What Does June 27 Mean in Houston? How DJ Screw Day Pays Homage to the City’s Sound

The city of Houston has given us a great deal, especially in the music industry. I mean, let's be serious, the beloved Texan city birthed Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, and we could really start and end there. However, Houston also gave rise to a unique music genre that resonated with the city and its listeners.

Another draw to Houston is how much the city respects and celebrates its own. After one of its icons passed away, Houston vowed to honor him with a public celebration occurring every June 27. Here's what to know about the local holiday.

June 27 is officially known in Houston as DJ Screw Day. The holiday is exclusive to Houston and pays homage to the city's signature chopped and screwed music style which DJ Screw pioneered. According to Chron, the sound became "a subculture that infiltrated Houston hip hop and became a lasting part of its identity."

DJ Screw, born Robert Earl Davis Jr., was the leader of Houston's Screwed Up Click. His name began circulating the city in the 1990s, several years after he started DJing at the age of 12. According to City Cast Houston, DJ Screw's underground mixtapes quickly blew up, as he would often sell 10,000 to 15,000 copies in a single day.

Although he died on Nov. 16, 2000 after overdosing on codeine at just 29 years old, Screw's influence remains highly regarded and sampled by rappers like Slim Thug, and Paul Wall.

While DJ Screw Day was created to memorialize the DJ and his legacy, it's not necessarily about his personal life, but more about the musical style he left behind. As Chron noted in 2020, the holiday doesn't fall on the day the musician was born or when he died. Screw's birthday was on July 20, 1971 and, as previously shared, he died in November.

So, why is DJ Screw Day every June 27, you ask? Well, the day was created to celebrate one of DJ Screw's friends and Screwed Up Click member De-Mo birthday, and the day the rap crew made history. On June 27, 1996, De-Mo and fellow Houston rappers Yungstar, Big Moe, Big Pokey, Key-C, Kay-Luv and Haircut Joe rapped over DJ Screw's chopped and screwed version of Kris Kross' "Da Streets Ain't Right."

The beat gained a following quickly and became a favorite for Houston rappers to freestyle over, and a fan favorite for high school bands. Former SUC member Lil Flip told the outlet in 2019 that the beat is a routine part of his set over a decade later.

"Still to this day, I freestyle to that beat at my shows, every show," Lil Flip said.

Drake, who has often expressed his affinity for Houston, sampled the beat on his "So Far Gone" mixtape.

City Cast Houston reported that locals celebrate the DJ in various ways. The city hosts an annual festival called ScrewFest, featuring Lil Flip, Lil Keke, and other Houston-based artists. Another festival was created for the following weekend on June 5, 2025, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.