There was a funeral in Port Arthur, Texas on Thursday, December 13, 2007… a cloudy, dreary, rainy day in south Texas. According to the December 14 edition of the Houston Chronicle, the crowd of mourners who came to pay their last respects was so large that the funeral services were held at the Robert A. Bowers Civic Center, a 20,000 sq. ft. facility with seating for 2,800 mourners.

As the Chronicle described the scene, crowds of mourners began gathering outside the civic auditorium hours before the 11:00 AM services. Crowd control measures were put into effect as police separated the waiting mourners into two lines, and, mindful of safety concerns for the many celebrities, dignitaries, and important personages who were expected to attend, snipers were stationed on rooftops of nearby buildings.

As the time for the memorial service approached, spectators craned their necks and a murmur ran through the crowd as limousine after limousine deposited the rich and famous at the entrance to the auditorium.

At the appointed hour, family members were ushered into the hall, followed closely by six pallbearers carrying a gray metal casket. As the pallbearers approached the stage the Rev. John R. Adolph began to pray, saying, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. The trumpets shall sound and the dead in Christ will rise."

And as the pallbearers placed the simple gray coffin in front of the stage, Rev. Adolph continued, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. "

So who was this dearly departed whose death brought sorrow to so many? A local war hero killed on the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan? A beloved former teacher, mentor to thousands of Port Arthur residents? A respected politician or diplomat who had endeared himself to the people during decades of selfless public service?

No, the deceased was none other than 33-year-old Chad Butler, known throughout the rap "music" community as Pimp C, found dead of undetermined causes in his room at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood on December 4.

When all the dignitaries and "rap" celebrities, including Bun B, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, and Willie D of the Geto Boys were seated, the Mayor of Port Arthur read an official proclamation in honor of Pimp C.

The mayor was followed to the stage by music producer Jeff Sledge, reportedly the first person Butler and his principal collaborator, "Bun B" Freeman, met at Jive Records early in their careers. Sledge told a humorous story about how Pimp C convinced them to reward him with a new Mercedes as part of the compensation package for a video titled Big Pimpin.

Butler’s mother, Weslyn "Mamma Wes" Monroe eulogized her son, saying, "I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’m all right. And you’ll be all right because he’s all right."

Of course, not all of the dignitaries of the "rap" world arrived on time. As reported in the Dallas Morning News, one who arrived "fashionably late" was Bishop Don Magic Juan, a former pimp turned "rap" celebrity. The Bishop arrived just before the services ended, causing a stir among the mourners as he sauntered regally down the aisle wearing a foot-tall crown and a blue velvet cape, followed closely by an entourage of scantily clad women decked out in costumes of red and gold.

Anxious to learn what it was that had made Pimp C a fabulously wealthy "entertainer" with millions of adoring fans, I did a bit of research, hoping to share some of his artistic "genius" with my readers. However, after reading the lyrics of a dozen or more of his most popular offerings I decided that none of it would be appropriate for the barracks or the pool hall, let alone the pages of a respected newspaper or a serious conservative website.

It’s not his frequent use of the f-word, the n-word, and the ho-word that makes his work so totally useless and pointless… it is the context in which he uses those words that condemns him and essentially all of his "rap" contemporaries to the trash bin of artistic expression. It is what makes his life and the lives of other "rap" aficionados less than irrelevant. It is what cheapens beyond words the discomfort of his mother’s pregnancy and the pain that she suffered in giving him life.

But beyond that, rational people might also question why a major big city newspaper, albeit a liberal one such as the Houston Chronicle, would devote so much space to the funeral of such a despicable creature. The Chronicle story covered a full half page, above the fold, on Page B1, and a full half page on Page B6, including more than 110 sq. in, of photographs, both color and black & white.

When future generations question why the most advanced culture in the history of mankind disappeared from the face of the Earth, they can simply go to the archives, read the Houston Chronicle of Friday, December 14, 2007, and they will know.