George Floyd, the Black man who was killed while in Minneapolis police custody over the weekend, had his hand in the Houston hip-hop music scene decades ago as the rapper Big Floyd.
On Wednesday (May 27), the Houston Chronicle reported that the 46-year-old man was instrumental in the early development of the Screwed Up Click, a Houston-bred hip-hop group led by DJ Screw.
Floyd is featured on DJ Screw's Screw Tapes alongside other well-known members of the S.U.C. like Big Moe, Lil' Flip, Big Pokey, Fat Pat and affiliates Lil' Troy and UGK. Following his death, "Sittin on Top of the World," a freestyle featuring Screw and Floyd, resurfaced on Reddit and Twitter for fans to enjoy.
Besides the work he's done with Screw, George released mixtapes under the rap name Big Floyd in the 1990s before joining the Presidential Playas and releasing music for their album Block Party.
Floyd's music with DJ Screw's Screwed Up Click and the Presidential Playas has been getting heavy play today following his recent death, which was a result of police brutality. On Tuesday (May 26), video footage began to circulate on the internet of Floyd being violently detained by a White Minneapolis police officer. In the 10-minute clip, the officer pins his knee onto Floyd's neck, preventing him from being able to breathe while onlookers plead for gentler treatment.
Since the footage began to spread across the internet and social media, rappers like Diddy, Cardi B, 2 Chainz and more have spoken up in his honor demanding justice be served.
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