“Ratchet is that inner-person that most people are scared to show the world.” Explains Pimp, “You ever get ready to leave the house, you say, ‘I don’t know if I should wear this ‘cause people are going to judge me.’ Being ‘ratchet’ is having that attitude to do whatever you want, and to have that free spirit, just not really givin' an ‘F’ what critics or haters are going to say, just worry about what you want to do.” Taking a spin on the stereotypically negative connotation of the word, the group has used it as a term to embrace the things that you like that others might disprove of. The Art of Ratchet is more than just an album, it’s a lifestyle. “Houston is one of the few cities in the south that embraces their talent, they embrace their artists, they give the artist their bread while they’re still living.”

As Houston has learned to survive on its own, away from the bigger recording cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta, it has become a tighter, inner circle, with Houstonians showing an overbearing amount of support for local artists. Representing for the city only seems right after the embrace the city gives its artists. “And it’s crazy traveling to like, Japan, and seeing that the screw culture is crazy out there!” adds Tim, “They really know songs word for word, it blew me away, they’ve got grills, 84’s in the Cadillac, candy paint, all that! It goes beyond just Texas.” “It’s a culture that everyone seems to want to copy now” explains Fat Pimp, “I remember when screw first came out, I took that music to the Midwest and nobody wanted to listen to it, but then ten years down the line, now everybody wants to use ‘screwed up’ hooks.” But in Houston hip-hop artists Tim Ned and Fat Pimp’s experience, that hasn’t always been the case.

With multiple H-Town natives such as Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, and Travis Scott dominating the charts, and high profile, remote rappers like Drake and ASAP Rocky consistently acknowledging their Houston influence directly in their songs, the city is finally getting its praise for its original sounds. In recent years, Houston’s hip-hop reputation has seen an increase in popularity.

H town emotions album