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{{short description|Music genre and technique of remixing music}}
'''Screwed & Chopped''' is a term that refers to a certain technique of [[remix]]ing [[hip-hop music]] by slowing the [[tempo]] and applying various [[DJ]] techniques such as skipping beats, record [[scratching]], stop-time, and sending portions of the music through stand-alone effects to make a "chopped-up" version of the original song. Though currently "Chopped and Screwed" is mostly widely used, "Screw" or "Screwed and Chopped" was the original term applied to the music.
{{about|the technique|the album by MC Breed|Chopped and Screwed (album)|the song by T-Pain|Chopped 'n' Skrewed|the rapping style|chopper (rap)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{multiple issues|
{{refexample|date=April 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2017}}
}}
{{infobox music genre
| caption = DJ Screw, known for being the pioneer of the Chopped and Screwed genre.
| cultural_origins = Early 1990s, [[Houston]], [[Texas]], United States
| derivatives = {{hlist|[[Witch house (music genre)|Witch house]]|[[seapunk]]|[[vaporwave]]|[[cloud rap]]|[[phonk]]}}
| name = Chopped and screwed
| other_topics = [[Codeine]]
| regional_scenes = [[Houston]] and [[Longview, Texas|Longview]], Texas
| stylistic_origins = * [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
* [[sampledelia]]
* [[purple drank|codeine effect]]<ref name="MTV">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/chopped_screwed/index2.jhtml|title=Chopped And Screwed: A History|last=Patel|first=Joseph|website=[[MTV News|MTVNews.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311071048/http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/chopped_screwed/index2.jhtml|archive-date=March 11, 2007|access-date=March 2, 2019|quote=Of course, it wasn't just the slower pace of Southern life that was simpatico with chopped and screwed music. It was also the drug culture springing up in Houston at the time—specifically, the one centering on the consumption of the prescription cough syrup Promethazine, which includes codeine. The elixir goes by a number of names—syrup, drank, Texas tea—and its depressant qualities were the catalyst to an illicit subculture built around its abuse and the lethargic beats of chopped and screwed.}}</ref>
| subgenres = {{hlist|Future screw|Slowed + reverb}}
}}


'''Chopped and screwed''' (also called '''screwed and chopped''' or '''slowed and throwed''') is a music genre and technique of [[remix]]ing music that involves slowing down the tempo and [[DJing]]. It was developed in the [[Houston]], Texas, [[hip hop]] scene in the early 1990s by [[DJ Screw]]. The screwed technique involves slowing the [[tempo]] of a song down to 60 and 70 [[quarter-note]] [[beats per minute]] and applying techniques such as skipping beats, record [[scratching]], [[stop-time]] and affecting portions of the original composition to create a "chopped-up" version of the song.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/news/life-in-the-slow-lane-6562149|title=Life in the Slow Lane|last=Washington|first=Jesse|date=January 18, 2001|website=Houston Press|access-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref>
[[DJ Screw]], a South Houston DJ, is credited with the creation and early experimentation of the genre. [[DJ Screw]] started making "screw-tapes" in the early ninties, after spending a year perfecting the mixing technique. Originally, this process involved two copies of the same record, slowed down either on the [[turntables]] themselves using pitch shift or with an after-mixer device. [[Phasing]] and [[echo]] effects were originally the result of the two records being played at [[millisecond]] intervals, i.e. very close to the exact same time.


== History ==
The genre was heavily associated with the use of "syrup", the abuse of over-the-counter cough syrups containing [[codeine]] and has been credited as an explanation for the genre's [[psychadelic]] style. [[DJ Screw]] went on to make countless mixes (purported to be in the thousands) that usually had a [[theme]] and often provided a significant outlet for MCs in the South-Houston area, such as [[Lil' Flip]], [[E.S.G]], [[UGK]], [[Lil' Keke]] and [[Z-Ro]]. Early tapes were often [[Screwed and Chopped]] versions of instrumentals over which rappers would [[freestyle]] (e.g. [[DJ Screw]]'s "Who Next Wid Da Plex", [[Lil' Flip]]'s "Freestyle Kings"), later tapes were mostly vocal tracks with occasional [[toasting]] or [[freestyle]] intermissions. By the end of the 90's, rivalry had developed between North and South Side DJ "Clicks". By the time of Screw's death in 2000, the genre had become widely used throughout the South.


=== 1990: Creation ===
Mississippi rapper [[David Banner]] released a Screwed and Chopped Version of his "Mississippi: The Album" in 2003, which would mark one of the first successful efforts by a major recording label to exploit the success of the genre. Other Southern recording artists had had similar success beforehand, such as [[Eightball and MJG]], [[The Geto Boys]],[[Three 6 Mafia]] and Chicago's [[Do or Die]].


Preceding the late 1990s, most [[Southern hip hop]] was upbeat and fast, like [[Miami bass]] and Memphis, which was inspired by [[Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force]] with their groundbreaking track "[[Planet Rock (song)|Planet Rock]]". Unlike its southern musical counterparts Houston's rap style has consistently remained slower, even in the beginning of Houston hip hop, as can be heard on the earliest Houston based group [[Geto Boys]] records from the mid to late 80's.
Currently, the style is exemplified in the music of North-Side [[Swishahouse]] DJs such as [[O.G. Ron C]] and [[Micheal "5000" Watts]]. Arguably maintaining a stranglehold on the remixing platform, their work helped establish current rappers [[Paul Wall]], [[Slim Thug]], [[Mike Jones]] and clics, [[Chamillionaries]]-- [[Paul Wall]] and [[Chamillionaire]]. Their mixes saw an expansion of the usual roster of artists that are [[Screwed and Chopped]], as more major recording labels embraced the genre that often sold more units than the usual version of a rapper's albums. It is rumored that [[Swishahouse]] originally labelled their tapes [[Chopped and Screwed]] to differentiate their mixes from South-Side crews that operated out of [[DJ Screw]]'s style or [[tutorledge]].
It is unknown when [[DJ Screw]] definitively created "screwed and chopped" music. Screw's former manager Charles Washington stated, "Screw mistakenly created the sound while hanging out with friends at an apartment in the late 80s."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-slow-life-and-fast-death-of-dj-screw/|title=The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw|date=January 21, 2013|website=Texas Monthly|language=en|access-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref> Screw discovered that dramatically reducing the pitch of a record gave a mellow, heavy sound that emphasized lyrics to the point of [[storytelling]]. Initially, the slow-paced hip hop genre was referred to as laid-back driving music and was limited to South Houston until it was popularized by DJs such as DJ T-Rent Dinero and DJ Z-Rusty.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Allah |first1=Bilal |date=November 1995 |title=DJ Screw: Givin' It to Ya Slow |url=https://pressrewind.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/screw_nov95.jpg |language=en |magazine=Rap Pages |publisher=Larry Flynt Publications |access-date=December 7, 2020 |page=84 }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=December 2020}}


=== 1991–2000: Rise to popularity and death of DJ Screw ===
Success in [[2005]] established [[Paul Wall]] as somewhat of a public face for the commercialization of S&C. It also popularized a production technique that moves away from [[turntables]] to the use of [[software]] programs such as [[Sony]]'s ACID. [[Paul Wall]] was invited onto the [[digital cable]] channel [[MTV Jams]] during the summer of [[2005]] to host a block of Screwed & Chopped music videos and to talk about the remix technique that he uses.


{{quotebox|
During the spring and summer of 2005, several popular urban music videos were released in a Screwed & Chopped remix form in addition to their original. These include:
|text="[DJ Screw] strung together rap singles and vocals from local and other artists, all of which he manipulated and persuaded to slow down the beat to a crawl and the vocals to a torpid drawl. He also chopped up the lyrics to create new meanings, warped and filtered the voices and added his own exhortations to the music's regional audience, mostly just using turntables and a microphone."
|width=25em
|source=—''[[The New York Times]]''{{full citation needed|date=April 2017}}
}}


In Houston, between 1991 and 1992, there was a notable increase in the use of [[Lean (drug)|lean]] (also known as purple drank and sizzurp) which, as Patel Joseph from [[MTV News]] believes, contributed to the allure of screw music.<ref name="MTV">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/chopped_screwed/index2.jhtml|title=Chopped And Screwed: A History|last=Patel|first=Joseph|website=[[MTV News|MTVNews.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311071048/http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/chopped_screwed/index2.jhtml|archive-date=March 11, 2007|access-date=March 2, 2019|quote=Of course, it wasn't just the slower pace of Southern life that was simpatico with chopped and screwed music. It was also the drug culture springing up in Houston at the time—specifically, the one centering on the consumption of the prescription cough syrup Promethazine, which includes codeine. The elixir goes by a number of names—syrup, drank, Texas tea—and its depressant qualities were the catalyst to an illicit subculture built around its abuse and the lethargic beats of chopped and screwed.}}</ref> The drug beverage has been considered a major influence on the making and listening of chopped and screwed music due to its perceived effect of slowing the brain down, and giving the slow, mellow music its appeal. In an interview for the documentary film ''Soldiers United For Cash'', DJ Screw denounced the claim that one has to use lean to enjoy screwed and chopped music, saying, "People think just to listen to my tapes you gotta be high or dranked out. That ain't true. There's kids getting my tapes, moms and dads getting my tapes, don't smoke or drink or nothing."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/DJ-Screw-Soldiers-United-Cash/dp/B077K8WC4J|title=DJ Screw Soldier's United For cash Documentary|website=amazon.com|access-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2020}}
*"Still Tippin'" by Mike Jones
*"You Gonna Luv Me" by [[Da Back Wudz]]
*"Na-Na-Na-Na" by [[Nelly]]
*"Wait (The Whisper Song)" by [[Ying Yang Twins]]
*"Dem Boyz" by [[Boyz N Da Hood]]
*"What U Gon' Do" by [[Lil' Jon]]
*"Some Cut" by [[Trillville]]
*"You Don't Know Me" by [[T.I.]]
*"Smile" by [[Scarface]] [originally released in [[1997]], but released in the summer of 2005 as a Screwed & Chopped remix video]
*"Game Over" by [[Lil' Flip]]


In the mid-1990s, chopped and screwed music started to move to the north side of Houston by way of DJ [[Michael "5000" Watts]], and later [[OG Ron C]].<ref name="MTV" /> A rivalry between north and south Houston over the true originators of chopped and screwed began to arise.<ref>{{Citation|title=Sauce Walka reflects on North Houston vs South Houston beef|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfkSLGz6oBo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/WfkSLGz6oBo |archive-date=December 13, 2021 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=April 28, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2020}} Michael "5000" Watts always gave credit to DJ Screw as the originator of chopped and screwed music, although Watts has been a proponent of the slogan "screwed and chopped" instead of "chopped and screwed". In the late 1990s, with the help of [[File sharing|P2P]] networks such as [[Napster]], chopped and screwed music spread to a much wider audience.
The genre has occasionally lended itself to music other than hip-hop; [[Paul Wall]] remixed [[The Transplants]] album [[Haunted Cities]] in 2005, a punk group featuring Blink 182 drummer [[Travis Barker]].


On November 16, 2000, DJ Screw was found dead in the bathroom of his music studio. The autopsy report later revealed that Screw died from a combination of [[codeine|codeine, Valium, PCP]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allah |first=Sha Be |date=2021-11-16 |title=Today In Hip Hop History: Houston Legend DJ Screw Passed Away 21 Years Ago - The Source |url=https://thesource.com/2021/11/16/today-in-hip-hop-history-houston-legend-dj-screw-passed-away-21-years-ago/,%20https://thesource.com/2021/11/16/today-in-hip-hop-history-houston-legend-dj-screw-passed-away-21-years-ago/ |access-date=2023-12-12 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Quotes==
"Hip-hop records are literally slowed down to a molasses-like pace, and beats and lyrics ooze lazily out of the speakers. The result is a heavy, drowsy groove that, over the last 14 years, has exerted a major influence on Southern hip-hop culture." -Joseph Patel, MTV.com


=== 2000–present: Expansion and development ===
==External links==
*[http://www.memphisrap.com MemphisRap.com]


Following the death of DJ Screw, his musical influence spread all over the southern United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://unodriftwood.com/3448/city/behind-the-scenes-of-chopped-and-screwed-music/|title=Behind the scenes of chopped and screwed music|publisher=Driftwood|date=March 31, 2019|first=Dylan|last=Mininger|access-date=July 4, 2019|archive-date=June 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624181759/https://unodriftwood.com/3448/city/behind-the-scenes-of-chopped-and-screwed-music/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Later in 2000, the [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]-based group [[Three 6 Mafia]] came out with their song "[[Sippin' on Some Syrup]]". The song debuted as a minor hit but later became one of Three 6 Mafia's most popular songs.


The 2007 documentary film ''Screwed in Houston'' details the history of the Houston rap scene and the influence of the chopped and screwed subculture on Houston hip hop. In 2011, University of Houston Libraries acquired over 1,000 albums owned by DJ Screw. Some of the albums were part of an exhibit in early 2012 and, along with the rest, went available for research in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.29-95.com/music/story/dj-screw-vinyl-headed-u-h |title=Archived copy |access-date=September 29, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407065843/http://www.29-95.com/music/story/dj-screw-vinyl-headed-u-h |archive-date=April 7, 2012 }}</ref>
{{hiphop}}
[[Category:Hip hop genres]]


To date, the chopped and screwed music genre has been added to all forms of streaming services, including [[iTunes]] and [[Spotify]]; the genre has crossed over to receive mass mainstream appeal.<ref>{{Citation|title=Mixtape #1 (Verses) [Screwed & Chopped] by The Network & Pollie Pop|date=September 26, 2017|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/mixtape-1-verses-screwed-chopped/1292025990|language=en-us|access-date=April 28, 2020|archive-date=December 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217002850/https://music.apple.com/us/album/mixtape-1-verses-screwed-chopped/1292025990|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2020}}
[[de:Screw]]

==== The Chopstars/ChopNotSlop ====

Created by Swishahouse Records co-founder [[OG Ron C]], they began calling their remixes ChopNotSlop due to all the “sloppy” remixes that came out after the passing of DJ Screw. Since 2001, they have dedicated their cause to the legacy of DJ Screw. [[The Chopstars]] have become the prominent source for chopped up music. With official releases with [[Brent Faiyaz]], [[Don Toliver]] and [[Little Dragon]] [https://www.adultswim.com/music/little-dragon/ (Nabuma Purple Rubberband)] they have made a niche in the sub genre. They currently have a radio show called ChopNotSlopShow on [[OVO Radio|Sound 42]] which is [[Drake (musician)|Drake]]’s radio station on [[Sirius XM|SiriusXM]]. Notable members include DJ Ryan Wolf, official DJ of the [[Cleveland Browns]], [[DJ Candlestick]], DJ Hollygrove, [[Mike G]] formerly of [[Odd Future]] and [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Oscar Award]] winning director [[Barry Jenkins]] as a creative collaborator.

== Stylistic developments ==

=== Future screw and lean house ===

In the mid-2010s, producers on [[SoundCloud]] began experimenting with fusing chopped and screwed music and [[Electronic dance music|EDM]]. It has since developed into subgenres such as "future screw and lean house".<ref name="Future Screw">{{cite web|first1=Ross|last1=Figlerski|title=Future Screw: The Internet's Version of Houston's Chopped and Screwed|url=http://greenlabel.com/future-screw-the-internets-version-of-houstons-chopped-and-screwed/|website=Green Label|access-date=July 11, 2020|date=March 3, 2015}}</ref>

=== Slowed and reverb ===

{{infobox music genre
| cultural_origins = Late 2010s, [[online]]
| name = Slowed and reverb
| other_names = {{hlist|Slowed + reverb|daycore}}
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Chopped and screwed|[[vaporwave]]}}
}}

'''Slowed and reverb''' (stylized as "slowed + reverb") is a technique of remixing and a subgenre, derived from chopped and screwed hip-hop<ref name="okp">{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Elijah C. |title=Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Has Become One Of The Internet's Most Popular Subgenres; Is Slowed & Reverb Next? |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/slowed-and-reverb-videos-lo-fi-hip-hop.html |website=Okayplayer |access-date=December 7, 2020 |date=November 2020}}</ref> and [[vaporwave]],<ref name=wecb>{{cite web |author=WECB GM |title=What's Up with 'Slowed + Reverb' Music?|url=https://www.wecb.fm/milkcrate/slowed-reverb-music |website=[[WECB (Emerson College)]]|access-date=July 26, 2023|date=March 14, 2020}}</ref> which involves slowing down and adding reverb to a previously existing song, often created by using [[Audio editing software|digital audio editors]] such as [[Audacity (audio editor)|Audacity]]. The technique originated in 2017, when Houston-based producer Jarylun Moore (known online as slater!), having been inspired by DJ Screw, began uploading remixes of popular songs using the technique to [[YouTube]]. The first of these{{em dash}}a remix of [[Lil Uzi Vert]]'s song "[[Luv Is Rage 2#Release|20 Min]]"{{em dash}}earned over one million views on the platform in under two months, eventually earning over four million views before being taken down. The style became especially popular on YouTube, where it became common to play remixes over looping clips from [[Retrofuturism|retrofuturistic]] [[anime]] scenes.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Cush |first1=Andy |title=How Slowed + Reverb Remixes Became the Melancholy Heart of Music YouTube |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-slowed-reverb-remixes-became-the-melancholy-heart-of-music-youtube/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=December 7, 2020 |language=en-us |date=April 7, 2020}}</ref> Other notable producers in this sub-genre include {{proper name|wretchshop}} (also known as ''ciki 8k''), rum world, Aestheticg, imlonely, Chovies, slerb as well as streliz.{{Cn|date=August 2023}}

Slowed and reverb remixes were also uploaded to [[Spotify]] using the service's podcast feature.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gogarty |first1=Josiah |title=There's a Reason Spotify Is Filled With Fake Podcasts of Bootleg Songs |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/4ag5jd/spotify-fake-podcasts-bootleg-songs-piracy |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |access-date=December 7, 2020 |language=en |date=March 18, 2020}}</ref> For [[Okayplayer]], Elijah C. Watson dubbed slowed and reverb remixes "the soundtrack for [[Generation Z]]", comparing the style to [[lo-fi hip hop]].<ref name="okp"/> Remixes using the technique also became popular on the video-sharing service [[TikTok]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Elfakir |first1=Sami |title=Slowed + reverb, remix à pleurer |url=https://next.liberation.fr/musique/2020/10/30/slowed-reverb-remix-a-pleurer_1804026 |website=[[Libération]] |access-date=December 7, 2020 |language=fr |date=October 30, 2020}}</ref>

Slowed and reverb remixes became controversial on social media in mid-2020 after a viral video posted to TikTok failed to attribute the creation of slowed and reverb to chopped and screwed, causing users to brand slowed and reverb a "[[Gentrification|gentrified]]" version of chopped and screwed.<ref name="rootslowed">{{cite web |last1=Jefferson |first1=J'na |title=DJ Screw's Legacy Is Being Celebrated After TikTok Teens Tried Gentrifying His 'Chopped and Screwed' Style |url=https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/dj-screws-legacy-is-being-celebrated-after-tiktok-teens-1844726412 |website=[[The Root (magazine)|The Root]] |access-date=December 7, 2020 |language=en-us |date=August 14, 2020}}</ref> For the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'', Shelby Stewart wrote, "Give DJ Screw his flowers. Slowed + reverb is a poor imitation of what chopped and screwed music is."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Shelby |title='Slowed + Reverb' is just chopped & screwed gentrified |url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Slowed-Reverb-is-just-chopped-screwed-15482351.php |website=[[Houston Chronicle]] |access-date=December 7, 2020 |language=en |date=August 13, 2020}}</ref> Moore had mixed feelings about the phenomenon, saying, "I always felt that I shouldn’t touch chopped and screwed music. One, it’s not really screwed if it’s not by Screw. Two, the chops are sacred to the culture, and not everybody can imitate it. So I would never want to even try to. I’m just glad I’m able to bring it to a wider audience."<ref name=":1" />

Other responses to the subgenre's popularity were more positive. Despite the backlash from DJ Screw fans, other creators such as Isaac Sigala uploaded slowed and reverb remixes to honor the chopped and screwed genre through [[nostalgia]]. Sigala said of the popularity of his remixes, "I knew it was gonna happen. I see the kind of emotions that were brought out in me when I first started getting into [slowed music]. I could see how others would express their emotions too."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=MacColl |first=Margaux |date=August 1, 2020 |title=The Reverb Remix community is YouTube’s sensitive, supportive refuge |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/youtube-reverb-remix-community/ |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=[[Digital Trends]]}}</ref>

The YouTube [[Comments section|comments sections]] of slowed and reverb videos are often used as a [[safe haven]] for users, which [[Digital Trends]] described as "a sensitive reprieve from the toxicity often found on the platform." Users commonly share stories of [[heartbreak]] and [[Grief|loss]], which are given support by the slowed and reverb content creators. YouTuber Rayen Hemden said that he feels protective of his commenters and will act as a moderator to keep discussion compassionate. He further stated, "I make sure there are no hate comments towards the people who share their stories because it takes bravery. Someone has to be courageous to actually share their story."<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==

* [[Southern hip hop]]
* [[Nightcore]]
* [[Remix]]
* [[Sampling (music)]]
* [[Mashup (music)]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}{{subgenres and fusion genres of hip hop music}}{{DJing}}{{electronica}}{{appropriation in the arts}}

[[category:20th-century music genres]]
[[category:1990s in music]]
[[category:21st-century music genres]]
[[category:2000s in music]]
[[category:2010s in music]]
[[category:DJing]]
[[Category:Hip-hop genres]]
[[Category:Southern hip-hop]]
[[category:unofficial adaptations]]

Latest revision as of 22:58, 13 December 2024

This article is about the technique. For the album by MC Breed, see Chopped and Screwed (album). For the song by T-Pain, see Chopped 'n' Skrewed. For the rapping style, see chopper (rap).

Chopped and screwed
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly 1990s, Houston, Texas, United States
Derivative forms
Subgenres
  • Future screw
  • Slowed + reverb
Regional scenes
Houston and Longview, Texas
Other topics
Codeine

Chopped and screwed (also called screwed and chopped or slowed and throwed) is a music genre and technique of remixing music that involves slowing down the tempo and DJing. It was developed in the Houston, Texas, hip hop scene in the early 1990s by DJ Screw. The screwed technique involves slowing the tempo of a song down to 60 and 70 quarter-note beats per minute and applying techniques such as skipping beats, record scratching, stop-time and affecting portions of the original composition to create a "chopped-up" version of the song.[2]

History

[edit]

1990: Creation

[edit]

Preceding the late 1990s, most Southern hip hop was upbeat and fast, like Miami bass and Memphis, which was inspired by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force with their groundbreaking track "Planet Rock". Unlike its southern musical counterparts Houston's rap style has consistently remained slower, even in the beginning of Houston hip hop, as can be heard on the earliest Houston based group Geto Boys records from the mid to late 80's. It is unknown when DJ Screw definitively created "screwed and chopped" music. Screw's former manager Charles Washington stated, "Screw mistakenly created the sound while hanging out with friends at an apartment in the late 80s."[3] Screw discovered that dramatically reducing the pitch of a record gave a mellow, heavy sound that emphasized lyrics to the point of storytelling. Initially, the slow-paced hip hop genre was referred to as laid-back driving music and was limited to South Houston until it was popularized by DJs such as DJ T-Rent Dinero and DJ Z-Rusty.[4][failed verification]

1991–2000: Rise to popularity and death of DJ Screw

[edit]

"[DJ Screw] strung together rap singles and vocals from local and other artists, all of which he manipulated and persuaded to slow down the beat to a crawl and the vocals to a torpid drawl. He also chopped up the lyrics to create new meanings, warped and filtered the voices and added his own exhortations to the music's regional audience, mostly just using turntables and a microphone."

In Houston, between 1991 and 1992, there was a notable increase in the use of lean (also known as purple drank and sizzurp) which, as Patel Joseph from MTV News believes, contributed to the allure of screw music.[1] The drug beverage has been considered a major influence on the making and listening of chopped and screwed music due to its perceived effect of slowing the brain down, and giving the slow, mellow music its appeal. In an interview for the documentary film Soldiers United For Cash, DJ Screw denounced the claim that one has to use lean to enjoy screwed and chopped music, saying, "People think just to listen to my tapes you gotta be high or dranked out. That ain't true. There's kids getting my tapes, moms and dads getting my tapes, don't smoke or drink or nothing."[5][better source needed]

In the mid-1990s, chopped and screwed music started to move to the north side of Houston by way of DJ Michael "5000" Watts, and later OG Ron C.[1] A rivalry between north and south Houston over the true originators of chopped and screwed began to arise.[6][better source needed] Michael "5000" Watts always gave credit to DJ Screw as the originator of chopped and screwed music, although Watts has been a proponent of the slogan "screwed and chopped" instead of "chopped and screwed". In the late 1990s, with the help of P2P networks such as Napster, chopped and screwed music spread to a much wider audience.

On November 16, 2000, DJ Screw was found dead in the bathroom of his music studio. The autopsy report later revealed that Screw died from a combination of codeine, Valium, PCP.[7]

2000–present: Expansion and development

[edit]

Following the death of DJ Screw, his musical influence spread all over the southern United States.[8] Later in 2000, the Memphis-based group Three 6 Mafia came out with their song "Sippin' on Some Syrup". The song debuted as a minor hit but later became one of Three 6 Mafia's most popular songs.

The 2007 documentary film Screwed in Houston details the history of the Houston rap scene and the influence of the chopped and screwed subculture on Houston hip hop. In 2011, University of Houston Libraries acquired over 1,000 albums owned by DJ Screw. Some of the albums were part of an exhibit in early 2012 and, along with the rest, went available for research in 2013.[9]

To date, the chopped and screwed music genre has been added to all forms of streaming services, including iTunes and Spotify; the genre has crossed over to receive mass mainstream appeal.[10][better source needed]

The Chopstars/ChopNotSlop

[edit]

Created by Swishahouse Records co-founder OG Ron C, they began calling their remixes ChopNotSlop due to all the “sloppy” remixes that came out after the passing of DJ Screw. Since 2001, they have dedicated their cause to the legacy of DJ Screw. The Chopstars have become the prominent source for chopped up music. With official releases with Brent Faiyaz, Don Toliver and Little Dragon (Nabuma Purple Rubberband) they have made a niche in the sub genre. They currently have a radio show called ChopNotSlopShow on Sound 42 which is Drake’s radio station on SiriusXM. Notable members include DJ Ryan Wolf, official DJ of the Cleveland Browns, DJ Candlestick, DJ Hollygrove, Mike G formerly of Odd Future and Oscar Award winning director Barry Jenkins as a creative collaborator.

Stylistic developments

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Future screw and lean house

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In the mid-2010s, producers on SoundCloud began experimenting with fusing chopped and screwed music and EDM. It has since developed into subgenres such as "future screw and lean house".[11]

Slowed and reverb

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Slowed and reverb
Other names
  • Slowed + reverb
  • daycore
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 2010s, online

Slowed and reverb (stylized as "slowed + reverb") is a technique of remixing and a subgenre, derived from chopped and screwed hip-hop[12] and vaporwave,[13] which involves slowing down and adding reverb to a previously existing song, often created by using digital audio editors such as Audacity. The technique originated in 2017, when Houston-based producer Jarylun Moore (known online as slater!), having been inspired by DJ Screw, began uploading remixes of popular songs using the technique to YouTube. The first of these—a remix of Lil Uzi Vert's song "20 Min"—earned over one million views on the platform in under two months, eventually earning over four million views before being taken down. The style became especially popular on YouTube, where it became common to play remixes over looping clips from retrofuturistic anime scenes.[14] Other notable producers in this sub-genre include wretchshop (also known as ciki 8k), rum world, Aestheticg, imlonely, Chovies, slerb as well as streliz.[citation needed]

Slowed and reverb remixes were also uploaded to Spotify using the service's podcast feature.[15] For Okayplayer, Elijah C. Watson dubbed slowed and reverb remixes "the soundtrack for Generation Z", comparing the style to lo-fi hip hop.[12] Remixes using the technique also became popular on the video-sharing service TikTok.[16]

Slowed and reverb remixes became controversial on social media in mid-2020 after a viral video posted to TikTok failed to attribute the creation of slowed and reverb to chopped and screwed, causing users to brand slowed and reverb a "gentrified" version of chopped and screwed.[17] For the Houston Chronicle, Shelby Stewart wrote, "Give DJ Screw his flowers. Slowed + reverb is a poor imitation of what chopped and screwed music is."[18] Moore had mixed feelings about the phenomenon, saying, "I always felt that I shouldn’t touch chopped and screwed music. One, it’s not really screwed if it’s not by Screw. Two, the chops are sacred to the culture, and not everybody can imitate it. So I would never want to even try to. I’m just glad I’m able to bring it to a wider audience."[14]

Other responses to the subgenre's popularity were more positive. Despite the backlash from DJ Screw fans, other creators such as Isaac Sigala uploaded slowed and reverb remixes to honor the chopped and screwed genre through nostalgia. Sigala said of the popularity of his remixes, "I knew it was gonna happen. I see the kind of emotions that were brought out in me when I first started getting into [slowed music]. I could see how others would express their emotions too."[19]

The YouTube comments sections of slowed and reverb videos are often used as a safe haven for users, which Digital Trends described as "a sensitive reprieve from the toxicity often found on the platform." Users commonly share stories of heartbreak and loss, which are given support by the slowed and reverb content creators. YouTuber Rayen Hemden said that he feels protective of his commenters and will act as a moderator to keep discussion compassionate. He further stated, "I make sure there are no hate comments towards the people who share their stories because it takes bravery. Someone has to be courageous to actually share their story."[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Patel, Joseph. "Chopped And Screwed: A History". MTVNews.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved March 2, 2019. Of course, it wasn't just the slower pace of Southern life that was simpatico with chopped and screwed music. It was also the drug culture springing up in Houston at the time—specifically, the one centering on the consumption of the prescription cough syrup Promethazine, which includes codeine. The elixir goes by a number of names—syrup, drank, Texas tea—and its depressant qualities were the catalyst to an illicit subculture built around its abuse and the lethargic beats of chopped and screwed.
  2. ^ Washington, Jesse (January 18, 2001). "Life in the Slow Lane". Houston Press. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw". Texas Monthly. January 21, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  4. ^ Allah, Bilal (November 1995). "DJ Screw: Givin' It to Ya Slow". Rap Pages. Larry Flynt Publications. p. 84. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  5. ^ "DJ Screw Soldier's United For cash Documentary". amazon.com. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  6. ^ Sauce Walka reflects on North Houston vs South Houston beef, archived from the original on December 13, 2021, retrieved April 28, 2020
  7. ^ Allah, Sha Be (November 16, 2021). "Today In Hip Hop History: Houston Legend DJ Screw Passed Away 21 Years Ago - The Source". Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  8. ^ Mininger, Dylan (March 31, 2019). "Behind the scenes of chopped and screwed music". Driftwood. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ Mixtape #1 (Verses) [Screwed & Chopped] by The Network & Pollie Pop, September 26, 2017, archived from the original on December 17, 2020, retrieved April 28, 2020
  11. ^ Figlerski, Ross (March 3, 2015). "Future Screw: The Internet's Version of Houston's Chopped and Screwed". Green Label. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Watson, Elijah C. (November 2020). "Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Has Become One Of The Internet's Most Popular Subgenres; Is Slowed & Reverb Next?". Okayplayer. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  13. ^ WECB GM (March 14, 2020). "What's Up with 'Slowed + Reverb' Music?". WECB (Emerson College). Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Cush, Andy (April 7, 2020). "How Slowed + Reverb Remixes Became the Melancholy Heart of Music YouTube". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  15. ^ Gogarty, Josiah (March 18, 2020). "There's a Reason Spotify Is Filled With Fake Podcasts of Bootleg Songs". Vice. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  16. ^ Elfakir, Sami (October 30, 2020). "Slowed + reverb, remix à pleurer". Libération (in French). Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  17. ^ Jefferson, J'na (August 14, 2020). "DJ Screw's Legacy Is Being Celebrated After TikTok Teens Tried Gentrifying His 'Chopped and Screwed' Style". The Root. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  18. ^ Stewart, Shelby (August 13, 2020). "'Slowed + Reverb' is just chopped & screwed gentrified". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  19. ^ a b MacColl, Margaux (August 1, 2020). "The Reverb Remix community is YouTube's sensitive, supportive refuge". Digital Trends. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
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