For the unofficial but very official, “DJ Screw Memorial Day” on June 27, some Houston rap legends and young leaning lions celebrated for a very special episode of Boiler Room. In honor of the occasion, Passion of the Weiss is premiering the recorded footage — featuring commentary from two preeminent Screwston rap scholars: MobbDeen and Shea Serrano. They wrote this without access to air conditioning or the finest in bottled medical opiates. You can pre-order your copy of Bun B’s Jumbo Rap Coloring Book as a thank you.
Deen: ESG: He sounds so much better when he isn’t being sampled by Drake’s bitch ass. He also gives me the impression that he could sub in for Uncle Bun on short notice if we needed that for any reason. Yo, I saw Uncle Bun at Chipot… my bad, silly tangent. Off the dome freestyles are the best.
Shea: ESG is an all-time great freestyle rapper. At least once per show he’ll do this thing where he starts freestyling about people in the crowd and every single time it is goddamn amazing. Oh, also, he once shot a guy in the head and killed him and that’s a real thing that actually happened.
Deen: Dat Boy Bryson: I’m sorry. I’m sure this kid is dope, but I don’t like nigglets in any capacity unless they’re mine. So go read Shea’s shit.
Shea: Dat Boy Bryson is actually ESG’s son. (You’ll notice E in the background looking especially proud.) I first met Bryon a few years ago while interviewing his dad. He was exceptionally charming kid. When he and his dad pulled up in their car, Bryson popped out of the backseat. I asked why he was back there. He said his dad wouldn’t let him sit in the front yet because he wasn’t big enough. I liked them both more immediately.
Deen: KAB: My mom said “if you don’t have anything nice to say and you live in the same city as a really large person you’re thinking of slandering, you oughta just shut the fuck up.” I love my mother.
Shea: KAB is just so clutch in a cypher. You have to see him in person to get the entire effect. He’s a bulldozer. After 15 or seconds, the crowd always catches up to his pattern of rap, then begins inserting “OHHHHHHHH”s and “YEAHHHHHHHHH”s into the breaks. It’s always fun.
Deen: Mookie: His appearance played out just like his mixture do for me; I start listening excitedly, then go do anything else, then I feel guilty, then I stop caring.
Shea: Mookie is just such a fucking stone cold player. His words are like clouds floating out of his mouth. I feel cool listening to his music, which is probably the point. Love.
Deen: Demo: Fuck it. I think I can outrun him, even with my fucked up knee, so I want to remind all you niggas in the black community to watch your fucking cholesterol. Oh and I enjoyed the freestyle quite a bit.
Shea: From the real actual “June 27th,” son. FYL
Deen: Maxo: His verse was just as nasty and disgusting as you’d expect from a nigga with an Abraham Lincoln lookin ass beard. I’m only shocked that he didn’t make an ass eating reference. Probably outta respect for Mobb Deep.
Shea: Maxo is a villain of the greatest sorts. Even here, even in the most sterilized of environments, he is a madman. Go watch his most recent video (“Lewinsky”). It’s extra dope. (I actually just wrote about him for Vice so you can go check that out too.)
Deen: Phranchyze: I think this one might be the best of the bunch. As weird as you’d expect from an Austin nigga. I’d totally be okay with this nigga replacing Stalley in the national conscience. He probably raps too quickly for Houstonians to understand though.
Shea: I LOVE this guy. I’m always partial to guys that are actually freestyling at these events. It takes an incredible amount of balls. I saw Phran a couple of years ago when he won the Houston segment of Redbull’s freestyle championship. I’ve probably seen all of his battle videos on YouTube. When I saw him at this thing I went up to him and told. He seemed legitimately happy about that. It made me happy too.
Deen: Hoodstar Chantz: By length alone (pause) and the numerous errors and beat switches and female reactions in the background, I enjoyed this shit. But I probably enjoyed the Black Moon vocals in the background more.
Shea: Hoodstar is one of my very favorite acts to see in person. I was at a show of his once and I was up near the stage and all of these people were there just losing their fucking minds. He pulled up one of the girls onstage and would do that thing where the rapper puts the mic in front of someone’s face and that person says whatever word goes right there, except what happened was she just took the mic from him and rapped the whole rest of the song. The place went all the way insane. It was SOOOOO much fun. Additionally: He’s legit freestyling here. He’s an amazing freestyler. I only want to live so I can watch him in concert.
Deen: Kyleon: I was gonna write some impolite shit, then he named-checked KAB and I remembered that we might go to the same gym, so I’ll just say that I should probably go listen to his new mixtape.
Shea: Kyleon is the king.
Deen: Worldwide210: Nice lil variety of flows here, but I bet Shea is only making us write about this guy because he’s from San Antonio. Get over that NBA Finals loss, loser.
Shea: Affirmative. Worldwide is dope and Worldwide is from San Antonio, which was a thing I’d previously not considered possible. I’m rooting for him extra hard. And I will forever cry over 2013, same as I do for every single year the Spurs didn’t win the championship. Don’t you worry about that, Mobb. You just call me when Nigeria gets a basketball team.
Deen: A.Dd+: If we’re being completely honest, there’s really no reason to display so much pride in a city like Dallas. Ol’ too cool for school ass nigga. He be rappin tho.
Shea: Dallas. I don’t even know. But I really like A.Dd+.
Deen: Rob Gullatte: He’s really intense. I’m uncomfortable.
Shea: I just need for you to go listen to the first verse here.
