C-Note - Screw Story

Houston's C-Note of the Botany Boys recounts the story of DJ Screw and the SUC...

Texas Rapps Producer Showcase: Mike Dean

Houston's Mike Dean started as an in-house studio engineer for Rap-A-Lot Records, lending a hand to the production of albums by the Odd Squad, Big Mike, and Scarface. Collaborating with other producers including Rob Quest, N.O. Joe, and Tone Capone, Mike Dean asserted his funky guitar licks and ominous synths to the point of branding his own distinctive sound. Whether heard on albums by the Bay Area's Seagram and 3X Krazy, or by Houston's Devin the Dude and Z-Ro, a Mike Dean production restores the quality of old school recording sensibilities, enough that he would later be recruited to become Kanye West's right hand man...   

Texas Rapps Producer Showcase: Pimp C

Little did we realize that all those shouts of "Free Pimp C" would be taken so literally. Lost to the ether, the production genius of UGK fame left prison and went right ahead and escaped this entire worldy reality while he was at it. Along the way, Pimp C dropped gemstones amongst coal deposits, making even the most negative situations sparkle with regal authority. Outside of Texas, it's hard to explain just how profound an impact one man could make upon a regional culture. And if folks are still having a hard time recognizing the brilliance of DJ Screw, then Pimp C poses an even greater gulf to traverse. Best place to start though when it comes to understanding the enigma of Pimp C is with his illustrious production output.... 

Texas Rapps Producer Showcase: Carnival Beats

Emerging out of Austin/Luling, Salih Williams of Carnival Beats got his start in rap production by hooking up with Houston's Big Moe for work on his City of Syrup and Purple World albums. After collaborations with the Wreckshop Family and Freestyle Kingz, Salih broke through even further with the outright explosion of "Still Tippin'" by Mike Jones circa 2004. While his borther Tomar scored a minor hit of his own by way of Trae's "Losing Composure", Salih maintained a consistent string of nationwide bangers, including "Back Then" by Mike Jones, "Sittin' Sidewayz" by Paul Wall, and "Draped Up" by Bun B...

Texas Rapps Producer Showcase: Mr. Lee

Originally from Pinesville, Louisiana, Mr. Lee moved to Houston in 1995 and has been producing classic rap tracks ever since. Mr. Lee's big break-through came in 1998 by way of Scarface's "Sex Faces", leading to future placements as lofty and wide-ranging as on albums by 2Pac and Mary J. Blige. But Mr. Lee's bread and butter has primarily been alongside Houston artists. Within the realm of Third Coast rap, it really doesn't get any larger than Bun B's "Get Throwed", a song that will forever put Texas clubs in fits. As Houston rap spiked in popularity during the mid-2000's, it was Mr. Lee most often behind the board on hits by the likes Slim Thug, Trae, Paul Wall, and Z-Ro...   

DJ Rapid Ric - Whut It Dew

DJ Rapid Ric's Whut It Dew album has been about 6 years in the making. And finally, as of this week, the Mixtape Mechanic has supplied us with an offical album release. The following song, "All About My Change", is something of a dream match-up for me, with Z-Ro and Gerald G providing verses and Chamillionaire singing the hook. Well worth the wait, I must say...

Texas Rapps Flashback: O.G. Style

Houston's O.G. Style came through in 1991 with an impressive album titled I Know How to Play 'Em on Rap-A-Lot. Since then, both members of the group, Eric "O.G. Style" Woods and DJ Big Boss have passed on in tragic fashion, a trend that has been all too common within the history of Texas rap... 

K-Rino - Who Is This? video

K-Rino pretty much presides as the father of Houston rap. Forming the South Park Coalition back in 1986, K-Rino has spent 25 years showing us exactly how to never ever sell out for anything. Uncompromising with his disdain for racist industries and repressive societal structures, K-Rino remains an important voice of reason within a sea of irresponsible whimsy. K-Rino's current album Alien Baby of course sports the same straight-faced resolve that we've come to expect from such a fatherly legend...   

KB da Kidnappa - Flatline video

Houston's KB da Kidnappa of Street Military and South Park Coalition brings the pain like a true OG...

Texas Rapps Flashback: 3-2

Houston's 3-2 got his start on Rap-A-Lot as a member of the Convicts with Big Mike. From there, he moved on to join another Rap-A-Lot group, the Blac Monks. All the while maintaining an affiliation with the Screwed Up Click, 3-2 released what's known in Texas as a classic solo album titled Wicked Buddha Baby in 1996...

Texas Rapps Flashback: Geto Boys St. Ides commercial

Back in the early '90's when it was a daily ritual to watch Rap City in the afternoons on BET, St. Ides Malt Liquor was cranking out the best rap-related commercials there have ever been. Ice Cube, King Tee, MC Eiht, Cypress Hill, EPMD, Eric B & Rakim, Biggie, and the Wu Tang Clan, among plenty of others, all produced cool little St. Ides promos that would air quite regularly. Then of course, you know that Houston's Geto Boys had to get up in the mix as well, with no less than Ice Cube lending them an intro... 

Killa Cal Wayne - I'm On video

Houston's Killa Cal Wayne has been grabbing all sorts of attention as of late on the rugged streets of the 3rd Ward tip...

Texas Rapps Flashback: C-Lo

Fort Worth's C-Lo utilized an affiliation with Pony J of San Antonio's P.K.O. to drop his 817 Most Wanted album in 1993...

Texas Rapps Flashback: P.K.O.

San Antonio's P.K.O. were one of those Texas rap groups from the early '90's that never strayed too far from the gangsta rap blueprint formulated by such West Coast artists as Too $hort and Above the Law. "Old School" is taken from their 1994 album titled Tha Good, Tha Bad, Tha Mafia...   

Texas Rapps Flashback: Lil Black & CKC

In 1996, Elgin's Lil Black teamed up with CKC aka Ciller Klan Click for an album titled Dark Territory. Often this project gets credited as coming from Austin, and that's at least somewhat true in that it was recorded at DJ Cassanova's studio within city limits. Either way, as evidenced by "Droppin' Bombs", it's some slow, plodding classic Texas gangsta rap at its grittiest... 

Texas Rapps Flashback: Gena Cide

Fort Worth's Gena Cide featured rappers Six 2 and El-Dog embracing their Texas environment with a distinctive country twang, as exemplified by their 1995 single "Da Citi". Through an affiliation with legendary Dallas rapper The D.O.C., Six 2 aka Six Deuce would go on to make appearances on Dr. Dre's The Chronic 2001 album...

Money Waters, Limp Legg & Kabaal - Gotta Gar video

Money Waters of Dallas is probably the Texas rap artist I most wish had a dozen albums instead of just a couple... 

Texas Rapps Flashback - Paul Wall & Chamillionaire

In 2002, Houston's Paul Wall and Chamillionaire came right out the box with a classic album titled Get Ya Mind Correct. Repping for the Northside's Swishahouse, the duo instantly became regulars to the Texas rap circuit... 

Crew 54 & CientifiQ - For the People video

It certainly helps when a group can produce its own quality videos. And Crew 54 does just that, as well as making quality videos for a grip of other artists. With "For the People", Killeen's Mos and G-Christ of Crew 54 again are joined by CientifiQ for a liesurely stroll through Austin during the bustle of SXSW... 

Killa Kyleon - Make It Rain video

Houston's Killa Kyleon hits us with another cut from his Candy Paint N Texas Plates mixtape...

Texas Rapps Flashback: Guerilla Maab

In 1999, Houston's Guerilla Maab dropped their debut album titled Rise. Featuring the formidable trio of Z-Ro, Trae, and Dougie D manning the microphones, Guerilla Maab left quite a lasting impression that still resonantes to this day... 

Texas Rapps Flashback: KB & Lil Flea of Street Military

There are many rappers in Texas right now that swear by albums by KB da Kidnappa and Lil Flea of Street Military as their foremost inspiration...

Chris Ward - Drillin' Em video

Houston's Chris Ward of the Screwed Up Click and Boss Hogg Outlawz gets loose on the straight up lyrical tip...

Texas Rapps Flashback: Classic Verses from the Crowd

Lil Keke's "Pimp the Pen" and Z-Ro's "Mo City Don", as recited by rabid fans in Houston...

Texas Rapps Flashback: Yungstar's Knocking Pictures Off da Wall

Houston's Yungstar has his name attached to a pair of extremely classic Texas rap songs, one being Lil Troy's "Wanna Be a Baller" from '99 and the other being his own "Knocking Pictures Off da Wall" from 2000...

Texas Rapps Flashback: Trae like Teen Spirit

It's been 17 years today since Nirvana's Kurt Cobain took his own life with a shotgun. Houston's Trae the Truth paid homage a few years back by sampling "Smeels like Teen Spirit" for a promo dvd for his then-forthcoming Life Goes On album...

Trouble, TJ Magurt & Skatter - Fast Lane video

Some standard issue outta Port Arthur...

Big Sid & Killer Mike - See You Later video

San Angelo's Big Sid teams up with Atlanta's Killer Mike for a video filmed here in Austin during SXSW...

Burro Magic and Blaxsmith - Rollin' Supreme video

Austin's Burro Magic and Blaxsmith, collectively known as La Forge, with their heads in the clouds...

Moodie B & Mr. CJ - Look at Us Now video

Yet another quality video by NVision Films, this time by Moodie B and Mr. CJ, out of Cedar Park and Dove Springs respectively, aka Austin...

Texas Rapps Flashback: Tee Double on Goodvibe

Austin's Tee Double to this day remains an active rapper/producer, having just recently released something like his 457th album The Soul Traveling Experience. Back in 1999, Goodvibe Records out of Los Angeles latched themselves to Tee Double's upstart Kinetic Recordings, releasing both Tee's Lost Scriptures EP as well as the L.I.A.R. EP by Tee's then-business partner Mirage...     

Mirage & Young Nick - 30 Days (Choices)

While Mirage hails from the 2-3 section of Austin, Young Nick spent his formative years running around Dove Springs. Together as members of the Guud, the complementary pair put their best feet forward on the soulful tip...

VIP - We VIP screwed and chopped

Longtime veterans of the rap game, K-Paul and Pimpin Pen of Austin's VIP have withstood prison stints and financial set-backs to remain a duo on the come-up. Taken from their Russian Roulette mixtape series, "We VIP" gets the screwed and chopped treatment from DJ Me...