When I first moved to Houston, I had set in my mind that I didn’t like chopped and screwed music and I was not going to give it a chance. But as time passed, I realized this genre was an acquired taste and a complete vibe. I would always hear it from cars while making my way to class and it would be some slow jam, and no lie, I though it was trash. It took my cousin to sit me down and introduce me DJ Screw to develop a new appreciation for Chopped and Screwed music.
At the moment, one of my favorite Chopped and Screwed projects is
Lady Lady by Masego , mixed by DJ AudiTory from the Northside of Houston. DJ AudiTory (Tory Bryant) began DJing in 2008 while a student on campus of University of Houston, but purposely stayed away from chopping and screwing due to it being a saturated market. In 2013, the first project he decided to touch was Kanye West’s
Yeezus , which was featured in the
LA Times. That was a blatant sign that this would be one of his many lanes, and he continued to perfect his craft.
What sets DJ AudiTory apart from a lot of DJs who chop and screw is his ability to know what will sound well outside of Hip Hop and R&B genre. Another one of my fave albums he touched was Childish Gambino’s “
Awaken, My Love”. If you’re a fan of funk, but you want to literally feel and coast with the music, then the chopped and screwed version is right for you. The tracks,
Boogieman and
Zombies, literally took me on a trip.
When I asked Tory where does he see himself in the next decade, he simply stated, “Creating music for the city, while having the pleasure to DJ around the world” He has a love for Houston, as well as its artists, and wants to share that love with others who aren’t familiar with its culture. I know for a fact when you hear his touch on various projects, you will not be disappointed. Keep him on your radar.
You can find more of his work
here.
