DJ Screw’s tapes, his crew, and a sound the city never let go

Robert Earl Davis Jr. was born in Smithville, Texas, in 1971 and later moved to Houston, where he became DJ Screw. Through the 1990s he made custom tapes at his house, slowing records down and chopping them, often with members of the Screwed Up Click freestyling over the top. Names like Lil’ Keke, Fat Pat, Big Hawk, Big Moe, E.S.G. and Z-Ro run through those tapes. People lined up outside to buy them, and the gray cassettes became Houston’s calling card.

Screw died in November 2000 at 29. The tapes kept circulating and the style kept spreading, from Houston radio to mainstream releases to producers around the world who’ve never set foot in Texas.

This section tracks that legacy carefully. We stick to what’s documented, we name our sources, and we don’t run rumors about the people involved. Tape History and From the Archive features will live here.