Invented by DJ Screw in the 90s, and popularised by him and his collective, the Screwed Up Click (S.U.C). Put very basically, Chopped and Screwed music has two main sonic elements: the Chopped bit, whereby some parts of a song are repeated - a line or phrase usually - and the Screwed bit, which is slowed down. This in turn changes the sound of the artists voice. Chopped and Screwed rap is a key part of Houston hip-hop, and the subculture, DJ Screw, and the sound he invented is a strong source of pride in many Houstonians and Texans today. As part of this, despite the genre typically being known as Chopped and Screwed, it's best not to refer to a song or project as being Chopped and Screwed, unless it was actually worked on by DJ Screw. Rather, albums with this technique applied are sometimes called Chopped and Slowed, or Chopped not Slopped, or something else. Though most famous in the context of Houston, Texan and Southern rap more generally, this technique can be applied not only to hip-hop, but also to R&B, pop and other genres.
The most important project, from a historical point of view, is likely 'June 27th', a 37 minute legendary freestyle helmed by DJ Screw and rapped by members of the S.U.C. The album 3 'N The Mornin' Part Two was also a key project by DJ Screw and the S.U.C, and is often considered one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop albums of all time. Despite DJ Screw's tragic passing in 2000, at only 29, his incredible work ethic was such that he made hundreds of mixtapes, with some still being released. The S.U.C also released many projects, with key members include Fat Pat and his brother Big Hawk, who were both murdered in 1998 and 2006 respectively. Other notable members include Z-Ro, E.S.G and Lil' Keke.
The Chopped and Screwed genre has gone on to exert influence on various areas of hip-hop that you've probably listened to. Trap, Cloud rap, Psychedelic rap, the Slowed + Reverb sound, and others. But what about albums and mixtapes that have been fully Chopped and Slowed today? There are many albums that have received a Chopped and Slowed version from various DJs, some officially released with the original artist, which appear on streaming platforms. Big albums like this include Metro Boomin's Heroes and Villains (2022) and Don Toliver's Heaven Or Hell (2020).
But most Chopped and Slowed albums don't receive this treatment. The Chopstars, who did both of those two albums, release lots of Chopped and Slowed versions of albums and mixtapes on AudioMack here (good luck with navigating the website and app! Though the app is a little better). They do non hip-hop albums also: at the time of writing this, they recently did a Chopped not Slopped version of Olivia Dean's 2025 album The Art of Loving, a Neo-soul/R&B/Pop record. Other than them, there are individual DJs who do the same, like DJ Tramaine713, on a range of platforms. Sometimes on individual websites, YouTube, AudioMack, or other platforms. Each DJ has their own style of approaching a record: some mix up the order of the songs intentionally, and some make it so that each song blends into the next naturally. There are other differences: I recommend experimenting!
Chopped and Screwed is a really special genre, and a unique subculture: I like listening to the standard version of an album/mixtape, maybe during the day, then listen to the Chopped and Slowed version, perhaps at night, and ideally in one sitting. It suits a late night vibe well, with speakers with a solid bass. I think listening to an album normally, then the Chopped and Slowed version, allows one to appreciate the differences in tempo and which lines are repeated more than just listening to the Chopped and Slowed version. But it's up to you!
Finally, returning to my blog, the 'Screwed' in this blog’s name is a tribute to the legacy of DJ Screw and the genre he pioneered, but a song isn't Screwed if it wasn't by the Originator. Labelling the music with the precision it deserves, I therefore use ‘chopped and slowed’ to describe a particular song or album, reserving the term ‘Screwed’ for DJ Screw’s original work. But the genre as a whole is typically referred to as 'Chopped and Screwed' which I will still use to refer to the genre and subculture.
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