Big T, born Terence Prejean, was a Houston rapper and singer whose soulful vocals became part of the soundtrack of Houston hip-hop. Raised in a musical family with a father who played drums, Prejean was involved with music from childhood. His ability to create memorable choruses eventually earned him the nickname “The Million Dollar Hook Man.”
Big T is most widely recognized for singing the unforgettable hook on Lil’ Troy’s “Wanna Be a Baller.” Released during Houston rap’s late-1990s rise, the record featured Big T alongside Houston artists including Fat Pat, Yungstar, Lil’ Will and H.A.W.K. Big T was also credited as one of the songwriters.
While “Wanna Be a Baller” introduced his voice to a much larger audience, Big T’s importance to Houston music extended beyond one record. He became known throughout the scene for contributing hooks, choruses and vocals to other artists’ music—the role that ultimately defined his reputation as the Million Dollar Hook Man. Contemporary accounts document his work with Houston artists including Lil’ Flip, C-Note and H.A.W.K.
Big T also recorded music under his own name. His catalog included Power Move, released in 2000, followed by Million Dollar Hooks in 2001. The latter turned the reputation he had built through years of vocal collaborations into the identity of his own project.
He also participated in 3 Headed Monster, a collaborative project with Lil’ Flip and Lil Ron. His relationship with Lil’ Flip continued for years; following Big T’s death, Flip recalled that Big T had sung on numerous recordings and said the two had been preparing a collaborative album.
Big T died in Houston on May 7, 2018, at age 52. Contemporary reports from the Associated Press and Houston media confirmed his death but stated at the time that an official cause had not yet been released. For that reason, Dammit Boy Productions does not characterize a specific cause of death without stronger documentation.
Big T’s legacy remains embedded in Houston hip-hop through the records that carried his voice. He occupied a distinctive role in the city’s musical history: an artist whose hooks could become as memorable as the verses surrounding them. For generations of Southern hip-hop listeners, the opening vocals of “Wanna Be a Baller” remain an immediate connection to Houston rap culture and to the voice of Big T — The Million Dollar Hook Man.
Big T also has a direct connection to the Dammit Boy Productions archive. On September 23, 2014, DBP documented Big T appearing with Jhiame Sinatra during Roc-D-Mic at Carrington’s in Houston, Texas. The archived performance, “Jhiame Sinatra ft. Big T – Roc-D-Mic at Carrington’s,” preserves Big T as he appeared within Houston’s independent hip-hop community less than four years before his passing.
DBP Hip-Hop Archive Notice: Big T is presented on Dammit Boy Productions as part of the DBP Hip-Hop Archive, an ongoing effort to preserve the artists, performances, events and cultural history captured through DBP’s original footage and archives. This memorial profile is provided for historical and educational purposes and does not imply current representation, management, affiliation or endorsement by Big T’s estate or family.
