NEW YORK TIMES
November 4, 2010
“Seeping Out of Houston, Slowly”
Excerpt:
THROUGHOUT the 1990s, DJ Screw pioneered hip-hop’s slide into the psychedelic. From his base on Houston’s south side, his method of slowing and manipulating records, a style that came to be known aƒs chopped and screwed — or just screw music — took rap to a state of primordial ooze. His music was woozy and immersive, elastic and gummy, and also an apt companion to the prescription-grade cough syrup that was one of the city’s favored narcotics…
This month marks the 10th anniversary of his death, and his influence is creeping ever further outward, far from Houston hip-hop into new, unanticipated places…
In all of these sounds, DJ Screw lurks in the distance, a firsthand or thirdhand influence, helping to cement his legacy as an underappreciated avant-gardist, creator of a sui generis sound that’s still growing and mutating…
Screw music also remains vital to the fabric of Houston. The shop DJ Screw founded, Screwed Up Records & Tapes, still sits on Cullen Boulevard, with the same posters and list of available tapes (now double CDs) that have been there for years. The University of Houston library system has begun to collect artifacts of the DJ Screw era.
But local artists don’t always release slow versions of their albums, as was once the norm, said E.S.G. of the Screwed Up Click. “People buy the old classics,” he said, “but now you got apps on the iPhone to screw music. It’s taking the originality away.”
Even a decade removed, though, the sound is indelible. “Screw, it’s just like a regular word now,” said DJ Chill, DJ Screw’s close friend and host of the weekly Damage Control radio show, which features screwed mixes by DJ Lil Randy. “A style outliving a person — you don’t see that too much.”
Pop, from 3-4 Action, another Screwed Up Click affiliate, remembers DJ Screw having huge ambition for his sound: “He would always say, ‘I’m going to screw the world,’ and it’s crazy, because the man screwed the world.”
Click here to view the full article:
New York Times article on DJ Screw: “Seeping Out of Houston, Slowly”, November 4, 2010
Comments
Much Love 2 the WHOLE S.U.C. Fam and affialites and Love 2 Screw 4 his music and his influiences on Me R.I.P. 2 Screw
just swangin tru to show luv to da Originator Rest In Peace Robert.E.Davis Jr Screw luv from SouthWest of Paris
Fuck all these fakes and posers on da radio, makin songs about bullshit. Screw put it down in H-Town from makin freestyles that you could swang and bang in the turning lane and showed da world what was real. From diamond grills to piece and chains Robert Earl Davis kept it real in playa type mode fashion. His music keeps my head up and maintain through my days. Screw Zoo will be remebered forever R.I.P. I also wanna thank screw for bringin Dat boy grace(Macc Grace)in the rap game! he is one of the most lyrical tongue twisted rapper ive ever heard. he’s to pro for fame
RIP DJ SCREW…from the south to da north of Houston. He wasnt plexing even chopped up Northside Kingpin BIG LOVE on one of his mixes! The city supported and misses you SCREW ZOOOOO!!!!
R.I.P Screw