DJ Screw: Difference between revisions
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Texas Governor Rick Perry honored him by making him an official Texas Music Pioneer. |
Texas Governor Rick Perry honored him by making him an official Texas Music Pioneer. |
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=== Death === |
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| ⚫ | The 2007 documentary film ''[[Screwed In Houston]]'' produced by VBS/Vice Magazine details the history of the Houston rap scene and the influence of the Chopped and Screwed sub-culture on Houston hip-hop. The 5-part series has one full episode dedicated to DJ Screw and includes video footage of DJ Screw days before his death. |
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Davis died on November 16, 2000. Fans speculated about the true cause of his death, but coroner reports confirmed that he died of a [[codeine]] overdose in addition to mixed drug intoxication. The codeine came from a perscription-strength cough syrup that he would mix with soda to concoct a beverage called [[purple drank]]. Like many users, Screw would blend drugs to enhance the high. In addition to codeine, [[Valium]] and [[PCP]] were found in his blood.<ref name="TheSlowLifeandFastDeathofDJScrew">''[[The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw]]''.[http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=116&sid=40cf30ba-d509-4c8b-beb9-0a8b60274dd3%40sessionmgr104&vid=2&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=4226587]</ref> |
Davis died on November 16, 2000. Fans speculated about the true cause of his death, but coroner reports confirmed that he died of a [[codeine]] overdose in addition to mixed drug intoxication. The codeine came from a perscription-strength cough syrup that he would mix with soda to concoct a beverage called [[purple drank]]. Like many users, Screw would blend drugs to enhance the high. In addition to codeine, [[Valium]] and [[PCP]] were found in his blood.<ref name="TheSlowLifeandFastDeathofDJScrew">''[[The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw]]''.[http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=116&sid=40cf30ba-d509-4c8b-beb9-0a8b60274dd3%40sessionmgr104&vid=2&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=4226587]</ref> |
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His funeral took place at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in his hometown of [[Smithville, Texas]].<ref name="TheSlowLifeandFastDeathofDJScrew">''[[The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw]]''.[http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=116&sid=40cf30ba-d509-4c8b-beb9-0a8b60274dd3%40sessionmgr104&vid=2&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=4226587]</ref> |
His funeral took place at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in his hometown of [[Smithville, Texas]].<ref name="TheSlowLifeandFastDeathofDJScrew">''[[The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw]]''.[http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=116&sid=40cf30ba-d509-4c8b-beb9-0a8b60274dd3%40sessionmgr104&vid=2&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=4226587]</ref> |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | The 2007 documentary film ''[[Screwed In Houston]]'' produced by VBS/Vice Magazine details the history of the Houston rap scene and the influence of the Chopped and Screwed sub-culture on Houston hip-hop. The 5-part series has one full episode dedicated to DJ Screw and includes video footage of DJ Screw days before his death. |
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== Legacy == |
== Legacy == |
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Revision as of 03:58, 25 April 2011
DJ Screw |
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Robert Earl "DJ Screw" Davis (July 20, 1971 – November 16, 2000),[1] was a Houston, Texas-based DJ. He was known as a central figure in the Houston hip-hop community and was the creator of the now-famous Chopped and Screwed DJ technique. This creation led to his nickname of "The Originator." Davis was recognized mostly on a regional level until his death for his various mixtapes and albums. His legacy was discovered by a wider audience when Houston hip-hop began reaching a national audience in 2005.
Biography
DJ Screw was born in Bastrop, Texas, not far from Smithville, Texas. His father, Robert Senior, was a long-haul truck driver based in Houston. His mother (who had a young daughter from a previous marriage), came to the area to be with her mother when her son was born. She returned to Houston, but the marriage was foundering; soon it would be over, and she and her kids moved to Los Angeles for a couple of years, then back to Houston, and returned to Smithville in 1980.[2]
When Robert Earl was young, he wanted to be a truck driver like his father. That changed the more he heard his mother's music collection. His life was changed forever by two things: seeing Breakin', the 1984 hit movie about rap and break dancing, and discovering his mother's turntable. He would take her B. B. King and Johnnie Taylor records and scratch them on the turntable the way deejays did, slowing the spinning disc and then allowing it to speed back up, playing with sound. Robert Earl began buying records of his own and playing deejay with his distant cousin Trey Adkins, who would rap. "Screw had a jam box," Adkins told Texas Monthly, "and he hooked up two turntables to it and made a fader out of the radio tuner so he could deejay." Adkins said if Robert Earl didn't like a record, he would deface it with a screw. One day Adkins asked him, "Who do you think you are, DJ Screw?" Robert Earl liked the sound of that and in turn gave his cousin a new name: Shorty Mac.[2]
He began DJing at age 13, and started his trademark slowed-down mixes in 1990. He first started making them available for sell while living on 10201 Telephone Rd known as Quail Meadows in Houston, TX. His close friend Toe offered to buy a mix off of him for ten dollars. During the early 1990s, he invited some of the Houston rappers from the south side of the city to flow on his Screw tapes. This eventually led to the formation of the Screwed Up Click.
He moved to a house near Gulfgate Mall. Fans, some driving from far away areas such as Dallas and Waco, lined up at his door to obtain his recordings. He started his own business and opened a shop up on 7717 Cullen Blvd in Houston TX called Screwed Up Records and Tapes. It has been shown in numerous music videos and documentaries as well as independent films. There are now several Screwed Up Records and Tapes spread out through Texas, including one in Beaumont and in Austin. [2]
Slowing down or “Screwing” tracks became generically associated with locally popular hip hop. That is, changing the tempo of the finished musical product got swept up in the emergence of generic norms for communicating a socially-positioned experience of place. In this way, Screw and the artists with whom he worked set intertextual precedents for communicating their indigeneity through a specific semiotic tactic – slowing down or “Screwing” the music.[3]
Texas Governor Rick Perry honored him by making him an official Texas Music Pioneer.
Death
Davis died on November 16, 2000. Fans speculated about the true cause of his death, but coroner reports confirmed that he died of a codeine overdose in addition to mixed drug intoxication. The codeine came from a perscription-strength cough syrup that he would mix with soda to concoct a beverage called purple drank. Like many users, Screw would blend drugs to enhance the high. In addition to codeine, Valium and PCP were found in his blood.[2] His funeral took place at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in his hometown of Smithville, Texas.[2]
Film
The 2007 documentary film Screwed In Houston produced by VBS/Vice Magazine details the history of the Houston rap scene and the influence of the Chopped and Screwed sub-culture on Houston hip-hop. The 5-part series has one full episode dedicated to DJ Screw and includes video footage of DJ Screw days before his death.
Legacy
DJ Screw cast a large shadow in Houston, which is sometimes referred to as "Screwston" in his memory. His distinct musical stylings influenced countless rap acts and even other DJs like Michael "5000" Watts. Toronto-based rapper Drake told London's Guardian that he is a considerable fan of the genre DJ Screw founded, saying, "Sometimes I feel guilty for how much I love Screw and the SUC[4]." Alternative weekly The Houston Press named the 1995 album 3 N' Da Mornin, Part 2 as no. 13 on its list of the 25 best Houston rap albums of all time. The newspaper credited the release for the way it helped shape Houston's hip-hop culture[5].
DJ Screwfest
A music festival and car show in honor of DJ Screw was set up in 2006. The inaugural DJ Screwfest featured 200 vehicles [6] and a setlist featuring notable Houston hip-hop acts like Slim Thug, Trae, and Chingo Bling. The first festival, which took place at the Pasadena County Fairgrounds, ran into problems including rain and limited sound equipment[7].
Screwed Up Click
When the Houston hip-hop scene became nationally prominent in 2004, many of the biggest acts could be traced to DJ Screw's crew, the Screwed Up Click. The expansive crew, which featured more than 15 rappers, were featured prominently on his mixtapes and often spent nights with him recording. Some of the more famous rappers to come out of the Screwed Up Click include Big Hawk, Lil' Keke, and Fat Pat. While many of the S.U.C. rappers enjoyed major-label success, DJ Screw himself remained largely underground. He was uncomfortable with mainstream business practices like bank accounts and copyrights[2].
Discography
"Screw-tapes"
Screw tapes were tapes that DJ Screw made himself and mainly sold from his house or when traveling to do shows. Many of his friends freestyled and spoke over instrumentals/songs.
The mixtapes were re-released after his death in 2000 and given "chapter" titles. Despite this they were not re-released chronologically. The works date between 1994 and 2000.
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Albums
| Year | Album Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 3 'n the Mornin', Pt. 1 | Big Tyme Records |
| 1996 | 3 'n the Mornin', Pt. 2 | Big Tyme Records |
| 1996 | I Wanna Get High with Blanksta | Big Time |
| 1999 | All Work No Play | Reliant Entertainment |
| 2001 | The Legend | Big Tyme Records |
| 2002 | All Work No Play, Vol. 2 | Reliant Entertainment |
| 2002 | Sentimental Value | Wreckless Entertainment |
| 2002 | As the World Turns Slow | Wreckless Entertainment |
| 2004 | June 27 | Screwed Up Texas |
| 2004 | The Final Chapter | Screwed Up Click |
| 2004 | N 2 Deep | Screwed Up Click |
| 2004 | Screw Tape in the Deck | T.J. Music |
| 2005 | Soldiers United for Cash, Pt. 2 | Starz Music |
| 2005 | Screw Tape in the Deck, Vol. 2: Texas to the World | Bcd |
| 2005 | Playaz Nite | Screwed Up Click |
| 2005 | Greatest Hits | Screwed Up Click |
| 2005 | 11-16-00 | Screwed Up Click |
| 2005 | Trilogy: A DJ Screw Memorial | Bcd |
| 2005 | Anniversary Day | Wreckless Entertainment |
| 2006 | Syrup City Ballas Screwed | Bcd |
| 2006 | Apt 100: Where It All Began | Oar |
| 2006 | The Best of the Best, Vol. 2 | Screwed Up Click |
| 2006 | Screw Tape in the Deck, Pt. 3: Final Chapter | Bcd |
| 2006 | Royalty of Rap | Bcd |
| 2007 | 11-16-00, Vol. 2 | Screwed Up Click |
| 2007 | DJ Screw Mix | Bcd |
| 2008 | Best of the Best, Vol. 1 | Screwed Up Click |
| 2008 | Fallen Soldiers | Screwed Up Click |
| 2008 | Best of the Best, Vol. 3 | Screwed Up Click |
| 2008 | 11-16-00, Vol. 3 | Screwed Up Click |
| 2010 | Forever | Screwed Up Click Entertainment |
Also Appears on
- SPM(South Park Mexican) Power Moves double Disc 1998
- Al-D - Home Of The Free 1995
- Al-D - Unconditional Luv 2002
- Aggravated - Accept 1995
- Botany Boyz - Thought of Many Ways 1997
- Mr. 3-2 The Wicked Buddah Baby 1996
- DJ DMD - Eleven 1997
- Dead End Alliance - Screwed 4 Life 1997
- Lil Keke - Dont Mess With Texas 1997
- Lil Keke - The Commission 1998
- C-Note - 3rd Coast Born 1999
- Lil O - Blood Money 1999
- 5th Ward Soundtrack 1999
- K-Rino - No Mercy 2000
- HAWK - Under Hawks Wings 2000
- Rap-a-Lot Records - R.N.D.S. Compilation 1999
- Point Blank - N Tha Doe 1996
- Point Blank - Bad News Travels Fast 2000
- Big Moe - City of Syrup 2000
References
- ^ DJ Screw The Untold Story DVD. Double Platinum, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw.[1] Cite error: The named reference "TheSlowLifeandFastDeathofDJScrew" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Hip Hop Parody as Veiled Critique.[2]
- ^ DJ Screw: from cough syrup to full-blown fever.[3]
- ^ The H-Town Countdown, No. 13: DJ Screw's 3 N' Tha Mornin' Pt. 2 (Blue).[4]
- ^ Friends and fans pay respect to DJ Screw.[5]
- ^ Screwed-up Screwfest works anyway.[6]
External links
- Screwed Up Records & Tapes - Official site (requires flash)
- Deft Magazine Commemorative Rest In Peace Mixtape - Deft Magazine
- Davey D article regarding the death of DJ Screw
- Murder Dog interview with DJ Screw 8/8/99