Source: George Floyd / Courtesy of Roxie Washington
As the death of George Floyd has captivated the nation into mass protests, the Houston rap community is remembering the man who rap fans and DJ Screw aficionados knew as “Big Floyd.”
Floyd, 46, died Monday while in police custody in Minneapolis, MN. A viral video showed the 6’6″ Floyd on his stomach with an officer’s knee in his neck and back. Four of the officers involved in his death have been fired.
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Artists such as Big Pokey, Lil Keke, Mike D, Chirs Ward, ESG and others have paid tribute to Floyd.
“God please bring justice for Big Floyd,” Keke wrote on Instagram.
This wrong in so many mf ways,” Mike D wrote. “Big Floyd was the big brother we all loved!!! We love u Kid!!! We gone ride for ya!!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAq2Ck-F0kT/?utm_source=ig_embed
“Them POLICE BRUTALITY ASS COPS Police car from Minneapolis Shouldn’t have had that much pressure on 1 human being to kill him,” Ward wrote via Twitter. “On top of that I had no CLUE WHATSOEVER THAT THAT WAS BIG FLOYD. #3rdWardLegend #RIPGeorgeFloyd #RipBIGFloyd #JusticeForFloyd.”
Cal Wayne offered one of the more touching tributes to Floyd. Both being Third Ward products, Cal considered Floyd to be more than just a mentor to him.
“This wasn’t my friend this was my big brother,” he wrote on Instagram. “My true O.G. Big Floyd any song I made you hear who taught me ‘George Big Floyd’ @bigfloyd3 @bigfloyd4god_rtg fuck the law. Y’all made my brother beg and the whole world saw him tell y’all ‘yall killing me’! Dam! #RESPEKDAGHETTO.”
RELATED: Former NBA Star Stephen Jackson Remembers His “Twin” George Floyd
Although he wasn’t profiled on some of the biggest Screwed Up Click songs, Floyd made his presence felt on six Screw tapes between 1996 and 1998, earning the rare distinction of having both a birthday tape and a personal tape. He loved 8Ball & MJG, famously rapped he would kick it with MJG one year and then in another rap profess he would drive up to Philly to kick it with Allen Iverson, the then NBA’s Rookie of the Year.
Ultimately, Floyd’s biggest moment as a rapper comes on top of Da Brat’s “Sittin’ On Top of The World,” his voice coming in as the last verse and the most imposing one as well. “Welcome to the ghetto, it’s Third Ward, Texas,” he raps on the track while shouting out Yellowstone, Screw and declaring he’s pulling a stallion who’s whipping him up a steak.
Press play on two of Floyd’s more memorable freestyles below.
