"I am Houston, Rep it Hard"

I'll be the first to admit, I didn't really know Beyonce was from Houston, Texas. Matter of fact, other than Kirko Bangz, there really hasn't been an R&B artist that has repped H-town and participated in the screwed and chopped movement. That all changed today when Houston as a collective came together to support Beyonce's new one off her upcoming Mrs. Carter album. Check the fan made video below for the original version of the track that will be on the album...

I Been On is proof that no matter who you are, you can embody the tough "Houston" sound with a little screwed/chopped treatment. I never thought I'd say the words, "man that new Bey track is tough!", but today that happened thanks to help from Houston All-Stars Bun B, Z-Ro, Willie D of Geto Boys, Slim Thugga, and Lil Keke. Oh and in case you missed it, Beyonce is about to begin touring the globe, so there's a good chance she'll be coming somewhere near you...#IBeenOn

Beyonce Ft. Bun B, Z-Ro, Scarface, Willie D, Slim Thug, Lil Keke – “I Been On (Remix) (prod by Hit Boy)

"I'm From Houston, Texas, Home of the Texans"

It's become a necessity these days for every pro team or city to have a Hip Hop anthem. Houston...it's your turn, STAND UP! From the minute I caught wind of this track, I knew it would be on point. You can't bring together three of Houston's finest rappers, name the track Houston and have it fall through. When you're reppin' a whole city and shouting out all of the Texans on the track, you better be bringing the heat.

Thanks to the Fox Sports theme song sample put together by Houston's own GL Productions, the track has an instant element of familiarity. Everyone watches the NFL, so everyone will dig the sample. Most people may not know all the player shouts outs, but @slimthugga, @chamillionaire and @PAULWALLBABY go as far as to shout out @briancushing56, @jjwatt, @ArianFoster, @johnson80...even Mario Williams gets some love. It's loud, perfect for an NFL stadium and why not make a track the year that Peyton Manning gets hurt and gift wraps the division title to you? Too bad now have Jake Delhomme guiding the ship through the playoffs. You can only go so far without a good QB...#HoustonInTrouble

Slim Thug feat Paul Wall & Chamillionaire - Houston(prod by GL Productions)

"I Represent tha State of Texas, Everythang is Slow"

I'll be the first to admit, if you were to meet me in person and were strictly judging me on first impression, you wouldn't be like "Man he looks like someone who would love Hip Hop." I'm fully aware that I don't fit the stereotype, but I don't really give a shit because Hip Hop has always been a type of music I've been able to relate to and draw inspiration from. It's the reason I'm writing down what I'm thinking right now and sharing with you tracks that move me and provoke me to pen my thoughts so that maybe you'll feel the same way when you hear it.

Like, for example, the track below, where @TRAEABN gave me a not so subtle reminder of how I became such an avid listener (big difference from being a fan) of Hip Hop. There's somethin' about the slow, loud, heavy, screwed up sound of Texas Hip Hop that has always appealed to me. Robert Davis has always been, in my eyes, the king of the south, producing a sound unlike anything Hip Hop had previously heard. It S.U.C.s that the best artists that have come out of Texas fell in love with the Texas Tea, which capped their career potential and influence of the Texas Hip hop movement at the knees.

Luckily, we have holdovers from the Screw era to carry the torch on like Trae tha Truth and Fat Pat on tracks like Texas. The track is off of Trae's new mixtape he dropped last Thursday titled 48 Hours, which is a compilation of mostly new freestyles from Frazier. The screwed sample, mixed with slow bass and raspy delivery of Trae, make for a picture perfect ode to the biggest, slowest Hip Hop state of the union. The track represents so fully the essence of what Texas Hip Hop should sound like, I'm feelin' like it's worthy of bein' thrown on a Best of Texas mix. You better believe this will be the first song I'm playin' once the snow melts and I'm able to subject anyone within earshot to some secondhand rap...#BeatsInTheDeck

"I'm from Texas where we still poppin' in the grey cassette and turn up the f***in deck until we causin' a wreck"

Trae feat Fat Pat - Texas

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808 Check: Slim Thug - Murda (prod by Beanz n Kornbread)

No disrespected to Slim Thuggga, but this is the second time I've featured a Beanz n Kornbread produced track with the 808 check tag; thus, they deserve the image love above in an attempt to spotlight their continuing contributions to bassheads and beat aficionados around the globe. To say this beat bangs is like saying Jacory Harris is going to wake up a little sore tomorrow...

Daaaaammmnn dude got rooted into the earth, forget getting planted! Tough break, but feeding all these Florida, Texas (Baylor? really?) and Miami fans a steady diet of humble pie via college football this season has been fun to watch!

Anyways, this track embodies what Texas rap is supposed to embody, simple, but hard rhymes with a SLOW, LOUD and BANGIN' beat (SLAB). I'm a big fan of @slimthugga, but don't expect anything crazy lyrically, this track is like a pizza at the end of drunken night, tastes delicious when you're in the mood.

Press play if you're in the mood and give a follow to @beanznkornbread on Twitter while you're at it...

Slim Thug - Murda (prod by Beanz n Kornbread)

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"Reppin' H Town Like Phi Slama Jama"

For me it's easy to get excited about one of my favorite Hip Hop artists coming out with an album. Sure the hype won't match the type of excitement I had for a Drake, Cudi or B.O.B. album, but to me, there's a classic aura surrounding Bun-B. Both he and Pimp C ignited Texas Hip Hop in the 1990s through their group UGK and with the help of DJ Screw, made Houston a noteworthy Southern Hip Hop capitol. It's common knowledge that they helped sculpt the sound that has and will continue to come out of Texas for years to come.

Even though I have yet to take a full lap around Trill OG, it's easy to get excited about the album after listening to this lead track. Whoever decided to make this the first cut of the album knew what they were doing. The energy and in your face verses Bun spit on the track put on full display his talent at it's best. To be honest I was surprised to see Steve Below on the production since it sounded like a mix of something DJ Khalil (here and here) and The Runners would have produced. Looking closer into the tracklist, it seems like @SteveBelow has somewhat inherited and driven the sound of @bunbtrillog's new album (produced 6 or 16 tracks). Even though he has produced for tons of other artists, this will probably be his best opportunity to get his name out if he comes through with some strong beats for Bun.

From the loud, attention grabbing organs to the Texas sounding, slowed down, bangin' beat, it fits the sound of Texas Hip Hop. It was interesting Bun added in some Pimp C, sounding ad libs with his trademark "hold up" throughout the track. The real quick chopped and screwed beat stutter at the 3:24 mark makes it even more authentic Houston. I can't say I'm a huge fan of normal tracks being chopped and screwed, but some artists just sound at home when cut up, Bun-B being one. Can't wait to hear what Micheal "5000" Watts does with both Bun's new album, as well as Big K.R.I.T's new mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here.

As an aside, I was a big fan of the early 80's Phi Slama Jama reference to Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon's small dynasty at Houston University. If you appreciate Texas Hip Hop and/or UGK, you'll enjoy this track a lot. I'm maintaining it's going to be damn near impossible for Bun to top II Trill, but this track is a huge step in the right direction. Give it a listen and help Bun's legendary status sell some records this next week with his album hitting stores today.

Bun-B - Chuuuch!!! (prod by Steve Below)
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Texas Stand UP!..."Yea Jack I'm a Gang-sta, Gang-sta, Gang-sta, G-A-N-G-S-T-A"

When I think about Texas Hip Hop, this is exactly the type of sound that I expect to hear and look forward to hearing. The big bass, slow rhythm, exaggerated Southern drawl, laid back hook. It all sounds so good when played loudly or doing my favorite parking lot activity, the classy, pop-trunk wave. Oh you don't have a slow-mo open/close function on your trunk to share your secondhand Rap with the whole block???? #gitwititoryagetgone

In all seriousness though, the pop-trunk wave needs to make it out of Texas and become part of mainstream Hip Hop culture. Think about it, if you pulled up to a stoplight and the driver in front of you started slowly waving his trunk at you, you'd be pretty entertained right? It would definitely break up the monotony that is daily traffic.

Anyways, this is supposed to be off Slim Thug's upcoming album, The Thug Show, due out September 7th. While Texas Hip Hop rarely makes it to the mainstream due to it's increasingly loud, boisterous, hardcore sound, I'd recommend the likes of unheralded rappers like Trae and Z-Ro. They do a good job of furthering the sound the DJ Screw started back in the 1990s. All contribute to the SLAB (Slow Loud and Bangin) culture that involves decking out cars with extravagant lighting, speakers, rims, basically dressing it up to look really gaudy. Do a search for SLAB on YouTube, it's pretty crazy what cool stuff people are doing/have done to their cars these days.

Be sure and drive real slow and turn this one up for the desired effect...repeat to audible tolerance...

Slim Thug feat Z-Ro - Gangsta
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