The Screwed Up Click (or S.U.C.) is an American hip hop collective based in Houston, Texas, that was led by DJ Screw. Its most notable members include DJ Screw, Big Hawk, Big Mello, Big Moe, Big Pokey, the Botany Boyz, E.S.G., Fat Pat, Lil' Flip, Lil' Keke, Lil' O, and Z-Ro. In addition, Devin the Dude, K-Rino, Lil' Troy, South Park Mexican and UGK are considered to be "Screwed Up Affiliated". Many of the current and former SUC members come from the neighborhoods of South Park, 3rd Ward, Sunnyside, Cloverland, Hiram Clarke and South Acres.
History
In the early 1990s, a new type of music began gaining popularity in Houston, collectively called "Chopped and screwed", which was pioneered by DJ Screw. The sound was created from a turntable technique in which Screw slowed down the tempo and torqued with parts of hip-hop anthems, giving them a new hypnotic & mesmerizing sound which he believed also made the lyrics easier to understand. In 1991, he began to release tapes, known as "Screw Tapes", on which he slowed down and manipulated records by popular artists and also prominently included freestyles by a group of friends and local rappers, who came to be known as the Screwed Up Click.
In 1994, Screw moved into a house in the eastern park of South Park, which soon came to be known as "The Screw House", where he could conduct his new business of selling tapes and recording freestyles with the group. These tapes quickly gained popularity in the area, allowing many of the group's members to launch successful solo careers. At some point the business became too much for the house, so the group relocated its operations to a store in Missouri City that became known as "The Screw Shop". After years of success that took its members to new heights, the S.U.C. found itself surrounded by tragedy when two of its members died, Fat Pat who was murdered and DJ Screw who overdosed from a lethal combination of codeine and other drugs. However, the group still continues to record new music with many of its members now focusing primarily on their solo careers. In later years, the group saw the deaths of other members including Big Hawk and Big Moe in 2006 and 2007 respectively, as well as the incarceration of others.
More recently in 2010, the S.U.C. had a reunion tour in 2010 which included Big Pokey, Lil' Keke, Lil' O and Z-Ro. In 2014, several members of the group appeared on the track "The Legendary DJ Screw" from Bun B's fourth studio album Trill OG: The Epilogue, including a posthumous verse from Big Hawk.
Original members
This is a list of all of the original members of the Screwed Up Click.
Al-D
Albert Driver, better known by his stage name Al-D, is a member of the Screwed Up Click. Though not biologically, he is commonly known as DJ Screw's brother. His first album release is "Home Of The Free" from 1995 and has released other projects since then. Current single via digital only release is Ballaz Featuring – E.S.G., Griddy Vocalz, Mo City Don. 2015 will see the release of his new album yet to be announced.
Big Hawk
John Edward Hawkins, better known as H.A.W.K. or Big Hawk was one of the founding members of the Screwed Up Click. He grew up on the dead end block of MLK with younger brother, Patrick "Fat Pat" Hawkins and two sisters. He started rapping in 1992 when Fat Pat took him to DJ Screw's house, an upcoming mixtape producer and DJ in the southern area of Houston. In 1994 Hawk, Fat Pat, DJ Screw, and Kay-K, collaborated to form the group D.E.A. and Dead End Records. In late 1998 D.E.A. released an original independent album entitled, “Screwed For Life”. In 1999 Hawk participated in a Southside Playaz compilation album titled You Got Us Fuxxed Up, with Mike D, Claydoe and other members of the S.U.C. Hawk released his solo album, Under Hawk's Wings on Dead End Records in 2000 and was featured on the Lil' Troy hit "Wanna Be A Baller". He also collaborated with Lil' O on the hit song, "Back Back". Next, he partnered with Game Face Records in 2002 and released his first album under his label Ghetto Dreams Ent., self-titled, HAWK. With the hit song, "U Already Know", the album charted the Billboard's list of top R&B and Rap Albums at #45. On May 1, 2006, Hawkins, 36, was shot to death outside of a home in Houston. Police were unable to find any witnesses that could provide information on a suspect or a motive for the shooting.