Photo Credit: Breonny Lee
BY Taylor Adams Cogan
When Big Tuck marked 20 years of his album Purple Hulk in 2024, he started a tour in no other place than Dallas, in no other neighborhood than Deep Ellum. The show at Club Dada featured the work of the Dallas rap legend who has been a vital part of the music scene for decades.
Big Tuck (Cedrick Tuck) was born and raised in Dallas, just down the street from Deep Ellum, and attended Lincoln High School. But his journey in music started even earlier.
“I’ve been doing music since fourth grade, and that’s what I still do now,” he says. “Most people in Dallas know me by my music and the stuff I do for the community.”
In fact, they know his work really well:
“In the middle of our conversation, which takes place in the lounge of Tuck’s downtown apartment complex, an elder hip-hop fan recognizes Tuck, daps him up, and thanks him for putting Dallas on the map. As the fan walked away, I mentioned to Tuck how exciting it must feel to have created something that has stood the test of time. Tuck is certainly proud and grateful, but he admits he is often perplexed by fame. ‘It’s like it just dropped yesterday … I don’t understand the fame myself, but if I walk outside of my building, the love feels like it did 20 years ago. It never changed,” he told D Magazine‘s Alex Gonzalez.
This moment is just one example of how Big Tuck’s music and presence continue to resonate in his city. Think back to rap 20 years ago: It may be easy to quickly go to East or West Coast artists. But we also had our own sound coming out of Dallas thanks to Big Tuck with songs like “Southside Da Realist” – an anthem to South Dallas. Yet, he’d first take the sounds a touch north.
“Deep Ellum has always been inspirational for me,” he says. “That was the first place they’d take us because it was embedded in jazz and blues – a first inspiration kind of way. The clubs, the artwork in Deep Ellum, it was just different.”
Deep Ellum did what it does best: It provided the space and platform for a new artist to show his work, and for Big Tuck, that meant creating the Dallas rap sound. At least, that’s one way to put it.
“I created the atmosphere of Dallas – the soundtrack of Dallas,” he says.
At the same time, that atmosphere resonates well beyond North Texas.
“I have a huge demographic in the Midwest – Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Toledo, Cincinnati – but of course, Texas will always be home.”
Anyone who has walked around Deep Ellum would recognize his music, too. Over two decades, he says he’s performed in the neighborhood thousands of times. From intimate shows at clubs like OTR and Palm Beach to larger venues like The Bomb Factory – where he’s even shared the stage with Erykah Badu – Tuck’s presence is woven into the neighborhood’s DNA.
In addition to his own music, Tuck has made it a priority to support younger artists coming out of Dallas. In the past, he’s opened for a viral rap star and collaborated with with artists in their work and music videos.
“Deep Ellum has always been a cool area that brings out the creative side of people. It’s fun, and the people are cool,” he says. “I’ve been all over the world, there’s no other city like Dallas. I believe Dallas is one of the greatest cities.”
