DJ Screw

Static

Swangin' and Bangin' ... and getting to that other level with the disciples of screw

Letters

That's the Breaks

Houston rap labels and their artists look for that big deal

Hawk

Saturday, December 7

Mount Coy

South Park Mexican carves out his place in history with the 2001 Music Awards

Big Moe

Purple World (Wreckshop/Priority)

Fucking Transmissions, Begin Transmission

CD Review

DJ Screwfest

CD Review

Calvin Owens Orchestra, Barbara Lynn, Evelyn Rubio, Pete Mayes, Rue Davis, Tweed Smith

The Calvin Owens Orchestra and special guests perform 9 p.m. Saturday, August 4, at the Howling Coyote, 6536 FM 1960 West, 281-444-3401.

Get Your Drank On

The Calvin Owens Orchestra and special guests perform 9 p.m. Saturday, August 4, at the Howling Coyote, 6536 FM 1960 West, 281-444-3401.

Get Screwed

The Calvin Owens Orchestra and special guests perform 9 p.m. Saturday, August 4, at the Howling Coyote, 6536 FM 1960 West, 281-444-3401.

Houston Hip-Hop

Mike Watts and his stable of northside rappers take a southside legend's style to the masses

Codeine Country

Houston was the city of syrup long before DJ Screw came on the scene

Screw Heads

Forever and a Day (Avarice/JCOR Entertainment)

The Turn of the Screw

In which a narcotic, native-born music finds a nightclub home

Lean & Mean

Those who drink codeine syrup call it lean because of its most obvious effect: a loss of coordination. Those who study the drug call it liquid crack. Those who abuse it can wind up dead.

Life in the Slow Lane

DJ Screw lived mostly for his work, as if he would have time later to celebrate his success. That time would never come.

One Last Spin

Friends, fans and associates cope with the silence following DJ Screw's untimely death

Static

Friends, fans and associates cope with the silence following DJ Screw's untimely death

Five Spot: Remembering "Five Star General" Big Hawk

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It's five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com.MTV's Cribs has to be one of this generation's finest cultural achievements. F ... More >>

Flashing Back to the Heyday of DJ Screw

Ed. Note: To go along with this week's feature on Mike Jones, Mike Giglio takes a look at the origins of Houston rap's once and future calling card, "screw music." Photos by Mike GiglioScrew: The Next Generation (l-r): Randy, Big Bubb, Bird Wearing corn rows, a wife beater and green courdoroys, ... More >>

Catfish Reef: The Rise of Swishahouse

[Note: this is the second in a series on the origins of Houston rap, to go along with this week's feature on wayward star Mike Jones.]Mike Giglio​As a local hip-hop writer and radio host, Matt Sonzala (also a former Houston Press Music Listings Editor) did what he could to promote Houston rap to a ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 13: DJ Screw's 3 N' Tha Mornin' Pt. 2 (Blue)

Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We're counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. DJ Screw 3 N' Da Mornin, Part 2 (Big Tyme Records, 1995)​While researc ... More >>

Ask a Rapper: Street Military's Icey Hott on "What If DJ Screw Were Alive Today"?

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email it to introducinglisto ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Hollywood F.L.O.S.S., Trae, Z-Ro, Sans Bayonet, Pimp C, Lil' Wayne, Big Moe, 50, Lupe, DMX, Yung Chase, etc.

Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: "At The Top," Hollywood F.L.O.S.S. Wire To Wire First, thank you to everyone that emailed us about The ... More >>

Dat Boi T: A Screwed Up Love Story

Screw Love. It's a term commonly used amongst the Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.), the bigger-than-life Houston-based rap label, which was founded by the legendary DJ Screw himself. If Houston hip-hop is the Bible, Screw is the book of Genesis. ​There are two types of Screw Love. There's Love for Screw ... More >>

Low Points Dominate the Decade for Houston's Latino Rappers

​ Sunday, Rocks Off crept down Little York on the "Nawf" side of H-Town to scope out Northside rider Big Cease's video production of "So Off the Chain," featuring Dat Boy X of Dallas and Houston's Lucky Luciano (above). Sure enough, Houston's underground scene was in full effect to provide support ... More >>

1992 Redo: DJ Flea and Dat Boi T Give Underground Artists (and Listener) a Free Weekly Music Platform

​ It's something we haven't addressed yet, but it's been brought up numerous times in our talks with Houston's underground Latino rappers. When Univision's hip-hop stations in Houston went away this last decade, so did those artists' airwave platform. But sometimes you have to look back in order t ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown: Clearing the Table and Tying Up Loose Ends

Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We're counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday. Or we were. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Well, it's over. We stretched it out just about as long as ... More >>

David Dove & Lucas Gorham

Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We're counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday. Or we were. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Well, it's over. We stretched it out just about as long as ... More >>

The Enduring Importance Of DJ Screw's "June 27th"

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday (that isn't a national holiday) Rocks Off will have some of them hear discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: Chalie Boy, Yung Redd and Hash Brown ​Not Invited: The guy from the Gear Slutz forum w ... More >>

Purple Drank Goes Pro, Thanks To ESPN

​ESPN's Outside the Lines, the Emmy Award-winning investigative series that examines topical issues off the playing field, aired a feature over the weekend on Houston's very own rap mascot - purple drank - the dangerous mix of prescription codeine cough syrup and any range of mixers from Sprit ... More >>

Is The National Recording Registry Ready For The Geto Boyz?

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email it to introducinglisto ... More >>

Which Houston Rappers Are "Blowin' Money Fast"?

​This has been Ricky Rozay's summer, for certain. Teflon Don was, in short, a sparkly, magnanimously produced, well-acted-out album. By the way, let's just go ahead and keep pretending like the entire planet hasn't figured out that Ross employed a ghostwriter for TD. Hard evidence? Well, there ... More >>

The Houston Sound Maps Our "No Zoning" Music Scene

Katya Horner/Downtown DistrictThe John Evans Band in Market Square Park​What is the Houston Sound? Until recently, it was a trick question. Although Houston has produced too many distinguished artists to name across a wide variety of genres from blues, country and jazz to psychedelic rock, noi ... More >>

Screwed Up Click

Katya Horner/Downtown DistrictThe John Evans Band in Market Square Park​What is the Houston Sound? Until recently, it was a trick question. Although Houston has produced too many distinguished artists to name across a wide variety of genres from blues, country and jazz to psychedelic rock, noi ... More >>

DJ Screw: Remembering Him 10 Years After His Death

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Chris Ward, Chuckway, Kyle Hubbard, Brad Gilmore, Simple Success Not Invited: ... More >>

Still Standing

A decade later, thangs ain't changed at Screwed Up Records & Tapes.

Who Makes The Mt. Rushmore Of Houston Rap?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn't a national holiday Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. cred​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Z-Ro, Chamillionaire, Lil Flip, E.S.G., Paul Wall, Fat Tony, A.D.D., Matt Son ... More >>

Screwtape Is Not Who We Thought They Were

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​This was an easy pick. ... More >>

Damfoolz Select The Six Best DJ Screw Songs Of All Time

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com.  ... More >>

Screwed Up Records & Tapes Facing Eviction

screweduprecords.com​The days of Screwed Up Records & Tapes may be numbered. Just two days after Houston's hip-hop community marked the anniversary of DJ Screw's wildly cherished "June 27 Freestyle," Rocks Off has now learned that the iconic Southside record store has been facing eviction for ... More >>

Should Amy Winehouse & DJ Screw's Addictions Define Their Legacy?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn't a national holiday (or thereabouts), Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​Ed. Note: Although the results of Amy Winehouse's ... More >>

Full Swag For DJ Screw & Framboise; Half Swag For Riff Raff

Riff Raff has all the swag.​One of the many things we love about Houston is the diversity of its music. For instance, on Tuesday night we went to Mango's to see Psychic Palms and Mikey & The Drags, two of our favorite local garage-rock bands. After The Drags performed their cover for "Then He ... More >>

South Park Mexican's Dope House Records: Help Wanted

​The other day Rocks Off was unpacking a bunch of old boxes from our recent move and found Disc 2 of South Park Mexican's Power Moves, the one that starts off with a phone conversation between South Park Mexican (SPM) and DJ Screw. It even had DJ Screw's mug on the disc's cover. Fittingly, the ... More >>

Mourning Big H.A.W.K.'s Should've-Been Birthday

Big H.A.W.K. should've been 42-years-old today. He should've been getting ready to release his newest album, Birds of Pray, the title a play on his name and his unwavering belief in Christ, the music a staunch spine of Houstonisms that Drake would've lovingly sampled in a few years secretly hopi ... More >>

Eat It: Houston Rappers Love to Write Songs About Eating

Photo by Chase Steely ​One thing Houston rappers are proficient in-besides rapping great-is eating well. Many of the more influential artists were/are big and fat: Fat Pat, Big Pokey, Big Moe, Big HAWK, Big Mello, and Big Steve. Even DJ Screw was a husky man. That's not to say that their wei ... More >>

Heavy Fuel: How to Drink Like a Rock Star

Kinda like this but not at all.​If you want to be a real rock star, you can go ahead and forget about those Red Bull and vodkas you're so fond of. Legit rockers are fueled by bigger, harder and flat-out weirder doses of alcohol than the mere mortals hitting on the bartender at your local wate ... More >>

How To: Drink Like a Rock Star

Kinda like this but not at all.​Sure, most rock stars are probably happy with any bottle that happens to be within reach. Some rock stars, however, prefer to refine and perfect their booze intake, settling on a signature cocktail that suits their outsized personalities and consequence-free li ... More >>