There are a handful of things that really scream “Houston:” Beyoncé, Timmy Chan’s fried chicken, and candy paint slabs with the elbows out. But one three-digit code may dethrone them all. Not 281. Not 832, and definitely not 621. We’re talking about the OG 713—the original Houston area code, now celebrated citywide every July 13 when the month and date align just right. This local not-liday might look like a regular day to others, but to Houston, it’s everything.

Houstonians show up in droves for our own H-Town AF activities, and many businesses go all out. Restaurants offer $7.13 food and drink specials. Artists and musicians perform, and celebrities make appearances around town. This year, headlining events include 713 merchandise drops around the city, cookouts, and a slab showcase (just in time for Slab Sundays) at Midtown’s Axelrad. The Houston Food Bank also promises a post-shift party for volunteers, complete with DJs and photo ops with the Astros’ championship trophies.

Despite the annual fanfare, the origins of 713 Day are lesser known. To most, it’s about area code pride. In 1947, the Public Utility Commission of Texas created 713 as the first area code in the city, and one of the first in Texas. But true Houstonians know that 713 Day’s real roots lie within the heart of the city’s hip-hop culture, and with one of its most iconic voices: Marcus Lakee Edwards, better known as Lil’ Keke.

The Houston vanguard and founding member of the legendary Screwed Up Click explains that the holiday began long before the city adopted it. Famous for certified classics like “Southside,” “Chunk Up Da Deuce,” and “I’m a G,” Lil’ Keke is credited as one of the definitive voices in Southern rap. A Houston native, Edwards popularized the “713” brand to pay tribute to his city. “I came up with [713 Day] because it was based on something that had to do with my career,” Edwards explains. “My city was everything to me. My city broke me. They gave me my legs. They always stood behind me.”

Edwards incorporated the “713” tag into his lifestyle and career. In 2012, he launched his company and brand, Slfmade 713, adopting the area code essentially as the logo. The Houston-proud production continuously paid homage to the city through 713-branded merchandise, including a T-shirt line, as well as music, featuring a series of 12 mixtapes. At that time, “everybody was still saying 7-1-3, but my goal with my mixtape brand was to get everybody to say 7-Thirteen, so I just started branding it hard,” Edwards says.

The movement gained momentum, so much so that in 2015, former mayor Annise Parker issued a proclamation declaring July 13 “713 Day” or “Lil’ Keke Day.” “Awarding me my own day, the proclamation is signed, it’s official 713. My day,” Edwards wrote proudly in an Instagram post that year. Friends, fans, and supporters inaugurated the initial 2015 decree with an impromptu party in the parking lot of Screwed Up Records and Tapes, the official music store of DJ Screw and a cultural landmark affectionately known as the Screw Shop.

Former mayor Sylvester Turner continued to issue similar dictums to Lil’ Keke, further cementing the rapper’s claim to the code. Edwards marked the first official observation of the holiday in 2016 by taking the celebrations to the next level. He hosted a 713 Day event in the Screw Shop’s parking lot at West Fuqua Street, and rap fans from all over the city showed up and showed out, jamming to his performances while soaking up the summer sun’s rays. “The streets [were] over capacity. I’m talking about crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy. It was absolutely beautiful,” he says. “I say ‘713 Day’ didn’t come outside, so I brought it outside.”
Lil’ Keke played it back in 2017, hosting his second major 713 Day, a lively gathering that coincided with the 20th anniversary of his debut album Don’t Mess Wit Texas. Since, Edwards has held 713 Day celebrations almost every year, with concerts and meetups at central locations in the city, including 8th Wonder Brewery. “I’ve been at this for a long time,” he says.

The parties paused during the height of the pandemic but restarted in 2021. That’s when Edwards says he saw the holiday becoming more mainstream. City officials and local organizations began embracing “713 Day” into its lexicon, promoting Houston’s spirit and camaraderie across the region on July 13, he says. Yet, there was little mention of Edwards or Houston’s hip-hop culture. 
“That’s my day, and the only proof I have is in a branded form, from hats to merchandise, my line, my email, my store,” Edwards says.

This year, the celebrations continue. Edwards will headline multiple pop-ups in the city and a Legends Only concert at Bar 5015, a famed nightlife hot spot on Almeda Road. Houstonians will attend some of the day’s biggest parties and affairs, though many are unaware that Lil’ Keke was the catalyst for it all. In the end, “it’s no ill will,” he says.

“I know I’m really the brains behind it. [and] I love it,” Edwards says. “Because it’s for my city.”