T

SYNOPSIS

he primary purpose of this feature is

to showcase the resurging rap scene in
Houston,TX by focusing on the rise of
some of the cities hottest young/new artist. In
doing so,each episode will place emphasis on a
major aspect/contributing factor to said culture.
Outside of the musicians themselves, this
feature will shed light on other areas of interest
(strip clubs, neighborhoods, DJs/radio, etc.)
that are,more or less, a reaction to the growing
hip hop culture in Houston. Attempting to
seamlessly tie everything back to the music.

WHY HOUSTON
There are several reasons as to why the city
of Houston was selected for this feature. For
one, the Houston hip hop scene has always
played a vital role in the overall growth and
expansion of hip hop as a culture. However,
due to lack of industry exposure, many of these
unique influences tend to get unrecognized or
masked over as a general contribution from
the southern hip hop experience. What makes
Houston different is its uniqueness in areas
such as music, fashion, car culture, nightlife,
etc. But even despite all this Houston tends to
feel neglected by the rap industry as a whole.
*Episode breakdowns:
-Neighborhood feature
-Houston DJs/ Radio feature
-Strip Club feature
-New Artist feature

Neighborhoods
Most major cities have expansive public transportation
systems like trains or metro rails that allow residents
from one side of town to connect with another. This
constant movement and interaction between people
allow for even the largest cities to feel closer. Unfortunately because of a lack of such a system many Houstonians tend to not leave their communities and venture
out into unfamiliar territory. People from the South
West seldomly visit the North Side, people from the
North Side rarely head down to Mo-City, and so on.
Even though Houstons neighborhoods may not appear distinct at first
glance when you
take a step back and
look again things
become a bit more
clear, and every area
begins to develop a
unique personality.
Showcasing each
neighborhood in
a way that allows
viewers to understand what makes
them unique is the
central challenge of
this episode. Along
with explaining
what features in each
community lead to
not only its notoriety throughout the city but how it
shapes the artist that comes from these communities.

RADIO STATIONS/DJS
Houstons hip hop and R&B stations have proven to be
a vital part of the growth of local artist by contributing
to their success in a myriad of ways. One thing that
sets Houstons local hip hop and R&B stations apart is
the emphasis on spinning records from local artist. On
any given day there is a strong possibility that you may
hear a song that is only going to be played in Houston
and nowhere else. Both 9.79 The Box and newcomer
93.7 The Beat regularly showcase new artist during
their various programs.

The success and longevity of 97.9 speaks for itself.

with programs such as the Madd Hatta Morning show,
G-man and the Chile, and Mike Watts Swisha House
mix on Sunday nights, all of which have become an
integral part of the Houston radio experience.
On the other hand 93.7 The Beat is hell bent on letting
Houstonians feel their presence. What 93.7 does better
than a lot of other radio stations is its ability to incorporate actual club and mixtape DJs into their programming in a way that is true to radio yet keeps listeners
wanting more. Whether youre listening to DJ Mr
Rogers Neighborhood mix, or OG Ron C & the Chopstars, the decision
one must make to
turn off their engine
and step out the car
becomes much more
difficult.
With 97.9 The Box
and 93.7 The Beat
you feel like youre
getting an authentic
H-Town radio experience. it doesnt
feel like pandora, it
doesnt feel like top
40 hip hop and r&b,
it feels like Houston.
This episode aims to
tell the story of two
radio stations, their history, their views on the up and
coming artist, as well as their take on the city they represent. In addition, this feature also looks to showcase
some of the citys hottest djs in the club scene and their
perspective on the intersection of rap and Houstons
nightlife.

women on stage as well as those who came in looking

for a different after hours move. Houston strip clubs
allow patrons the opportunity to keep the party going
into the early morning by creating an atmosphere that
makes everyone feel like a baller. Houstons plethora of
after hour spots mean that each strip club must present
a unique set of features and appeal to the right audience in order to stay relevant.

Make no mistake Houston never fell

off. Till this day many mainstream artist
credit Houston as a major influencer in
Hip Hop culture.
If the club lets out early and you and your homegirls
are trying to get chose and make the most out of the
night, go to Dreams. If your cousin from out of town is
visiting and if youre in the mood to blow your holiday
bonus while lying to women that you play ball overseas, go to V-Live. If you want to go to a spot where the
experience is so wild, raw, and uncut that it forces you
to go to church the next day and pray for forgiveness,
then go to Onyx. The list goes on. But even with all
their differences Houston strip clubs all have one thing
in common: (no, not good food), good djs that play
great music. Building the energy of the crowd with one
mix after another until you feel like youre in a movie.
This episode focuses on Houstons nightlife, particularly the strip club scene which has become a staple in hip
hop culture. By focusing on those who fuel and create
this experience we aim to provide vivid insight on not
only what makes each club different from the next but
also answer questions and bring forth clarity to some
of the preconceived notions that people may share
about these spaces.

STRIP CLUBS/NIGHTLIFE

NEW ARTIST

The nightlife scene in houston is vast and diverse offering a wide variety of options for club goers of all walks
of life. But for those in the rap scene Houstons strip
clubs provide an experience unlike no other. Walk into
any venue and youre likely to be surrounded by professional athletes, hustlers, rappers, and the beautiful

Historically speaking rappers from Houston have

always proven that when given the opportunity, when
given the spotlight, they can compete with anyone.
Such was the case in 2004 - 2005 when it appeared as
though Houston was on the verge of becoming hip
hops newest base for hot new talent. But since then
many local artist have experienced difficulty breaking

into the mainstream, until now. One of the underlying

messages of this feature is to present viewers with the
idea that this crop of artist holds the best chance of
putting Houston back on the map, just like in 2005,
possibly even bigger.
Make no mistake Houston never fell off. Till this day
many mainstream artist credit Houston as an influencer in hip hop culture. But even with this nod artist
from Houston who dominate the local air waves, fail
to receive adequate recognition for their work on a
mainstream level.
As the central theme behind City Knockin this episode
focuses on these artist: who they are, what makes them
relevant, what makes them unique, and why the rap
game should brace itself for the resurgence of Houston
as a major hip hop power.
This feature also looks to implore strong/detailed commentary from Houstons O.Gs, their thoughts on the
artist, differences, similarities, etc. This perspective is
extremely important in terms of shaping viewers perception of the artist while simultaneously establishing
their credibility within the movement. Moreover, this
also allows for Houston rap fans of a different generation to connect with artist that they may not be entirely too familiar with.