10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

BYAngus Walker9.6K Views
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Here are 10 Houston classics to prep you for Houston Appreciation Weekend, as well as playlist to introduce you to the city's new talent.

Yesterday (May 19), Drake announced the schedule for the second annual OVO-run Houston Appreciation Weekend (HAW), which kicks off tomorrow (May 21) with a Bun B tribute event and ends Sunday (May 24) with a Drizzy/Future "Jungle" show and a Boosie Badazz after-party. 

Sounds like a helluva weekend, no doubt, but where are the Houston artists? Hopefully Bun will make a guest appearance on Thursday and, to be fair, Drake, Future, and Boosie have all taken their own influences from the city's storied hip-hop history. Perhaps we need a star like Drizzy to spread the necessary recognition but, still, you can't properly appreciate Houston without acquainting yourself with the likes of Scarface, Pimp C, Z-Ro, DJ Screw-- the list is endless.

We've provided you with 10 classic tracks to give you a brief insight into how H-Town changed the game and, to this day, remains one of the most important cities in hip-hop history. 

Next, listen to the official HNHH HAW playlist, which features Houston's still-thriving young scene, with newer faces like Kirko Bangz, Travi$ Scott, the Sauce Twinz, and Maxo Kream. For all Drizzy's efforts, we've also given him one track-- albeit one beautifully chopped (not slopped) screw-mix from the masterful OG Ron C.

Grab your styrofoam cup, and tell us your favorite Houston tracks in the comments. 


COVER

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

Geto Boys - "Mind Playing Tricks On Me" (1991)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

One of the greatest hip-hop tracks of all time from Scarface, Bushwick Bill & Willie D., the first hip-hop group to put the South on the map. 

We Can't Be Stopped 

UGK - "Diamonds & Wood" (1996)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

The inimitable duo of Bun B & Pimp C: Inventors of the Trill.

Ridin' Dirty

DJ Screw - Pimp Tha Pen (Lil Keke) (1996)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

3 N the Mornin' (Part Two)

For all intensive purposes, the progenitor of the chopped & screwed sound. When everyone else was speeding up, Screw slowed it down, giving H-Town the most singular sound on the map. 

Lil' Troy - "Wanna Be a Baller" (feat. Yungstar, Fat Pat, & Big T) (1998)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

Sittin' Fat Down South

H-Town found the rare sound that produced hustler anthems that make you wanna cry.

Scarface - "My Block" (2002)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

Aside from the Geto Boys, Scarface's solo work alone puts him in hip-hop's top-tier. One of the realest to ever do it. 

The Fix

Devin the Dude - "Doobie Ashtray" (2002)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

The Houston boys weren't afraid to sing on a record, never shying away from their eccentricities. 

Just Tryin' ta Live

Z-Ro - "I Hate You Bitch" (2004)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

Z-Ro is a criminally underrated Screwston legend who's still out there doin' it. Part of a generation that brought grown man music back to hip-hop. 

The Life of Joseph W. McVey 

Mike Jones - "Still Tippin" (feat. Paul Wall & Slim Thug) (2004)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

Swishahouse, founded by screw DJ OG Ron C, brought a darker, icy sound to Houston. Everyone was sizzurped up to hits from one of these three guys in the mid-aughts. 

Who Is Mike Jones? 

Chamillionaire - "Turn It Up" (feat. Lil Flip) (2005)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

Chamillionaire remains one of H-Town's most mainstream successes. He brought along OG Lil Flip to make this gem shine extra bright. 

The Sound of Revenge

UGK - "Int'l Players' Anthem" (feat. UGK) (2006)

10 H-Town Classics To Celebrate Houston Appreciation Weekend

The definitive Southern anthem. No one took fair notice of UGK's early work, but they stopped sleeping after this one. Unfortunately, Pimp C would pass away a year later. R.I.P. 

Underground Kingz

About The Author
<b>Feature &amp; News Contributor</b> Brooklyn via Toronto writer and music enthusiast. Angus writes reviews, features, and lists for HNHH. While hip-hop is his muse, Angus also puts in work at an experimental dance label. In the evenings, he winds down to dub techno and Donna Summer.
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