Chopped and Screwed, Screwed and Chopped, Chewed and Scropped, Clarked and Screwed, Slowed and Throwed….. The list of euphemisms for this deep-south genre of music is endless. Since the late 90’s Screwed and Chopped music has been, albeit slowly, permeating the vast sound-scape that is contemporary music. The languid guttural rhythms and voice-profiles that are created by the slowed down tracks are more than catchy.
Screwed and Chopped music originated, geographically speaking in Port Arthur, Houston, menschlich speaking from Robert Earl Davis Jr. a.k.a Dj Screw. Screw was the inventor of the genre that now has a choke-hold on the Houston music scene. Even though Screw died in 2000, his tape store is still open and doing business, selling only Screw tapes. The lasting success of the Screw’s store is a symbol of the permanence of the Screwed and Chopped music style. Screwed music is in itself slow, so slow and extensive in space-time that the listener can almost drift into an eternal version of a single song.
The eternal extension of a song is an interesting concept; many artists of different media have sought to create immortal works of art. In a sense Screwed and Chopped as a genre allows songs to extend past their original conception in an eternal manner. Creating immortal tunes.
It isn’t too difficult to understand why Screwed and Chopped music has infiltrated other spheres of music aside from hip-hop. Recently much-acclaimed band, Teeth Mountain released a Chopped and Screwed live record. Live on Not Not Fun Records is an excellent composition of a Teeth Mountain Live set, slowed down.
All I’m trying to say is that Screwed and Chopped is the new blues guitar, it is too good to pass up, by anyone. Keep on seeking Kunst Screw or immortality.
Check out the Teeth Mountain Record or Some DJ Screw.
