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How DJ Screw changed Houston — and the world

Robert Earle Davis Jr., widely known as DJ Screw, changed rap and hip-hop forever with his dual techniques known as “chopped and screwed.”

Although he passed away 26 years ago, at the age of 29, the mark he left on music production can be heard across genres from rap to pop and dance music to this day.

Yet until this year, it wasn’t easy to find much of Screw’s original work on streaming platforms.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with author Lance Scott Walker, whose 2022 biography tells the tale of DJ Screw’s transformation from a country boy in Texas to one of Houston’s most beloved music icons.

Listen to “DJ Screw Originals (Volumes 1-4)” on Apple Music and Spotify.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom
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