Who Started Chopped and Screwed Music and Its Rise

In the world of hip-hop, few subgenres carry the raw emotion and cultural weight that chopped and screwed music brings to the table. It's more than just a slowed-down sound. It's a movement that was born out of struggle, creativity, and a deep-rooted connection to Houston’s streets. The question many fans still ask today is: who started chopped and screwed music, and how did it become a cultural staple?

Who Started Chopped and Screwed: The Pioneer Behind the Movement

The answer to who started chopped and screwed music leads us straight to the legendary DJ Screw, a Houston native who redefined Southern hip-hop in the early 1990s. Robert Earl Davis Jr, better known as DJ Screw, wasn’t just a DJ. He was a visionary. At a time when most DJs were focused on speed and hype, Screw slowed it all down. He took popular tracks and dragged the tempo to nearly half-speed, emphasizing deep basslines, hypnotic repetition, and a dreamy, syrupy vibe that was unlike anything else.

But it wasn’t just about slowing the music down. Screw added his touch by “chopping” the tracks repeating phrases, scratching vinyl, and adding subtle effects that gave each mix a meditative, otherworldly tone. He created his signature style from his home studio, distributing tapes hand-to-hand throughout Houston. His fan base grew organically, especially among youth in the South Side and Third Ward neighborhoods.

The impact was immediate. What started as local mixtapes soon spread across Texas and the South, establishing DJ Screw as the definitive answer to the question of who started chopped and screwed.

The Rise of Chopped and Screwed in Houston and Beyond

By the mid-90s, DJ Screw’s influence had birthed an entire culture around his music. The Screwed Up Click, a collective of Houston rappers including Big Pokey, Fat Pat, E.S.G, Lil’ Keke, and others, became the lyrical voice of the movement. These artists delivered slow, soulful bars that fit perfectly over Screw’s production, reflecting the real-life pace of the neighborhoods they came from.

What made chopped and screwed music so unique was how it mirrored the emotional weight of daily life, struggle, loyalty, loss, survival, and spiritual searching. It wasn’t just about getting high or flexing. It was storytelling slowed down so you had no choice but to feel every word.

After DJ Screw’s untimely death in 2000, the genre didn’t fade. It spread. Other DJs like Michael “5000” Watts and OG Ron C carried the torch, introducing chopped and screwed remixes to new artists and audiences. Major artists from outside Texas, like A$AP Rocky, Drake, and even Beyoncé, have since embraced the style or paid homage to it.

D'Vo The Codex, a hip-hop artist, credits the Screwed Up Click as a major influence on his music. You can hear the signature Houston sound in his tracks. DJ Red from the legendary Screw Shop even transformed D'Vo's albums into chopped and screwed masterpieces. Want to experience the difference? Click below to listen.

More Than a Genre, It’s a Legacy

The rise of chopped and screwed music is not just a trend in hip-hop history. It’s a legacy tied to Houston culture, Black innovation, and a deeper expression of soul. It opened a lane for slow music to be powerful, not sleepy. It gave space for pain and faith to co-exist on the same track.

For the culture, for the people, and the legacy of DJ Screw, chopped and screwed remains a genre that speaks louder by moving slower. So when someone asks who started chopped and screwed, they’re not just asking about music. They’re asking about a movement that changed the soundscape of a generation.

For more Chopped and Screwed music click the link below!