The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office has revealed that prescription cough syrum and sleep apnea contributed to the untimely death of UGK member Chad “Pimp C” Butler. Assistant chief coroner Ed Winter made it clear that the rapper did not overdose, but instead died from ingesting “Promethazine and Codeine,” which is frequently mixed with flavored candy and mixed to make a drink known as “sizzurp.” [ Anyone remember 8-Ball's hit single "Sippin' on some Sizzurp? ] Winter also stated Pimp C suffered from a condition known as sleep apnea, a common sleeping disorder that blocks the air passages during sleep, and causes people to temporarily stop breathing. The prescription cough syrup mixed addition to his sleep apnea, ended in Pimp C’s accidental death.

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Another tragic loss hit the entertainment industry today when UGK member Pimp C was found dead in an upscale LA apartment. He was 33 years old. Here’s a statement released from Jive Records:

It is with great sadness that Jive Records announces the passing of Chad “Pimp C” Butler, a member of the celebrated rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz). Jive Records’ President and CEO Barry Weiss states: “We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I’ve known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family.”

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Butler’s father was a trumpet player who played professionally with Solomon Burke. Outside of his father, the 33-year old rapper’s influences varied, ranging from Bobby Bland, Jimmy McGriff, the 1960’s Motown artists to Run DMC. Butler met his inseparable partner Bernard “Bun B” Freeman in high school where they formed UGK. In 1992, the duo signed to Jive Records and went on release a total of eight albums for the label. They earned their highest achievement earlier this year when their most recent album, UGK (Underground Kingz), debuted in the number one position on the album pop chart. According to the New York Times, UGK “helped inspire a generation of Southern hip-hop stars, from Outkast to Lil Wayne.”

Bun B is not available for comment at this time.

To a mainstream audience, Pimp C was best known for UGK’s cameo on the Jay-Z hit “Big Pimpin’,” and for “Free Pimp C” T-shirts and shout-outs, ubiquitous in rap several years ago while he was jailed on gun charges. On Tuesday, his MySpace page had been changed to read: “C the Pimp is FREE at last.”

Born Chad Butler, Pimp C was found dead in a room at the Mondrian hotel, a longtime music industry hangout not far from the House of Blues on Sunset Strip, where he had performed on Saturday night alongside rap veteran Too $hort. Capt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Butler had apparently died while in bed in his hotel room.

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