DJ Screw
What up?
Third part of the topic about Hip Hop Culture, today let's talk about Screwed & Chopped.
As you might know, I'm more into straight boom bap east coast rap. However I 've decided to focus on the south scene because:
- Outkast (Atlanta) remains -since their first LP "Southerplayallisticadillacmusik"- as one of my favorite rap band ever.
- I just read an interview of Houston rap star Slim Thug from Thomas Blondeau.
- I'm @ the present time about to finish Nik Cohn's novel called Triksta that throw you inside New Orlean's rap scene.
- In my opinion UGK (Houston) released the best mainstream rap album in 2007, this is called underground kingz -RIP Pimp C-
So US rap can't be bounded to NY or LA. Since the late 80's bands and crews hang about the streets of Houston, New Orleans, Miami, Memphis or Atlanta. And Nowdays rap biggest stars in the US are probably
Lil Jon, Mike Jones, Lil Wayne or David Banner.
Back in 96, I remember to buy a mixtape from
DJ Screw called "3 in the Mornin' part 2".
In this tape I discovered for the first time the screwed and chopped style. It was slower and slower, slower than any laid back west coast production....
In Screwed and chopped music, hip hop records are literally slowed-down to a molasse like pace, and beats and lyrics ooze lazily out of the speakers. The result is a heavy, drowsy groove that, over the 15 years has exerted a major influence on southern hip hop culture (lots of mimicks of mcs come from S&C)
DJ Screw led an entire crew of MC's around him. That click -
The screw up click- includes MCs like
ESG, lil Keke and Big Hawk who have since become local legends with carreers only built on slowed down rhymes. Even
Lil Flip launched his carreer with a screwed and chopped mixtape and now every mc from the south side got a S&C version of his album.....
Screwed and chopped is even more that a slowed-down laid back beat. It's also a Dj trick, that's basically a cut between two copies of the same record which creates a double time beat and a reverb in the voices that bought an extra jolt of rythm and mixes.
Screwed and Chopped is also a way of life linked to drug addiction in Houston. According to Devin the Dude, everybody was on "Syrup" listening S&C in the mid 90's. This Syrup also called Texas tea is a diabolic mix between alcool and syrup that contains codeine. At this time "Syrup" really hit hard in Houston projects.
DJ Screw was found dead in 2000 in his home presumably from a "Syrup" OD.
By the time
DJ Screw had passed away, the entire Screwed and Chopped style had begun to infiltrate the rest of the South...
Still no matter how big the sound of Houston gets how far across the globe reaches, Screwed and Chopped will alway be a part of the Hip Hop Culture and of Houston's identity - and that of its namesake,
DJ Screw.
2 tracks from 96's
DJ Screw mixtape
3 in the Mornin' pt 2:
DJ Screw feat ESG - Sailin' the South
DJ Screw feat Botany Boys - smokin' and leanin
