Screwed Up Click

The Screwed Up Click (or S.U.C.) is an American hip hop collective based in Houston, Texas, that was led by DJ Screw. Its most notable members include DJ Screw, Big Hawk, Big Mello, Big Moe, Big Pokey, the Botany Boyz, E.S.G., Fat Pat, Lil' Flip, Lil' Keke, Mr. 3-2, Lil' O, and Z-Ro. In addition, Devin the Dude, K-Rino, Lil' Troy, South Park Mexican and UGK are considered to be "Screwed Up Affiliated". Many of the current and former SUC members come from the neighborhoods of South Park, 3rd Ward, Sunnyside, Cloverland, Hiram Clarke and South Acres.

History In the early 1990s, a new type of music began gaining popularity in Houston, collectively called "Chopped and screwed", which was pioneered by DJ Screw. The sound was created from a turntable technique in which Screw slowed down the tempo and torqued with parts of hip-hop anthems, giving them a new hypnotic & mesmerizing sound which he believed also made the lyrics easier to understand. DJ screw gave many credits of his music to Mari. In 1991, he began to release tapes, known as "Screw Tapes", on which he slowed down and manipulated records by popular artists and also prominently included freestyles by a group of friends and local rappers, who came to be known as the Screwed Up Click.

In 1994, Screw moved into a house in the eastern park of South Park, which soon came to be known as "The Screw House", where he could conduct his new business of selling tapes and recording freestyles with the group. These tapes quickly gained popularity in the area, allowing many of the group's members to launch successful solo careers. At some point the business became too much for the house, so the group relocated its operations to a store in Missouri City that became known as "The Screw Shop". After years of success that took its members to new heights, the S.U.C. found itself surrounded by tragedy when two of its members died, Fat Pat who was murdered and DJ Screw who overdosed from a lethal combination of codeine and other drugs. However, the group still continues to record new music with many of its members now focusing primarily on their solo careers. In later years, the group saw the deaths of other members including Big Hawk and Big Moe in 2006 and 2007 respectively, as well as the incarceration of others.

More recently in 2010, the S.U.C. had a reunion tour in 2010 which included Big Pokey, Lil' Keke, Lil' O and Z-Ro. In 2014, several members of the group appeared on the track "The Legendary DJ Screw" from Bun B's fourth studio album Trill OG: The Epilogue, including a posthumous verse from Big Hawk.

Original members This is a list of all of the original members of the Screwed Up Click.

Al-D Albert Driver, better known by his stage name Al-D, is a member of the Screwed Up Click. Though not biologically, he is commonly known as DJ Screw's brother. His first album release is "Home Of The Free" from 1995 and has released other projects since then. Current single via digital only release is Ballaz Featuring – E.S.G., Griddy Vocalz, Mo City Don. 2015 will see the release of his new album yet to be announced.

Big Hawk

John Edward Hawkins, better known as H.A.W.K. or Big Hawk was one of the founding members of the Screwed Up Click. He grew up on the dead end block of MLK with younger brother, Patrick "Fat Pat" Hawkins and two sisters. He started rapping in 1992 when Fat Pat took him to DJ Screw's house, an upcoming mixtape producer and DJ in the southern area of Houston. In 1994 Hawk, Fat Pat, DJ Screw, and Kay-K, collaborated to form the group D.E.A. and Dead End Records. In late 1998 D.E.A. released an original independent album entitled, “Screwed For Life”. In 1999 Hawk participated in a Southside Playaz compilation album titled You Got Us Fuxxed Up, with Mike D, Claydoe and other members of the S.U.C. Hawk released his solo album, Under Hawk's Wings on Dead End Records in 2000 and was featured on the Lil' Troy hit "Wanna Be A Baller". He also collaborated with Lil' O on the hit song, "Back Back". Next, he partnered with Game Face Records in 2002 and released his first album under his label Ghetto Dreams Ent., self-titled, HAWK. With the hit song, "U Already Know", the album charted the Billboard's list of top R&B and Rap Albums at #45. On May 1, 2006, Hawkins, 36, was shot to death outside of a home in Houston. Police were unable to find any witnesses that could provide information on a suspect or a motive for the shooting.

Big Moe

Kenneth Doniell Moore, better known as Big Moe, was known for a softer and slower style than other Houston rappers, including a mixture of rapping and singing that he called "rapsinging"Big Moe , Koch Records website as well as for his music that celebrated codeine-laced syrup as a recreational drug. As one of the founding members of the "Original Screwed Up Click," Big Moe started out in music by freestyling on DJ Screw mixtapes before being signed to Wreckshop Records.Peralta, Eyder. "Houston rappers remember Big Moe, dead at 33 ." Houston Chronicle. October 16, 2007. Retrieved on September 20, 2009. He would go on to release three albums with Wreckshop Records, City of Syrup in 2000, Purple World in 2002 and then Moe Life in 2003. Moe died on October 14, 2007, at 33 years old, after suffering a heart attack one week earlier that left him in a coma.DJs – Rapper Big Moe Dies , contactmusic.com, October 15, 2007 There was speculation that recreational codeine use in the form of Purple Drank may have contributed to his death.

Big Pokey

Milton Powell, better known as Big Pokey, was one of the original members of the Screwed Up Click. He joined up with DJ Screw in the early 1990s and started releasing songs on DJ Screw's many mixtapes. His first full-length album appeared in early 1999, "Hardest Pit in the Litter". The following year, Pokey returned with "D-Game" 2000, another album of mid-tempo 808-driven beats featuring several of his Houston peers as guests. In 2005 he was featured in a song which was #93 on US Top 100 with Paul Wall called Sittin' Sidewayz. He has since released many other albums and mixtapes. He collapsed on stage in Beaumont, TX on June 17, 2023 and was pronounced dead.

Botany Boyz

The Botany Boyz are the rap group which included rappers Big D-E-Z, B.G. Duke, B.G. Gator, C-Note, D-Red, Lil' 3rd, Pap-Pap and Will-Lean. One of the foremost contributors to the Houston screw scene, the group was part of the Screwed Up Click in the early to mid 1990s. The group name is a reference to Botany Lane in the Cloverland area of Houston where they resided. Their first album, Thought of Many Ways, was released on their own label, Big Shot Records, in 1997; its follow-up, Forever Botany, was released in 1999 and managed to crack the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop charts at #99 in 2000 as the Houston rap scene became more popular across the US. Since then, the members have concentrated more on solo projects, with C-Note being the most successful.[ Billboard], Allmusic.com Since the group's creation members Big D-E-Z, Lil 3rd, and Pap-Pap have left the group as well as member B.G. Gator, who committed suicide on Mother's Day a year after his mom died.

DJ Screw

Robert Earl Davis, Jr. also known as DJ Screw was a central figure in the Houston hip hop community and was the creator of the now-famous Chopped and Screwed DJ technique. This creation led to his nickname of "The Originator". During the early 1990s, he invited some of the Houston emcees from the city's south side to rhyme on those mixes.Flashing Back to the Heyday of DJ Screw . Houston Press. July 2009. He was also a member of the rap group Dead End Alliance. This eventually led to the formation of the Screwed Up Click. DJ Screw died on November 16, 2000 from a lethal combination of codeine and other drugs. Since his death, DJ Screw has had a considerable influence in the Houston scene, which is sometimes referred to as "Screwston" in his memory. His distinct musical stylings influenced countless rap acts. Alternative weekly The Houston Press named the 1995 album 3 'n the Mornin' (Part Two) as no. 13 on its list of the 25 best Houston rap albums of all time. The newspaper credited the release for the way it helped shape Houston's hip-hop culture.The H-Town Countdown, No. 13: DJ Screw's 3 N' Tha Mornin' Pt. 2 (Blue) . Houston Press. October 2009. The newspaper also referred to Chopped and Screwed music as the second most likely type of music to be associated with Texas, an example of DJ Screw's influence in the region.The Five Most Texan Types Of Music . Houston Press. April 2011.

E.S.G.

Cedric Dormaine Hill, better known by his stage name E.S.G. (which stands for Everyday Street Gangsta), is a rapper originally from Bogalusa, Louisiana.Birchmeier, Jason "E.S.G. Biography ", Allmusic, retrieved January 29, 2011 He helped to popularize the "chopped and screwed" style of rap music. His debut album Ocean of Funk was released in 1994 and he released albums regularly since then.

Fat Pat

Patrick Lamark Hawkins, better known by his stage name Fat Pat, was a member of Dead End Alliance with his brother John "Big Hawk" Hawkins, DJ Screw and Kay-K, all original members of the Screwed Up Click.Simmonds, Jeremy (2008) The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches, Chicago Review Press, , p. 575Newton, Michael (2009) The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, Facts On File Inc, , p. 160 He released two albums with Wreckshop Records in 1998, Ghetto Dreams and Throwed In Da Game, On February 3, 1998, Hawkins was fatally shot in Houston, TX, after going to a promoter's apartment to collect an appearance fee. Eight years later, his brother rapper Big Hawk was also shot to death.

Kay-K Kay-K also known as Shakey Red was an original member of the Screwed Up Click and a founding member of the Dead End Alliance, which also included DJ Screw, Fat Pat, & Big Hawk.

Ronnie Spencer Ronnie Spencer is well known for singing the hook for UGK hit single "ONE DAY" featuring 3-2, along with other classic hits with Big Moe, Big Pokey, ESG, Botany Boyz & more...

Lil' Keke

Marcus Lakee Edwards, better known by his stage name Lil' Keke, is an original member of the Southern hip hop collective Screwed Up Click. Lil' Keke gained national underground love with his track "Southside" from his 1997 release "Don't Mess Wit Texas". In 2005, Lil' Keke signed to Swishahouse Records. In an interview with HitQuarters at the time, label president and A&R T. Farris said, "He is a legend here in Houston. He plays a big role in the whole style of rap that we make down here."

Lil' O

Ore Magnus Lawson, better known by his stage name Lil' O, was born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Southwest Houston, Texas. He is an original member of Screwed Up Click. He is known for his short stature, being 5 feet tall, from which he earned the nickname "Da Fat Rat Wit Da Cheeze". While studying at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans in 1997, he recorded “Can’t Stop”, which featured vocal contributions from the ladies that would go on to earn renown as Destiny's Child. The track soon became Lil’ O's debut single and went on to score an instant local hit. In 1999, he signed with the Houston-based indie label Game Face Entertainment, from which he released his debut album, Blood Money, which went on to sell 20,000 copies. In 2001, his album Da Fat Rat Wit Da Cheeze sold over 75,000. He collaborated with Big Hawk on the hit single "Back Back", which led to a nationwide deal with Atlantic Records, which he later left in 2003.

Mike D