| Houston, Texas is home to one of the most prominent | | | | or a gradual build-up of codeine in his body's system |
| and independent hip-hop scenes in the world, largely | | | | as a result of years spent abusing the drug). This has |
| influencing both gangsta rap and the larger southern | | | | been credited as influencing the genre's psychedelic |
| hip-hop community. | | | | style. |
| The man credited with being the central figurehead for | | | | DJ Screw made a significant number of mixtapes |
| the uprising of hip-hop is the late DJ Screw (real name | | | | (purported to be in the thousands), usually with a |
| Robert Earl Davis Jr). Screw was the creator and | | | | theme. This provided a significant outlet for MCs in the |
| pioneer of a new style of hip-hop, which was | | | | South-Houston area, and helped local rappers such as |
| christened "screwing" after its creator. This method | | | | ESG, Lil' Flip and Z-Ro gain regional and sometimes |
| involves the key tracks of a cut being slowed down | | | | national prominence, and it is likely that hotels in |
| when remixed. DJ Screw began making mixtapes of | | | | Houston would have played host to several record |
| the slowed-down music in the early 1990s. Originally, | | | | labels' talent spotters eager to check out the genre for |
| this process involved mixing two copies of the same | | | | themselves. |
| record, slowed down either on the turntables using | | | | Early tapes were often "screwed" versions of |
| pitch shift or later through use of an after-mixer device. | | | | instrumentals over which rappers would later freestyle, |
| Phasing, flanging and echo effects were originally the | | | | but later tapes were mostly vocal tracks with |
| result of the two records being played at millisecond | | | | occasional toasting or freestyle intermissions, and by |
| intervals. | | | | the time of Screw's death, the genre had become |
| Many Houston area artists, such as Big Love, Willie D | | | | widely known throughout the southern United States. |
| and Ganksta NIP began to incorporate the slowed | | | | Currently, the style is best exemplified in the music of |
| tempo into rap songs. Willie D's song "Die", from the | | | | Swishahouse DJ Michael 5000 Watts and Chamilitary |
| album 'I'm Goin Out Lika Soldier', featured a | | | | DJ OG Ron C. Their work has helped establish current |
| slowed-down sample of the line "all I have is my balls | | | | rappers Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Slim Thug |
| and my word" from the movie 'Scarface', well before | | | | - all of whom achieved massive mainstream success |
| "screwing" gained more mainstream acceptance. | | | | and placed Houston firmly back on the hip-hop map, as |
| The genre was associated with both the use of | | | | well as rap groups such as The Colour Changin' Click |
| marijuana and the consumption of "syrup", a cocktail of | | | | and The Screwed Up Click. More major recording |
| cough syrup, mixed with the prescription drugs codeine | | | | labels have embraced the genre, and chopped and |
| and promethazine (DJ Screw's death in November | | | | screwed albums occasionally outsell the unmixed |
| 2000 was attributed to either an overdose of codeine, | | | | version. |