How to Make Chopped and Screwed Remixes: DJ Screw's Method

What is chopped and screwed music?

Chopped and screwed is a Houston remix style where a song is slowed down ("screwed") and parts of it are repeated or cut up ("chopped"). It was created by DJ Screw, born Robert Earl Davis Jr., who began his DJ career in 1989 and broke through with the 1993 album All Screwed Up^[1].

The Handbook of Texas explains that his nickname came from taking two records and "screwing" them together to change the music's tempo^[1]. He sold "screw tapes" (also called grey tapes, after their color) from his home, and the local rappers who freestyled on them became the Screwed Up Click^[2].

Slowed + reverb, the internet style that grew out of this tradition, is a different process with different goals; the slowed + reverb guide covers it separately. This guide focuses on the original Houston technique.

How did DJ Screw make chopped and screwed tapes?

DJ Screw played two copies of the same record on two turntables, slowed both with the turntables' pitch control, and used the crossfader to jump between them so beats, words and phrases repeated. That performance was recorded to a master cassette, which he then slowed further with a four-track recorder's pitch control to make the final tape^[2].

Every part of that chain has a direct equivalent in a DAW, so you can follow the same logic without turntables.

How much should you slow a song for chopped and screwed?

Slow the song so tempo and pitch drop together, usually by 20-35%, and aim for a result around 60-70 BPM. Wikipedia describes the screwed technique as slowing a song to roughly 60-70 quarter-note beats per minute^[3], while the Handbook of Texas describes songs slowed to half their normal speed or less^[1]. Let the source song decide: a fast track needs more slowing than a laid-back one.

Use a mode that changes speed and pitch at the same time, not a time-stretch that keeps the pitch. Ableton's Re-Pitch warp mode, for instance, changes playback rate the way DJs change turntable speed, so doubling the speed raises pitch by an octave^[4]. The deep, dragging voice is part of the sound. The sibling guide on Ableton warp modes explains the other options.

For reference, a modern Technics SL-1200MK7 offers pitch ranges of plus or minus 8% or 16% and plays at 33 1/3 and 45 rpm^[5]. The 74% row shows what happens when a 45 rpm record plays at 33 1/3.

How do you do the chops in a DAW?

Put two identical copies of the slowed song on two tracks, offset one copy by a beat or two, and switch between them with volume automation so words and beats repeat. That recreates the two-turntable crossfader trick.

Good chops land on the beat and feel intentional. OG Ron C's Chopstars collective even branded their remixes "ChopNotSlop" in response to sloppy remixes after DJ Screw's death^[3], so timing matters.

1. Slow the song
   Set the whole track to your chosen speed (say 80%) with a repitch or varispeed mode. Set the project tempo to match so the grid lines up.
2. Duplicate to two decks
   Copy the audio to a second track. Name them Deck A and Deck B and route both to one bus.
3. Offset Deck B
   Slide Deck B one beat or two beats later than Deck A. Snap to the grid so every switch stays on time.
4. Automate the switch
   Play Deck A, then fade to Deck B for a beat or a bar so the last word or kick repeats. Use 5-10 ms fades to avoid clicks.
5. Add stutters
   Repeat a single word or snare as 1/8 or 1/4 notes two to four times before the next line. Keep stutters to the ends of phrases.
6. Place backspins sparingly
   Reverse a half-beat of audio with a quick pitch dive before a section change, once or twice per song.
7. Print, then slow a touch more
   Bounce the mix and apply one more small slowdown, around 2-5%, the way the four-track pass worked on the original tapes.

The sample chopping guide covers slicing techniques if you want finer edits than two-deck switching.

How do you get the screw tape sound and feel?

A screw tape is a continuous mix, not a single edit: songs flow into each other, the DJ talks over them, and local rappers freestyle on top. Tapes often included shout-outs and freestyles made for a specific person or event, such as a birthday^[2].

• Low end Slowing drops the bass lower, so check it on small speakers and cut rumble below about 30 Hz with a high-pass filter.
• Top end A gentle low-pass around 10-14 kHz and light tape saturation soften the edges and suggest cassette.
• Voice drops Record short spoken drops and shout-outs, then slow them by the same amount so they sit in the mix.
• Transitions Blend songs with long crossfades on the downbeat, or cut hard on a chop, so the mix never stops.
• Stems If you want to chop just the vocal, stem splitting can separate it, but the permissions below still apply.

Is it legal to release chopped and screwed remixes?

Not without permission when the song belongs to someone else. The US Copyright Office explains that only the copyright owner can prepare or authorize an adaptation of a work, and that an unauthorized adaptation may be infringement^[6]. A remix also touches two works at once: the sound recording and the underlying song^[7].

Official chopped and screwed versions do exist. The Chopstars have released official versions with artists such as Brent Faiyaz and Don Toliver^[3], which is the model to follow.

• Your own music Screw your own beats and songs freely, or collaborate with artists who agree in writing.
• Official remixes Ask the label or artist for permission, or pitch an official version.
• Uploads Platforms can detect copyrighted recordings. The Content ID guide explains what happens when they do.
• Practice Screwing a song privately to learn the technique is different from distributing it. Keep practice files off streaming services.

This is general information, not legal advice. For a commercial release, talk to a music lawyer or the rights holders.