Slab (sometimes in all capital letters) is an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

for "slow, loud, and bangin'" or for "hitting the slab," as in driving on concrete roads. It is a slang term for a car with bright candy paint and large

chrome Chrome may refer to: Materials * Chrome plating, a process of surfacing with chromium * Chrome alum, a chemical used in mordanting and photographic film Computing * Google Chrome, a web browser developed by Google ** ChromeOS, a Google Chrome- ...

wheels, among other customizations. Slabs emerged in the 1980s

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and saw the most popularity in the 1990s and 2000s, but have faded in popularity. Slabs are synonymous with Texas rap culture, and the drivers of Slabs would usually play loud

rap music Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

and drive slowly thus the "Slab" (slow, loud, and bangin') term. Another view is that the term "slab" refers to the slabs of concrete that make up the street, as in taking out a custom car on the concrete slab of a Houston freeway."

Elements

Slabs have bright "candy" paint in colorful hues, contrasting many modern grey, black, and white cars. They often feature gold and whitewall tires on chrome wire wheels which may protrude like a cone horizontally, colloquially called "Swangas" or "elbows." They may also feature "cartoonish" central poker protruding centers, the longest being . A simulated Continental kit that include a fiberglass spare wheel and marching "elbow" are often added to the rear. The customized cars are typically American brands like

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...

, Lincoln, and

Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...

. Many are retro cars like the Cadillac DeVille or old

Chevrolet Impala The Chevrolet Impala () is a full-size car built by Chevrolet for model years 1958 to 1985, 1994 to 1996, and 2000 to 2020. The Impala was Chevrolet's popular flagship passenger car and was among the better-selling American-made automobiles in ...

s. Slabs may have lowered suspension from hydraulics. Some Slabs have constantly open or "popped" trunks that contain neon signs, amplifiers, and speakers. The high-powered sound systems with massive subwoofers can shatter plate glass store windows. Owners also put custom messages under the trunk lid. Slabs are similar to Californian lowrider cars, with retro American cars, bright colors, low suspension, and association with hip-hop. However, the large wheels, occasional usage of more modern cars, and trunk "popping" makes Slabs distinct from lowriders. The design of Slab cars borrows inspiration from cars driven by pimps and gangsters in the 1970s "

Blaxploitation Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president o ...

" films.

In hip-hop culture

Slabs are a part of Texas rap culture, named after how Slab drivers played rap in the car. They were frequently mentioned in and played in 2000s and 1990s Texas rap songs. Rappers like

Chamillionaire Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He was the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click from 2001 until the group split in 2005. He began his ...

, Pimp C,

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with ...

, Paul Wall,

Slim Thug Stayve Jerome Thomas (born September 8, 1980), better known by his stage name Slim Thug, is an American rapper. He initially gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the hit single by rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'". In July 2005, h ...

Big Pokey Milton Powell (born November 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Big Pokey, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. Pokey is associated with chopped and screwed music, and is one of the original members of the Screwed Up Click. Rap ca ...

Z-Ro Joseph Wayne McVey IV (born January 19, 1977), better known by his stage names Z-Ro and the Mo City Don, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He was named one of America's most underrated rappers by ''The New York Times'' in 2007. Early li ...

, and Mike Jones would mention Slabs in their songs. Additionally, the chopped and screwed style of Southern rap, which involved slowing rap songs and then repeating or skipping beats, popularized by

DJ Screw Robert Earl Davis Jr. (July 20, 1971 – November 16, 2000), better known by his stage name DJ Screw, was an American hip hop DJ based in Houston, Texas, and best known as the creator of the now-famous chopped and screwed DJ technique. He ...

and DJ Mike Watts, made Slabs more popular as part of Slab culture is slow driving, which fit the style of low tempo chopped and screwed songs.

References

{{Reflist African-American slang Culture of Houston Southern hip hop Car culture Hip hop fashion