Prep

• Andrew Nosnitsky, ‘Gray Matters’, Pitchfork (4 March 2013). On the legacy of Houston’s DJ Screw– possibly the most influential hip-hop DJ of this century– and how his impact goes way beyond simply slowing things down.
• Audio: ‘Big Floyd and the Rise of Houston Chopped N Screwed Music’, Switched on Pop (9 June 2020)
• Audio: DJ Screw, June 27 (1996; Side B Freestyle)

In Class

1. Attendance
2. Q&A
3. Reading Notes for Next Time

For Next Time

• Amanda Petrusich, ‘Against Chill: Apathetic Music to Make Spreadsheets to’, New Yorker (10 April 2019). keywords: active listening; ambient music; chill; Chillhop; mindful listening; mumble rap; purposeful listening (‘The idea of purposeful listening—which is to say, merely listening—is becoming increasingly discordant with the way that music is sold to us’); SoundCloud rap; vibe. 
• Audio: ‘Why Lo-Fi Is the Perfect Background Music’ Switched on Pop (19 May 2020)

• Video: ‘How J Dilla Humanized His MPC3000’, Vox Earworm (6 December 2017)