The Lone Star State: 18 times rappers gave Texas a lyrical tribute
Texas may not be where Hip Hop started, but it's definitely a major player in the genre nowadays. From Houston's signature "chopped and screwed" style to Dallas, where artists like Big Tuck and Vanilla Ice emerged, and Austin's live music scene — each city has shaped the genre’s sound. The mentions of Third Ward, Oak Cliff or Sixth Street in rap songs might seem commonplace, but their homage carries heavy weight for those living in the Southern state.
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REVOLT rounded up 18 standout moments in rap history that pay homage to Texas. Check them out below.
1. Major Distribution by Drake and 21 Savage: “I’m in love with Houston, Dallas, Austin”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfPYX03_4rA&pp=ygUSbWFqb3IgZGlzdHJpYnV0aW9u
Drake’s love for Texas runs deep. On 2022’s “Major Distribution,” pulled from his joint LP with 21 Savage, Her Loss, Drake gives a shout-out to Texas’ most-beloved cities. The Certified Lover Boy artist has also referenced the Lone Star State on tracks like “9AM in Dallas,” “TSU,” “From Time” and more. He even became an official resident in 2023 with the purchase of a 313-acre ranch near Houston, reportedly costing him over $15 million.
2. Sippin’ Tha Barre by Paul Wall: "They got you thinkin' Houston, Texas the home of David Carr/ But really it's candy paint, playas sippin' on barre"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3dv5vwmPoY&pp=ygUTc2lwcGluIG9uIHRoZSBiYXJyZQ%3D%3D
When thinking of rappers who shaped Houston’s music scene in the early 2000s, Paul Wall is certainly among those that come to mind. “Sippin’ Tha Barre” appeared on his second studio album, The People’s Champ, and its title itself is Texas slang for lean — a combination of cough syrup and soda. In the song, Wall references then-Houston Texans quarterback David Carr. The football player was selected as the team’s first overall pick but, unfortunately, left just a year after Wall's track debuted.
3. H-Town by Nipsey Hussle featuring Cobby Supreme, TeeFLii, Dom Kennedy, Skeme: "H-Town in my cup, OG in my blunt/ Crenshaw on my shirt, German on my stunt"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU-QX39w8oI&pp=ygUNaC10b3duIG5pcHNleQ%3D%3D
Before his untimely passing, Nipsey Hussle paid tribute to Texas on many occasions. From working with Houston native Trae Tha Truth to supporting the Red Raiders during the Elite Eight, Hussle’s impact left a lasting mark in the region. “H-Town” is an obvious nod to Houston, with the Victory Lap creator delivering a catchy chorus in the process.
4. BOA by Megan Thee Stallion: "From the back, he can tell I'm from Texas"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKQY2ZlIEjY&pp=ygUXYm9hIG1lZ2FuIHRoZWUgc3RhbGxpb24%3D
“Everything's bigger in Texas” is the saying, and Megan Thee Stallion plays into that motif on “BOA.” Standing at 5’10”, the San Antonio-born star cleverly references her stature and curves on the track’s second verse: “Showin' my a** like adult entertainers/ From the back, he can tell I'm from Texas.”
5. MELTDOWN by Travis Scott featuring Drake: "How many Texas boys done ran it up? A couple, maybe"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuKm4L9ryB0&pp=ygUIbWVsdGRvd24%3D
Especially in the digital era, there are few rappers representing Houston to the extent that Travis Scott does. He has mentioned the city on cuts like “90210,” “Modern Slavery,” “HOUSTONFORNICATION” and “Flying High,” to name a few. On the UTOPIA standout track “MELTDOWN,” he questions how many artists from his home state have “ran it up.”
6. Flava in Ya Ear (Remix) by Craig Mack featuring Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Rampage and The Notorious B.I.G.: "Not from Houston but I Rap-A-Lot/ Pack the gat a lot, the flav's 'bout to drop"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMbELEUfmIA&pp=ygUVZmxhdmEgaW4geWEgZWFyIHJlbWl4
James Prince and Cliff Blodget founded Rap-A-Lot Records in the mid-’80s. Headquartered in Houston, the label helped boost Geto Boys, Z-Ro and UGK’s Bun B and Pimp C into stardom. On Craig Mack’s star-studded “Flava in Ya Ear (Remix),” featuring artist The Notorious B.I.G. name-drops the iconic label.
7. Wood Wheel by UGK: "Smokin' Swishers, wood grain/ And leavin' stains on cerebellums/ Rebellum, propell 'em, gel 'em/ From P.A. to Deep Ellum"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9p34WY_2WI&ab_channel=georgeclowney
Dirty Money marked UGK’s fourth studio album, which introduced surefire cuts like “Wood Wheel.” In the hit, the duo pay homage to where they grew up. They mention “P.A.,” or Port Arthur, Texas, and Deep Ellum, a neighborhood located in Dallas. Elsewhere in the song, Pimp C drops a few more Texas-coded bars: “84 Cadillacs that slant/ Slowed-down Screw tapes that knock.”
8. Crazy by Boosie Badazz: "In Louisiana streets I'm like J. Prince in Houston"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofkbJUBqFyw&pp=ygUMY3JhenkgYm9vc2ll
In another shout-out to J. Prince, Boosie Badazz likens himself to the record executive on “Crazy.” Similar to the Texas native, the Louisiana rapper launched his own label, Bad Azz Music Syndicate.
9. HollyWeezy by Lil Wayne: "Grew up on Bun B, Pimp C was my tutor/ Pimp Squad for life, had to do this for Houston"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skN5U4dlmrE&pp=ygUKaG9sbHl3ZWV6eQ%3D%3D
“H-Town! Lord, I done went from Hollygrove to H-Town,” Lil Wayne spits on “HollyWeezy” from 2015’s Sorry 4 The Wait 2. In addition to a few bars about Houston over chopped and screwed music, the New Orleans artist pays homage to two Texas legends. He worked with the two artists before, appearing on Bun B’s “Damn I’m Cold” and Pimp C’s posthumous release “3 Way Freak.”
10. Special by Lizzo: "I've been the same since I've been drivin' slow on Bissonnet/ Call up anybody I knew and they would tell you that"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ujjiNBQnmI&pp=ygUNbGl6em8gc3BlY2lhbA%3D%3D
Though born in Detroit, Lizzo moved to Texas with her family at 10 years old. In 2023, the singer-rapper donated $50,000 to a University of Houston scholarship, making a nod to the city on her hit track “Special” just a year before. Bissonnet Street, which spans roughly 19 miles, begins in the Houston Museum District and ends in Fort Bend County.
12. Blow the Whistle by Too Short: “Pimp C, 8-Ball & MJG/ Keep spittin' that P to the I-M-P/ Bun-B, that's Texas, baby”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJtzEKetBM&pp=ygURYmxvb3cgdGhlIHdoaXN0bGU%3D
Too Short’s “Blow the Whistle” has been remixed and reworked several times since its release. On the Hip Hop classic’s second verse, the West Coast rapper shows love to two rap groups: UGK’s Pimp C and Bun B as well as 8Ball & MJG, the latter of whom are from Memphis, Tennessee. Too Short also made several other references to the iconic Texas duo with lines like, “Short Dog f**k with UGK” and “My n**ga C got locked up.”
13. Codeine Cups by Juicy J featuring The Weeknd: “My crib in Cali like Texas sippin' DJ Screw/ Fridge full of Bombay but you can't find no juice”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMf22IQgomw&ab_channel=TurfPolitics
“Codeine Cups” was a fitting entry to add to Juicy J’s 2011 mixtape, Blue Dream & Lean: Reloaded. On the The Weeknd-assisted cut, the North Memphis musician pays homage to the late DJ Screw, who suffered a tragic heart attack due to a codeine overdose.
14. Knockin’ Doorz Down by Pimp C featuring Lil’ Keke and P.O.P.: “Keke the Don, Pimp C a king/ Lil' J, the owner of the squad, H-Town, we the team/ It ain't no I in that, you trying that, you be fatigued/ But if we man up and press, we could lead the league”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88_UwNYvB7o&pp=ygUaa25vY2tpbiBkb3duIGRvb3JzIHBpbXAgYyA%3D
Just a year after his release from jail, Pimp C shared his sophomore album, Pimpalation. The standout cut, “Knockin’ Doorz Down,” found the Underground Kingz artist calling for unity in Texas. For the latter verses, he recruited Lil’ Keke and P.O.P., the latter of whom helped drive the message home: “All the conflict and plex that we carrying/ It's time to get rid of the beef like vegetarians.”
15. Country S**t (Remix) by Big K.R.I.T. featuring Ludacris and Bun B: “Slow it down, chop, chop and screw it for the folk in Texas/ That forever reckon with the Styrofoam cup and the purple fluid”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G49Tdw4KDw&pp=ygUSY291bnRyeSBzaGl0IHJlbWl4
Big K.R.I.T. called on Bun B and Ludacris for the remix of his 2010 effort “Country S**t.” Inevitably, the record contains a number of references to the South. Most notably, the lead artist references the chopped and screwed genre, which DJ Screw pioneered in the early 1990s.
16. Superhero (Heroes & Villains) by Metro Boomin featuring Future and Chris Brown: “Ain't havin' problems, I'm sippin' the Barrе/ Shoutout to Dallas, my b**ch is a star”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WCD3Z9UmJ4&pp=ygUWc3VwZXJoZXJvIG1ldHJvIGJvb21pbg%3D%3D
Many of Texas’ sports teams prominently feature a star in their logos as the shape is often linked to the state. On “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” from Metro Boomin’s sophomore effort, Future points to Dallas, whose NFL and NHL banners boast the symbol.
17. PISTOL PACCIN by NLE Choppa featuring BigXthaPlug: “You know, then you know I'm from Dallas/ The home of the Mavericks, so n**ga, you know we—”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNwIICLNxDQ&pp=ygUNcGlzdG9sIHBhY2Npbg%3D%3D
Representing the Big D, BigXthaPlug linked up with NLE Choppa for 2023’s “PISTOL PACCIN.” He drops a clever line about the city’s NBA team — former home of players like Jason Terry and Steve Nash — before the Cottonwood creator returns on the chorus with, “Pistol packin', never lackin', run up, get your issue.”
18. Get Dealt With by Mobb Deep: “We blitz like Dallas ain’t no Super Bowl faceoff/ We form like n**gas in the yard up north”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nsjtjn0Fmo&pp=ygUYZ2V0IGRlYWx0IHdpdGggbW9iYiBkZWVw
During the ’90s, the Dallas Cowboys bagged three Super Bowl titles, including an epic win in '96, which coincidentally was the same year Mobb Deep dropped “Get Dealt With.” Facing off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys launched a second-half blitz that led to a game-changing interception and ultimately sealed their win. Mobb Deep alludes to the football play in the song’s first verse. Unfortunately, the team hasn’t taken home a championship victory since then.
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