Bun B is a busy man. A quick search of this publication finds him supporting the local music scene, doing his duties as an associate professor at Rice University, rallying over social issues and even receiving an official proclamation from the mayor of Houston. He is active in the local food-truck scene, is an expert user of social media and now hosts his own television spot.

But as much as he loves his city and its people, sports teams, music and food...sometimes a guy just has to get away. Reboot. Refresh. For the past two years, Bun has used the Gumball 3000 road rally as his retreat.

Gumball 3000 began back in 1999 when British entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper organized a road trip from London to Italy and back with a group of about 50 friends. The event is a rally, not a race...although keeping the speeds under the legal limit is somewhat difficult when you combine supercars with people who can afford to pay multiple speeding tickets or bail in case of arrest.

The appeal of such an event is obvious. Who wouldn't want to drive around in fast cars with movie stars and millionaires, partying at every stop, experiencing adventure along the way, living life in the spirit of Steve McQueen, or Lightning McQueen, or even Bo "Bandit" Darville?

This year, the rally began at New York City's Times Square on May 25, with pit stops at Niagara Falls, the Indy 500 and the Grand Canyon along the route. The Gumballers and their high-end supercars, ranging from hot-rod muscle to flashy Italian exotics, rolled into each city in front of mobs of fans, then partied early into the morning hours, for seven days and nights, for 3,000 miles.

Among Bun's fellow Gumballers were DJ Drama, the rapper Eve, Los Angeles photographer Estevan Oriol and legendary graffiti artist/graphic designer Futura 2000 (with his son, 13th Witness, and daughter, Tabatha).