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