PIMP C, 33

Belonged to the rap duo UGK, straight outta Houston. Found dead Tuesday in what The Associated Press calls an "upscale hotel" in West Hollywood.

Given name: Chad Butler.

From the AP story:

Butler and his partner, Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, were pioneers of Southern rap, and hit the mainstream with their cameo on Jay-Z's smash "Big Pimpin'." Though they never enjoyed the pop-chart success of some other rappers, their 1996 CD "Ridin' Dirty" is considered a rap classic, and their laid-back sound, complete with gangsta tales of creeping through humid streets gripping wood-grain steering wheels, was influential in shaping the Southern rap movement.

The Houston Chronicle reports that detectives from the homicide division are investigating. But cops found no signs of foul play at the scene.