The slab scene in Houston is iconic. Whether you've heard about it on a hip-hop track or seen it in person, slab turns cars into works of art. These uniquely modified vehicles not only express your style and how you pull up, but they form meaningful communities within the city.
Slab Sundays is a weekly meetup for local slab crews, and we caught up with Joseph Deboest and Bennie Spivey to get an inside look at the scene. They talked to us about how they first got introduced to the scene, how it creates community, and their advice for newcomers.
We also laced them and their crew up in the all-new adidas Originals Forum, which is the inspiration behind our Forum series that deep dives into eight cities across the U.S. and examines various subcultures and the communities behind them.
In Conversation With Bennie Spivey
How were you introduced to slab culture in Houston?
Early '90s the music, mostly through Paul Wall and Slim Thug and culture like that, Bun B and Pimp C. So, they started singing about it and got me into it.
How did you find friends within the scene?
Really just started hanging out and going to the meetings and stuff like that. I mean, every now and again, every weekend we'll go to a different park or whatever, so we'll just all meet up and we all became friends just because of the cars.
Were there any local mentors/inspirations that really caught your eye?
DJ Screw had one, but it wasn't really... He had the first kind of slab, but it was on blades, he didn't have the wheels, but then Fat Pat and everybody started to do the wheels and that's when I kind of really got into it, it was after Fat Pat.
How does the adidas Originals Forum connect with your community and how you express yourself?
The Forum is a lot like our community. It likes to be different and stand out, and that's what we are all about down here. We like things nobody else has and we express it with our clothes, cars, and even houses down here.
What keeps you going in this subculture? Who is pushing the scene to new heights right now?
Really, it's us and a couple other people or whatever as the main guys that's been doing anything. We're trying to get it in every media or whatever outlet we can.
Are there local hangout spots/parts of town that are iconic to the subculture?
Here MacGregor Park is a big one, that's where a lot of the first videos and everything happened. And then we got Carrington's was another local hangout spot we've done a lot. So, other than that, I mean, Deussen Park or any other park where we can hang out at on the weekend.
How does Houston's slab scene contribute to the city's culture? On the flip side, how does the city inspire what you do creatively?
It's a big thing here in Houston. It's like the identity of Houston pretty much or whatever. If you do anything with swangers or anything related, they automatically assume you're from Houston. So, it's kind of, I guess, it all started here.
Just I guess all the different cultures and subcultures and everything, it gets to be in one big mix here so we get a little bit of everything and get to see everybody's different side and put all their points aside into one. So, it kind of meshes everything together.
Any tips for curious newcomers?
Just take your time. A lot of people are trying to rush right now. A lot of things that us longtime slab riders have known is you got to take your time and do it on your own time. It's going to be here, it's been here since the '80s, it'll still be here.
Like putting your car together and everything like that. And while you're taking your time putting it together, it helps you learn everything else about the culture while you're putting it together and everything. So, it kind of all goes into one.
In Conversation With Joseph Deboest
How were you introduced to slab culture in Houston?
I grew up in a neighborhood called Hiram Clarke and all the guys in the neighborhood, they basically grew up putting slabs together. So all the OGs and the original guys in the neighborhood put the cars together and that's how I grew up one.
How did you find friends within the scene?
Growing up together, I mean, basically it's like a family, it's like a culture. So growing up together and buying wheels and buying cars, talking about it. It was always like a little dream, I want a car, I want a car, I want a car, finally got one.
Were there any local mentors/inspirations that really caught your eye?
I would say Jonathan Coleman, he was one of the OGs in the slab game. And you got Jabbar, he's another slab OG in the game. They were some of the guys that I grew up watching, putting their cars together, and it inspired me to want one.
What keeps you going in this subculture? Who is pushing the scene to new heights right now?
Well, Southside Old School Redline, that's the organization that I'm with, and you see the red cars, the older cars is out there. We're most likely the ones that's on the streets that's pushing it in a positive direction. Making sure everybody comes together, have a little fun, and stop all the violence and make sure we come together as a small family.
Are there local hangout spots/parts of town that are iconic to the subculture?
MacGregor Park, we in one of them right now, MacGregor Park is basically a spot where everybody comes on Sundays, Saturdays, most likely Sundays. And this started way back from the '80s. They'll come out and show off their cars and just have a good time, barbecue and fellowship.
How does Houston's slab scene contribute to the city's culture? On the flip side, how does the city inspire what you do creatively?
The way it inspires me is because it's something different and when you see all the people come together, you see them smiling, "Wow, look at that, that's amazing." It's like an art, it's an art car. It's everybody's hobby, it's their talent, it's their skills. So just seeing people put that together, it's amazing.
Any tips for curious newcomers?
It's expensive, take your time. Don't rush it and if you're married talk to your spouse first.
