Photo: billboard.com
Photo: billboard.com

Fifteen years ago yesterday, DJ Screw was found without vital signs in his recording studio. During his life, he was a huge influence on the hip hop community, not just in his native Texas, but worldwide as well. DJ Screw, Robert Earl Davis Jr, created the chopped and screwed DJ technique. That technique has taken off and become a vital part of remixing music. It’s even broken through the barriers that exist between hip hop and mainstream genres. Most recently, Just Bieber has been using the technique on some of his latest hits.

After having achieved so much, it was DJ Screw, himself, that brought about his demise. An autopsy revealed that he died of a toxic mix of drugs. Codeine (that he mixed with soda pop to make a drink he called “purple drank”), Valium and PCP were all detected in his blood.

Tell me your memories of DJ Screw, and how he influenced your taste in music.