DJ SCREW

An ambitious love letter to one of Houston’s beloved mixtape kings.

Walker, a Texas native now based in New York and author of Houston Rap Tapes, gives us a definitive portrait of Robert Earl Davis Jr. (1971-2000), aka DJ Screw. Though the format might seem jarring at first, the narrative picks up as the rhythm and pace of the prose take over. With testimony from more than 100 people who knew DJ Screw well, the text offers an engaging, documentarylike conversation about his life and work. Screw began scratching up records at a very young age, and he became a breakaway sound alchemist after slowing down a recording of the 1985 Mantronix hit “Fresh Is the Word.” From there, his artistry and popularity skyrocketed, and he continued to develop singular styles and methods. “Screw took everybody’s favorite songs and ripped them wide open, tearing into the fabric of the original sound, decompressing, adding earth, adding sky, adding voice,” writes Walker. “People describe songs on Screw tapes as being more emo­tional. Maybe that was the point—to open up the music until it bleeds.” His mixtapes became some of the most sought-after music in the area; in one day, he could make up to $30,000 in tape sales. Eventually, Screw branched out into entrepreneurial ventures, including a record label and two stores. Although the testimony of others guides the book, during the useful transition sections, Walker’s authoritative voice returns. Screw’s friends credit his love of music with keeping him off the streets and out of trouble when he was young, but it couldn’t save him in the end. His inability to sleep, poor diet, and substance abuse issues led to his death at age 29. More than two decades after his death, however, Screw’s influence can still be heard and felt in Houston and beyond.

An insightful portrait sure to engage DJ Screw’s longtime fans and newcomers alike.