One has to wonder how would the late great, DJ Screw feel about the spreading and thinning of the Houston Screw sound. After breakout stars like Drake and A$AP Rocky have obviously capitalized from the Houston Hip-Hop culture there has to be an underlying bittersweet feeling within the lone star state. Taking a look at the current tape from Houston bred rapper Kirko Bangz, The Progression, you can see that the Houston Screw sound could become a feature on a Katy Perry song very soon. It’s come a long way from Lil Troy’s “Wanna Be A Baller” and closer to Drake’s So Far Gone.

Houston Screw Culture, named after DJ Screw himself has been developing since the early 90’s and started reaching prominence globally around 2005. Local rappers would sell the mixes out of their trunks and Houston supported itself. Breakout artists from the Screwed up Click like Paul Wall, Lil Flip, Lil Keke and others were felt all over the globe. It’s practically popular culture. But what about outsiders flipping the sound? And what about the backlash Southern Hip-Hoppers used to receive when they traveled east? It seems like just yesterday when the east coast was calling southern rap music something other than rap and the late Pimp C decided that he would just call his take on the sound “Country Rap Tunes” instead.

UGK member, Bun B, has been a major ambassador for Houston’s Hip-Hop Culture. He’s also assisted in many burgeoning careers in Hip-Hop, by either gifting a verse or co-signing a movement. Both Drake and ASAP Rocky have benefited from his co-sign but how does the Houston Hip-Hop community react? The chopped and screwed effect has been used on almost every tape this year. Do they want their sound plastered all over pop tracks and made accessible to any artist?

Currently, we are living in a generation where rap has spread to each and every corner of the world and instead of embarking on new territories, the sound has began to clash and blend. A$AP Rocky seems humbled and pays homage to the southern roots where the style began. On the intro to his album, Palace, he raps, “Don’t remember as wanna be New Orleans nigga slash lean sippin’ tenessee nigga naw/ Influenced by Houston hear it in my music/ A trill nigga to the truest / Show you how to do this!” I’m guessing as long as someones paying homage to the forefathers there’s no harm, no foul.