He was born in Bastrop, Texas to Robert Earl Davis, Sr. DJ Screw had lived in Smithville, Houston, and Los Angeles; at one point his father took him to Houston in order to keep him from trouble. There DJ Screw lived in a working class, mostly African American neighborhood near Hobby Airport described by Michael Hall of Texas Monthly as "hard-edged."DJ Screw dropped out of Sterling High School during his 10th grade year and focused on music.
He began deejaying at age 13, and started his trademark slowed down mixes in 1984. During the early 1990s, he invited some of Houston's most renowned rappers from the south side of the city to flow on his Screw tapes. This eventually led to the formation of the Screwed Up Click. What originally was only a fad of Houston, Chopped and Screwed music started getting more widespread attention with the introduction of p2p programs such as Napster in the late 90s. This ultimately led to DJ Screw getting recognition across the country and being known as one of biggest faces in modern hip-hop.
www.screwedupclick.com.
After spending most of the 1990s as an infamous local phenomenon in Houston, TX, DJ Screw suddenly found himself gaining sudden notoriety before his unfortunate death in late 2000. The Houston DJ made a name for himself primarily because of his uncanny mixing style, which found him pitching down his records to a lumbering and quite eerie pace. Over the course of the '90s, what began as novelty actually became a rather lucrative venture for Screw, who produced hundreds of mix tapes, with some estimates projecting his total number of tapes topping over a thousand; furthermore, he sold the tapes at his Houston-based record store, Screwed Up Records and Tapes. Oddly enough, he preferred to release his mixes almost exclusively on cassette, though fans often recorded the mixes and traded them via the Internet; in addition, countless "screwed" remixes of popular rap anthems were widely available on Napster thanks to his cultish following.
Yet it's hard to imagine Screw's legacy being what it is if not for his role as an adamant advocate of "syrup sippin'," a Southern rap phenomenon involving codeine-infused cough syrup -- the resulting intoxication induces a hallucinatory state where everything slows down and becomes the senses swirl. As marijuana was to early-'90s gangsta rap, LSD was to late-'60s psychedelic rock, ecstasy was to late-'80s rave -- and so on -- the syrup sippin' advocated by Screw's trippy hip-hop mixes led to a small drug movement within the late-'90s Dirty South genre, reaching its zenith with Three 6 Mafia's hit "Sippin' on Some Syrup" in 2000. It's hard to deny that this phenomenon wasn't as important to Screw's popularity as his music was (especially considering some of his tape titles: Syrup & Soda, Syrup Sippers, Sippin' Codeine, etc.) Still, Screw did serve as a leader for Houston's burgeoning rap scene; his home studio, The Screw Shop, functioned as the home base for what was loosely referred to as the Screwed Up Click, including semi-successful rappers such as Big Pokey and Lil' Keke, along with about 30 others were known locally.
Ironically, when Screw was found dead in his studio of a fatal heart attack at the tender age of 29 on the morning of November 16, 2000, the Houston Chronicle published a story stating that police suspected Screw of overdosing on the same syrup that he so adamantly advocated. Weeks later the theory proved valid, making the artist the victim of his own self-promoted phenomenon. More unfortunate, though, was the loss of Screw to Houston's fledging scene, which seemed on the verge of being nationally recognized as a Southern rap mecca. His legacy lived on, though, since his trademark mixing style was by no means exclusive, as countless imitators had arisen in the South by the time of his death, the most noteworthy being the Swisha House and Beltway 8 record labels.
- Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
Sunny Day
DJ Screw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We rollin on chrome
Flossin its a sunny day
Niggas smokin blunts
Blowin light green hay
All about our cash
We worked hard and got paid
Stacks mutiplied now its
(Lil'Flip)
Its a sunny day so I'm a pull out the drop
No chain today but I'm a pull out the watch
You know I'm iced out (bling!)lookin like a wedding cake
I hear niggas whisperin man I bet its fake
But I got cash ride around in drop Jags
With my top back interior all black
With leather seats rimmed up 4 times
I'm in the V-12 watch me blow down
You know me I gotta put my stunt down
And when the laws pass by I put my blunt down
Cause I stay high like a telophone pole
And I roll on vogues and pimp yellow bone hoes
Swangas and blades is what we sit on
I'm talking on my "flip phone", ya get it "flip phone"
Smokin on a zone of that sticky-icky-green
Hoes see me in the Jag and say "Flip thinks he clean..."
(Hook:Big Shasta rp.2x)
(Lil'Flip)
I'm at the beach party in a pearl white drop
I had to take my bracelet off cause the girls might bop
White Airforce ones Fat Albert tank top Nike head band
Long braids hang out hoes everywhere man its goin down
The traffics so bad cops sayin turn around
But you know niggas we gonna try to sneak in
Some niggas going broke tryna ball this weekend
And TJ takin flicks wit bad broads, Hump in the Benz
Redd in the Jaguar, we leaned out you know
Our car screened out and if we ain't ridin 20s
We chrome 19ed out 84s got me shinin in the lane
We been ridin blades stop stealin our slang!
You know what we really ballin down south and all
Niggas jammin Screw and Swisha House...
(Hook:Big Shasta rp2x)
{Lil'Flip}
Man!...
{Big Shasta breakdown}
We rollin on chrome
(rollin on chrome)
And we looking good
(you know we lookin good)
Grippin on wood...
Its a sunny day in the hood!
(Lil'Flip)
You see them 20s spinnin when I'm swangin down the strip
Diamonds hanging off my lip, my trunk bangin like a crip
Niggas thinkin I'ma slip but I cain't
If a hater try to jack I'm a waste 'em like drank
I'm ridin on a full tank, switchin lanes like Maurice
Baguettes on my teeth, maurcetts on my teeth
Iceberg on my feet, the Speedy Gonzales
Big Mar, & Big Hawk yea them my compadres
We ball everyday like Catino Mobley
I gotta Cartier but have you seen my Roley
I ride Navigator its my Navigator
I feel like Tela "bound by haters"as I
Slide by Jaimiaca sippin medicine
We wanna bring our cups in but they won't
Let us in so we hit cornbreads and go back
To the house I'm a hold it down for Screw
Know what I'm talking bout!...
(Hook:Big Shasta rp)
The song "Sunny Day" by DJ Screw featuring Lil' Flip and Big Shasta is an ode to the good life. The hook talks about riding on chrome and enjoying the sun while smoking and counting cash. Lil' Flip takes the lead and talks about his expensive lifestyle, riding in top-down cars, wearing bling, and smoking weed. He mentions riding in drop Jags and V-12s, with his interior and rims all blacked out, and sitting on swangas and blades. He talks about the traffic being bad due to the beach party, but that doesn't stop him from balling hard with his crew. The verses are all about celebrating success despite the odds stacked against them.
The song "Sunny Day" is all about the bling and the glamour. It's the epitome of the Southern-style rap that DJ Screw popularized in the 90s. The lyrics talk about cars, rims, chains, and money, all of which were considered symbols of success and power. The chorus by Big Shasta is catchy and upbeat, and it's easy to imagine yourself cruising down the street, blaring the song from your sound system. The verses by Lil' Flip are straight out of a gangsta movie, and they're all about showing off and intimidating those around him.
Line by Line Meaning
We rollin on chrome
We are driving in cars with shiny rims
Flossin its a sunny day
We are showing off our wealth on a nice day
Niggas smokin blunts
We are smoking marijuana
Blowin light green hay
We are smoking high-quality marijuana
All about our cash
We are focused on making money
We worked hard and got paid
We have earned our money through hard work
Stacks mutiplied now its Time to parlay
We have increased our wealth and it's time to enjoy it
Its a sunny day so I'm a pull out the drop
Because it's a nice day, I am going to drive with the top down
No chain today but I'm a pull out the watch
I am not wearing a fancy necklace, but I will show off my expensive watch
You know I'm iced out (bling!)lookin like a wedding cake
I am wearing a lot of diamond jewelry that makes me look like a fancy cake
I hear niggas whisperin man I bet its fake
I hear people talking about my jewelry and questioning if it's real
But I got cash ride around in drop Jags
I have a lot of money and drive around in luxurious cars
With my top back interior all black
The roof of my car is down and the inside is all black leather
With leather seats rimmed up 4 times
The leather seats in my car have fancy rims around them
I'm in the V-12 watch me blow down
I am driving a powerful car and showing off my speed
You know me I gotta put my stunt down
I always have to show off and impress people
And when the laws pass by I put my blunt down
When I see the police, I hide my marijuana
Cause I stay high like a telophone pole
I am always high because I smoke a lot of marijuana
And I roll on vogues and pimp yellow bone hoes
I drive cars with expensive tires and have attractive women with light skin that follow me
Swangas and blades is what we sit on
We like to ride on fancy and unique types of wheels
I'm talking on my 'flip phone', ya get it 'flip phone'
I am using a cell phone nicknamed after myself
Smokin on a zone of that sticky-icky-green
I am smoking a high-quality strain of marijuana
Hoes see me in the Jag and say 'Flip thinks he clean...'
Women see me in my luxury car and think I am cool
I'm at the beach party in a pearl white drop
I am driving a white convertible at a beach party
I had to take my bracelet off cause the girls might bop
I removed my bracelet because I don't want it to get lost or attract too much attention from women
White Airforce ones Fat Albert tank top Nike head band
I am wearing an all-white outfit with Nike accessories
Long braids hang out hoes everywhere man its goin down
I have long hair and there are attractive women everywhere at the party
The traffics so bad cops sayin turn around
There is a lot of traffic and the police are telling people to go back
But you know niggas we gonna try to sneak in
Even though there is traffic, we are going to try and find a way to get to the party
Some niggas going broke tryna ball this weekend
Some people are spending all their money to look fancy this weekend
And TJ takin flicks wit bad broads, Hump in the Benz
My friends are taking pictures with attractive women and driving a Mercedes Benz
Redd in the Jaguar, we leaned out you know
My friend is driving a Jaguar and we are relaxing and enjoying ourselves
Our car screened out and if we ain't ridin 20s
Our car looks fancy and expensive, even if we don't have 20-inch rims on the wheels
We chrome 19ed out 84s got me shinin in the lane
We have unique and expensive wheels that make me stand out
We been ridin blades stop stealin our slang!
We have been using the term 'blades' to refer to unique wheels, so stop stealing our slang
You know what we really ballin down south and all
We know how to live a luxurious lifestyle in the southern states of America
Niggas jammin Screw and Swisha House...
We are listening to music by DJ Screw and the record label Swisha House
You see them 20s spinnin when I'm swangin down the strip
You can see the 20-inch rims on my wheels spinning as I am driving down the street
Diamonds hanging off my lip, my trunk bangin like a crip
I have diamond jewelry on my teeth and my car's trunk is making a loud noise
Niggas thinkin I'ma slip but I cain't
People might think I will fail or lose my wealth, but I won't
If a hater try to jack I'm a waste 'em like drank
If someone tries to rob me, I will fight back and hurt them
I'm ridin on a full tank, switchin lanes like Maurice
My car has a full tank of gas and I am swerving between lanes quickly like a skilled driver named Maurice
Baguettes on my teeth, maurcetts on my teeth
I have diamond teeth that are shaped like baguettes and marquise cuts
Iceberg on my feet, the Speedy Gonzales
I am wearing expensive shoes and they are moving quickly like the cartoon character Speedy Gonzales
Big Mar, & Big Hawk yea them my compadres
My friends Big Mar and Big Hawk are like family to me
We ball everyday like Catino Mobley
We live a luxurious lifestyle like the basketball player Catino Mobley
I gotta Cartier but have you seen my Roley
I own a Cartier watch, but have you seen my Rolex?
I ride Navigator its my Navigator
I own a Lincoln Navigator and it's my favorite car to drive
I feel like Tela 'bound by haters'as I
I feel like the rapper Tela, who is dealing with criticism and hate from others
Slide by Jaimiaca sippin medicine
I am driving through Jamaica while drinking cough syrup mixed with soda
We wanna bring our cups in but they won't Let us in
We want to bring our own drinks into a club, but they won't allow it
So we hit cornbreads and go back To the house
We go and eat at a restaurant called Cornbreads, then go back to our house
I'm a hold it down for Screw Know what I'm talking bout!...
I will keep the legacy of DJ Screw alive and represent him well
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARVIN HAMLISCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind