Oh how I love insinuations of carpetbaggeurry...
HarveyCanal
"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
This time by the one K-Rino in reference to this article...Tour the Spots that Define Houston's Rap SceneBy MICHAEL D. CLARK Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Houston rap has taken the title from New York and Los Angeles as the city of choice for a new hip-hop generation. The multiplatinum success of Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug and others has made local slang ??? like slab (for a car), swangers (tricked out rims) and references to Houston as the Third Coast ??? common hip-hop vernacular nationally. Led by the city's two royal houses of street poetry, Swishahouse and Rap-A-Lot, the totems that come together to create Houston's deep and talented scene dot city streets from the Fifth Ward to TC Jester. It's in stores where Mike Jones sells his signature sneakers. And the jewelry shack where diamond-encrusted gold grilles are made. Here's a tour of the places where hip-hop happens, from pioneers the Geto Boys to up-and-comers like Z-Ro and Lil' Keke. The spot: End Zone Fashion Location: 5910 Scott, Suite A Cl aim to fame: A favorite urban-style spot for rappers like Mike Jones and Slim Thug. Why it's smokin': From Rocawear to Miskeen, this shop has it all as well as the Ed Hardy hats and Fendi handbags. It's a fashion must. Info: 713-747-9663 The spot: Screwed Up Records & Tapes Location: 7717 Cullen Claim to fame: From the last album from Trae's his ABN crew, Restless, to Z-Ro's Still Living, and all the Rap-A-Lot and Swishahouse rhymesmiths in between, it can all be found at Screwed Up Records & Tapes. This shop has both mainstream releases and underground albums that fans elsewhere in the country have only heard about. Why it's smokin': It's where the spirit of DJ Screw, Houston's most famous DJ, lives on. As the slogan on its Web site says, "DJ Screw started, created, and pioneered the art of screw music." Robert Earl David, aka DJ Screw, died of an accidental overdose of codeine in the bathroom of his recording studio Nov. 16, 2000, at age 29. The turntable innovator's method of "screwing" a song ??? remixing it in a slowed-down version to work as an audio hallucinogenic ??? was adopted by Houston's hip-hop inner circle and is still widely used. Info: 713-731-0747 or screwedupheadquarters.com/srt.cfm The spot: Rap-A-Lot Records Location: 2141 W. Governor's Circle Claim to fame: Founded by James Smith 20 years ago, Rap-A-Lot was a hub for the then-burgeoning gangsta'-rap movement and was the record label home to the H-Town OGs, the Geto Boys. Why it's smokin': Rap-A-Lot keeps a roster of hard-hitting, quick-tongued street poets including Z-Ro, Trae, Bun B, Pimp C and Devin the Dude. Any one of these guys could be the next Houston artist to go national. Info: www.rapalotrecords.com, call 1-800-861-7272 or e-mail [email]info@rapalotrecords.com[/email] The spot: TV Jewelry Location: Sharpstown Mall, 7500 Bellaire Claim to fame: Some call it high fashion, others call it an invitation to tooth decay, but there is no doubt that diamond-encrusted grilles worn by rappers like Paul Wall and Nelly were popularized here. Wall and Johnny Dang, jeweler to hip-hop's elite, own the joint. The shop is little more than a countertop, but with grilles costing upward of $10K and watches for triple that, it's one expensive counter. Why it's smokin': "Who is that Johnny guy in all the pictures?" asked one Web surfer at an Ozone Magazine photo gallery from the NBA All-Star Weekend earlier this year. Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri and David Banner knew who Dang was. And they all stopped at the bling bazaar. Info: 832-661-5664, www.tvjewelry.net The spot: Club H-Town Location: 9371 Richmond Claim to fame: Over the past week Club H-Town has been graced with appearances by Slim Thug and Bun B. This isn't the first time Houston's rapping elite have ducked into the club that bears the city's hip-hop handle. Why it's smokin': Owning the keys to a hot hip-hop club in Houston is a bit like being a snowball in the same venue ??? it isn't going to last long, so enjoy it now. Club H-Town seems to be the nightclub host du jour for rappers who come home for downtime after being on the road or in the studio. The spot: South Acres/Crestmont Park Location: Between Cullen and Martin Luther King Boulevard, stretching all the way to Sims Bayou in Southeast Houston Claim to fame: On Nov. 9, 1970, South Acres welcomed a newborn named Bradley Jordan. Less than two decades later, Jordan was known everywhere as the rapper Scarface and this neighborhood of single-family, post-war housing became the Geto Boys' hood. Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill made these streets famous in early '90s hits like Mind Playing Tricks on Me and Six Feet Deep. Why it's smokin': For better or worse, violence and histrionics defined the very dramatic Geto Boys' gangsta'-rap heyday and became associated with South Acres. Info: virginrecords.com/geto_boys/home.html The spot: Swishahouse Records Location: 5170 Aldine Mail Route Claim to fame: The friendly crosstown rival of Rap-A-Lot. Paul Wall and Mike Jones have remained loyal to this local independent label, no matter how many times they've gone platinum. Why it's smokin': "Get money, stay true." That is the phrase that flashes across the screen at Swishahouse.biz. For the last 14 years, owner DJ Michael "5000" Watts has done a lot of both. Watts' collection of artists has helped spread the Swishahouse name across the country via their CDs. Slim Thug and Chamillionaire also gained momentum at Swishahouse, but both have since broken away. Info: swishahouse.com The spot: Harris County Criminal Justice Center Location: 1201 Franklin Claim to fame: Carlos Coy, known as South Park Mexican, was Houston's most famous Latino rapper before District Judge Mark Kent Ellis sentenced him to 45 years in prison after he was convicted of child molestation in May 2002. Supporters protested on the court building's steps for both his conviction and lengthy prison term. Now Coy is known as inmate 1110642 at Powledge Unit State Prison in Palestine. Before his conviction, the rapper had sold more than 1 million albums through his own label, Dope House Records. Why it's smokin': I'm not sure if a courtroom or prison is ever smokin', but SPM is making the most of his time in a facility that focuses on agriculture, metal shop and extended academic opportunities. According to his MySpace page, he has a new album, When Devils Strike, released this week. In addition to a front cover shot of SPM in his prison-issued uniform, the album details his experiences since being incarcerated. Info: myspace.com/spmdopehouserecords or dopehouserecords.com The spot: Paradise South Cemetery Location: 16001 Cullen in Pearland Claim to fame: The final resting place of rapper James Edward "Big Hawk" Hawkins, who was shot and killed May 1. Why it deserves respect: Even with a minor hit album in 2001, Big Hawk isn't well known outside Houston rap circles. In this city, innovators like Bun B and second-generation superstars like Paul Wall and the Grit Boys learned from him and admired his flow. They considered the peaceful Hawkins both a mentor and big brother. When Hawk was killed outside a friend's home, an unsolved crime, it marked the second tragedy in his family. Three years earlier his brother "Fat" Pat Hawkins was also shot and killed. Info: 281-445-1201 The spot: Truxillo Food Mart Location: 3247 Truxillo Claim to fame: The most noticeable landmark dotting
the background of Mike Jones' 2005 video for Still Tippin'. Why it's smokin': The song that teamed Jones with Paul Wall and Slim Thug marked the first time these Houston rap all-stars collaborated on a song that became a hit single from coast to coast.
the background of Mike Jones' 2005 video for Still Tippin'. Why it's smokin': The song that teamed Jones with Paul Wall and Slim Thug marked the first time these Houston rap all-stars collaborated on a song that became a hit single from coast to coast.
im insulted for real... who is michael clark? i need to have a talk with this cat and teach him some houston hip hop history.this is the type of stuff that makes me write diss songs...no mention of the spc or street military at all.no mention of the real foundation of houston rap which was kids jam 90.9 back in the 80's on saturday mornings,no mention of damage control who carries that torch now,no mention of the other independent labels like bigtyme,beat box etc.no mention of the legendary clubs like the rhinestone wrangler,boomerang etc where alot of the houston legends started out,no mention of the battleground on mlk and bellfort where some of the greatest rap battles in the city took place on that street corner.no mention of m.c. wickett crickett,jazzy red and others who started the game out here.i dont know how much research he did but it wasnt enough.this is another example of these "diamond drunk" bastards are trying to write the underground out of history,a history that we helped build.i wont even begin to mentionthe inaccuracies in this write up cause i saw many.
Comments