging, he has carved out a successful niche for himself. He and his team had a “very clear path” for getting people in the door, a major hurdle for many small businesses, and they’ve continued to build from there.
“We were able to take the cultural influence and integrity that we had built, that I had built personally as a recording artist over the last 30 years, and the trust factor that comes with that,” Bun B said.
He noted that fans who once bought his albums and concert tickets believed in the quality of what he delivered, bringing that same faith to his food venture. “They made financial investments in the belief that I would present them with a product that would be worth the money or an entertainment that would be worth the money,” he added.
Bun B believed early on that he and his business partners could build something strong and create an experience that people would appreciate through Trill Burgers, which initially gained exposure through pop-ups.
In July 2022, about a year after its arrival, Trill Burgers was crowned Best Burger in America on ABC’s “Good Morning America” — a milestone that validated the vision and business model.
During the AFROTECH™ chat, Nelson emphasized that much of Bun B’s success stems from the intersection of preparation and credibility, describing it as a kind of snowball effect: His reputation as a recording artist, built on consistently releasing high-quality music, has created momentum that carries over into his other endeavors.
Bun B’s consistency serves as a reminder that success rarely comes without hard work.
As for his legacy, Bun B says his future is clear: God chose him to lead Trill Burgers, and that’s precisely what he intends to do in the years ahead.
“I was presented with this opportunity to be a part of it, but I could see what this company could be from a mile away from the beginning,” he said at AFROTECH™ 2024. “That’s why I put so much time and effort into helping to build this company and scale up this company. And [people are] starting to become very aware that I’m not giving to this company just to be successful with this company and just cash out like that.”
If major success comes with it — including generational wealth — he’s ready. But he’s not doing it just for himself or even just for his family. His vision includes sharing that success with the people who built the company alongside him — his business partners and the team who weathered the journey from day one.
“I don’t want to make a bunch of money. I want to make a bunch of impact. I want to inspire a bunch of people,” he told Nelson during their chat. “I want to take the people [who] are helping me build this company and help bring them up in this company. Those [who] have helped sacrifice with us.”
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