Houston

Thanks to DJ Screw's work, Houston is the city where the chopped and screwed genre was born. The neighborhoods of the Fifth Ward, Third Ward, and South Park are known as the birthplace of Houston rap. Houston exhibited a unique model for rappers where local distribution was the norm. Local rappers eschewed big record labels and instead kept creative control over their work. They could make a living from selling their music independently to local fans, sometimes even from the trunks of their cars. The Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.) was born in Houston, where DJ Screw jumpstarted many local rappers' careers by giving them features on mixtapes. The S.U.C., as well as other rap crews such as the South Park Coalition, represented the rap community of Houston against the backdrop of rivalries between different groups and localities. Shout-outs by DJ Screw and others on his mixtapes allowed rappers to represent places and neighborhoods. In his home in Houston, DJ Screw often invited Houston rappers as well as friends to freestyle over albums. Many were members of Screw's clique, such as Fat Pat and Big Pokey, frequenting his home to create tapes. This community reflected DJ Screw's close relationship with the city of Houston and different Houston neighborhoods. DJ Screw's work not only invented a new genre but also created a unique community of artists.