Music <\/p>\n
\n\tDJ Screw<\/a>\u2018s impact on Hip-Hop is larger than a longhorn grazing in the Texas sun. Born Robert Earl Davis Jr., the Houston native\u2019s homegrown sound has transcended the city\u2019s wards to gain international fame. Remnants of its syrupy, chopped-and-screwed grooves are found in some of the genre\u2019s biggest hits of today.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tMegastars like Drake, Travis Scott, and A$AP Rocky have helped introduce DJ Screw<\/a> and the Screwed Up Click<\/a> to a global audience and built on a legacy set in motion by the late deejay and producer in the \u201890s.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWhile much of the music by the artists he\u2019s influenced is widely accessible, Screw\u2019s own catalog has remained just short of mythical to most rap fans. Official releases have been absent on digital streaming platforms (DSPs), and physical copies of his classic Screw Tapes have been far and few in between.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThat is, until Michelle \u201cRed\u201d Wheeler, DJ Screw\u2019s sister and head of his estate, and her team embarked on the mission to finally make his music available on DSPs. That mission, which she says began in mid-2025, was completed this past Friday (May 29), when Wheeler and the estate released DJ Screw Originals (Volume 1)<\/em>, a compilation album composed of material from across Screw\u2019s catalog.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tDistributed through Hitmaker Music Group and curated by Derrick \u201cD-Reck\u201d Dixon and Vincent \u201cSWAC\u201d Wheatley, DJ Screw Originals (Volume 1)<\/em> includes Fat Pat, Lil Keke, The Click, ESG, Stick1, Z-Ro, and more, as well as tracks from the classic Screw Tapes Straight Wreckin<\/em>, New 2000<\/em>, and Same Old Shit \u201905<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe went through 20 tapes and picked half freestyles and half songs,\u201d SWAC, A&R of DJ Screw Originals<\/em>, tells VIBE. \u201cWe started with the instrumental just to set the mood with DJ Screw on the turntables, then went into a classic freestyle with the captains of the team, Fat Pat and Lil Keke. Then, we wanted to pick some rider music to throw in there to make it a solid rider playlist, something that we like to do in Houston. We like to put on music and ride around the city under the city lights to catch a vibe and feel the music. That\u2019s what we were going for on the projects.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWith four more volumes in the DJ Screw Originals series dropping this month and plans for more from Screw\u2019s vault of over 200 mixtapes, Wheeler says the timing couldn\u2019t be more perfect to bring Screw\u2019s music to the public<\/a>. \u201cI remember him coming to me and telling me, \u2018Just sit back. When it\u2019s your time to shine, you will know it. I\u2019m going to let you know when it\u2019s your time to shine,\u2019\u201d she recalls when describing the supernatural encounter.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI sat back for a long time and kept a lot of things to myself. I\u2019ve been mourning my brother for a very long time. I really appreciate everybody. Don\u2019t take life and people for granted because you never know what will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVIBE spoke with Wheeler about the process of bringing DJ Screw\u2019s music to DSPs, her quest to honor and further his legacy, a forthcoming documentary about his life, and what his estate has planned for the future.<\/p>\n \n\tVIBE: What inspired the move to make Screw\u2019s music available on streaming platforms, and when did that process start?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tMichelle \u201cRed\u201d Wheeler<\/strong>: It\u2019s been an ongoing process. It\u2019s something that we\u2019ve been wanting to do for a long time, but it was just finding and getting with the right people. Derrick Dixon of Wreck Shop was the one who initially said, \u201cLet\u2019s start the process to get this going,\u201d and we were finally able to start.<\/p>\n \n\tThe feedback is amazingly good from people who have learned that this has happened, so that\u2019s another plus that we are able to do this. You\u2019re able to listen to it, and just get on any app that has it. Where you can be like, \u201cI want to listen to this,\u201d or \u201cI want to listen to this song.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWere there any roadblocks or obstacles?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tNo, none. It was smooth. I laugh because when the process had just really started, all the legal stuff was in place, and everything was done. The next thing I know, here\u2019s the cover. I said, \u201cIt\u2019s going to be released on the 29th? Wait, what?\u201d It was just fast and smooth.<\/p>\n \n\tThe feedback was beautiful once we dropped the press conference and once we put everything in place. It was just a really smooth roll-out. Excited people, different platforms pushing it, and people had already started listening to it. You just got a bunch of positive feedback to be able to listen to Screw that way, and for me, that\u2019s a beautiful thing. And I know it\u2019s a beautiful thing for him as well.<\/p>\n \n\tYou mentioned earlier that Hitmaker Music Group was the right distribution partner?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tWell, they had the ambition. They had a goal. They had said, \u201cWe\u2019re going to get it done. It can be done.\u201d That was kind of like the obstacles of \u201cWe don\u2019t think we can get this done.\u201d They were willing to fight to do whatever it took to make it happen, and it happened.<\/p>\n \n\tWhen you have a group of people that are after the same goal and want to see the legacy of Screw or anybody, we can make this happen. That\u2019s what Hitmaker did.<\/p>\n \n\tWithout them, D-Reck, and SWAC, it just wouldn\u2019t have [happened]. They were on it; they made sure all the ducks were in a row, they made sure everything was set up, they made sure this wasn\u2019t going to happen, they made sure that wasn\u2019t going to happen. They had the ambition, they had it all.<\/p>\n \n\tHow much unreleased music from DJ Screw is in the vault?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019m sure it\u2019s a lot.<\/p>\n \n\tDJ Screw and Screw Up Click have inspired numerous rap stars. How does it feel to still see his music embraced by the new generation of fans?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s an amazing feeling. To sit back and think 30 years ago, that you had this little skinny kid who had a dream. To think that almost 26 years after his passing, the dream he started is just bigger. Our cousin Big Bubba, he still has a Screw Shop going. He does amazing things when it comes to Screw. You have other people who do amazing things when it comes to Screw, and they just pay homage to the family.<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s amazing to see. You would think he was still here. Just because of the volume of people still chanting his name. People are still vibing with him, no matter what.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat are your future plans for the estate?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI have so many amazing projects that are coming out. Everyone knows that we do the Houston Astros [merchandise] drop<\/a> every year on June 27th. I have now partnered with the Houston Texans to do a drop with them.<\/p>\n \n\tWe\u2019re going to continue on with this music. Putting it out everywhere so people can stream, listen, and vibe to it. I can\u2019t even tell you what the future holds for me in this estate and everything that\u2019s planned. We\u2019re at a point where we have a documentary we\u2019re working on that we hope will turn into a movie on Screw. There are a lot of things I want to see happen for him and in his honor. I have a lot of irons in the fire right now.<\/p>\n \n\tI just want to thank everybody who has kept up with, been a part of, or contributed to any project I have done, because those things mean a lot to my family and me. This is how I take care of my family. With every merch drop, with every little thing that I do or that people see me do.<\/p>\n \n\tYou mentioned a partnership with the Houston Texans. Can you speak on that a little more?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tYeah, it\u2019s a clothing line drop with the Texans. I tell everybody my goal is to have some type of drop with each individual Houston team in honor of Screw or anyone. It\u2019s for fans to get jerseys, hats, t-shirts, and the like in honor of Screw. So, nobody should miss out on June 27th and June 28th.<\/p>\n \n\tYou mentioned that a documentary is in the works. Can you speak about any details?<\/strong><\/p>\n