DJ Screw’s Sound Shaped Hip-Hop. Now, His Music Is Heading To DSPs

DJ Screw‘s impact on Hip-Hop is larger than a longhorn grazing in the Texas sun. Born Robert Earl Davis Jr., the Houston native’s homegrown sound has transcended the city’s wards to gain international fame. Remnants of its syrupy, chopped-and-screwed grooves are found in some of the genre’s biggest hits of today. 

Megastars like Drake, Travis Scott, and A$AP Rocky have helped introduce DJ Screw and the Screwed Up Click to a global audience and built on a legacy set in motion by the late deejay and producer in the ‘90s. 

While much of the music by the artists he’s influenced is widely accessible, Screw’s 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. 

That is, until Michelle “Red” Wheeler, DJ Screw’s 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), a compilation album composed of material from across Screw’s catalog. 

Distributed through Hitmaker Music Group and curated by Derrick “D-Reck” Dixon and Vincent “SWAC” Wheatley, DJ Screw Originals (Volume 1) includes Fat Pat, Lil Keke, The Click, ESG, Stick1, Z-Ro, and more, as well as tracks from the classic Screw Tapes Straight Wreckin, New 2000, and Same Old Shit ’05.

“We went through 20 tapes and picked half freestyles and half songs,” SWAC, A&R of DJ Screw Originals, tells VIBE. “We 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’s what we were going for on the projects.” 

With four more volumes in the DJ Screw Originals series dropping this month and plans for more from Screw’s vault of over 200 mixtapes, Wheeler says the timing couldn’t be more perfect to bring Screw’s music to the public. “I remember him coming to me and telling me, ‘Just sit back. When it’s your time to shine, you will know it. I’m going to let you know when it’s your time to shine,’” she recalls when describing the supernatural encounter.

“I sat back for a long time and kept a lot of things to myself. I’ve been mourning my brother for a very long time. I really appreciate everybody. Don’t take life and people for granted because you never know what will happen.”

VIBE spoke with Wheeler about the process of bringing DJ Screw’s 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.

VIBE: What inspired the move to make Screw’s music available on streaming platforms, and when did that process start?

Michelle “Red” Wheeler: It’s been an ongoing process. It’s something that we’ve 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, “Let’s start the process to get this going,” and we were finally able to start.

The feedback is amazingly good from people who have learned that this has happened, so that’s another plus that we are able to do this. You’re able to listen to it, and just get on any app that has it. Where you can be like, “I want to listen to this,” or “I want to listen to this song.”

Were there any roadblocks or obstacles?

No, 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’s the cover. I said, “It’s going to be released on the 29th? Wait, what?” It was just fast and smooth.

The 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’s a beautiful thing. And I know it’s a beautiful thing for him as well.

You mentioned earlier that Hitmaker Music Group was the right distribution partner?

Well, they had the ambition. They had a goal. They had said, “We’re going to get it done. It can be done.” That was kind of like the obstacles of “We don’t think we can get this done.” They were willing to fight to do whatever it took to make it happen, and it happened.

When 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’s what Hitmaker did.

Without them, D-Reck, and SWAC, it just wouldn’t 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’t going to happen, they made sure that wasn’t going to happen. They had the ambition, they had it all.

How much unreleased music from DJ Screw is in the vault?

I’m sure it’s a lot.

DJ 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?

It’s 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.

It’s 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.

What are your future plans for the estate?

I have so many amazing projects that are coming out. Everyone knows that we do the Houston Astros [merchandise] drop every year on June 27th. I have now partnered with the Houston Texans to do a drop with them.

We’re going to continue on with this music. Putting it out everywhere so people can stream, listen, and vibe to it. I can’t even tell you what the future holds for me in this estate and everything that’s planned. We’re at a point where we have a documentary we’re 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.

I 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.

You mentioned a partnership with the Houston Texans. Can you speak on that a little more?

Yeah, it’s 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’s 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.

You mentioned that a documentary is in the works. Can you speak about any details?

We’ve been kind of working on this project for a few years now. D-Reck and “Chill” (Isaac Yowman) have been doing various interviews, and we are kind of taking our time with that. One thing I know about my brother is perfection. You don’t rush anything, so we’re not rushing it. There is no release date for it. We’re working on it continuously, and hopefully, people will be able to see that.