By the time he reached his twenties, George Floyd was already a legend on the streets of Third Ward, a historically Black and culturally rich enclave on the south side of Houston, Texas.
A two-sport athlete at Jack Yates High School, he was the generous giant of a tight end who helped lead his team to a state championship game in 1992.
At six and a half feet tall, Floyd was unmistakable and easily earned the nickname of “Big Floyd.” In the Cuney Homes, a dormitory-style housing project where Floyd grew up, everyone knew him.
They also knew DJ Screw, whose slowed-down mixtapes warped space and time, and made neighborhood stars out of the rappers who visited him.