Hip Hop in Houston: The Origin and the Legacy

Maco L. Faniel

Jul 2013 · Arcadia Publishing

About this ebook

Rap-A-Lot Records, U.G.K. (Pimp C and Bun B), Paul Wall, Beyonce, Chamillionaire and Scarface are all names synonymous with contemporary hip-hop. And they have one thing in common: Houston. Long before the country came to know the chopped and screwed style of rap from the Bayou City in the late 1990s, hip-hop in Houston grew steadily and produced some of the most prolific independent artists in the industry. With early roots in jazz, blues, R&B and zydeco, Houston hip-hop evolved not only as a musical form but also as a cultural movement. Join Maco L. Faniel as he uncovers the early years of Houston hip-hop from the music to the culture it inspired.

About the author

Maco L. Faniel is a native Houstonian, scholar, writer and social justice advocate. He is a doctoral student in History at Rutgers University and recently completed studies to receive an M.A. in History at Texas Southern University. Prior to his life in academia, Maco worked in diversity/social justice and pedagogy. Steve Fournier is one of the pioneers of Houston's hip-hop culture. He was a DJ, manager and promoter for several Houston clubs, including the Rhinestone Wrangler which was one of the places that Nelson George called a system of support for hip-hop culture. Julie Grob is the coordinator of digital projects for the University of Houston Special Collections. The University of Houston is the home of the DJ Screw Archive and the Houston Hip-Hop Archive.