Altered Zones

The late, great DJ Screw's influence is undeniable; he invented the "chopped and screwed" style, helped popularize his native hip-hop scene, and built a legion of followers in the process. In an effort to preserve his contributions-- particularly important while his record store, Screwed Up Records & Tapes, faces an impending eviction-- the University of Houston has acquired his record collection. The DJ Screw Sound Recordings are a collection of 1,000+ vinyls owned by Screw, including a slew of rare, essential hip-hop releases. These treasures were generously donated to the U of H Libraries by DJ Screw's father, Robert Earl Davis Sr., and will be open for researchers' use in 2013 after the massive batch has been catalogued. Highlights of the collection will also be featured in the upcoming exhibit "DJ Screw and the Rise of Houston Hip-Hop" at U of H's M.D. Anderson Library from March 19 - Sept. 21, 2012. --Matt Sullivan, Altered Zones via Ozone Mag