| Swishahouse | |
|---|---|
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| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Michael "5000" Watts OG Ron C G-Dash |
| Status | Active |
| Distributors |
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| Genre | Southern hip hop |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Official website | www |
Swishahouse is a Southern hip hop record label owned and founded in Houston, Texas in 1997 by the late Michael "5000" Watts and his business partner and record executive G-Dash. Watts passed away on January 30, 2026.
Swishahouse was founded in North Houston in 1997 by founder and President Michael "5000" Watts (June 7, 1973 — January 30, 2026) and OG Ron C as a response to the growing popularity of chopped and screwed music from Houston's south side, pioneered by DJ Screw. In 1999, Watts and G-Dash partnered and created Swishablast and became an official record label where G-Dash handled 100% of the business. SH began by distributing a mixtape series that featured chopped and slowed versions of R&B songs. Many of the current and former artists come from Acres Homes, Homestead, Rosewood & the Tidwell/Gulf Bank areas.
In 2003, Swishahouse released the compilation album The Day Hell Broke Loose 2, which featured the song “Still Tippin’” by label artists Mike Jones and Paul Wall, along with Swishahouse affiliate Slim Thug. The song initially achieved local success in Houston and the surrounding Southern market. Through word of mouth and the release of an X-rated music video that aired on BET: Uncut in the spring of 2004, “Still Tippin’” gained wider attention. By late 2004, the song was receiving major radio airplay, and an edited version of the video was released for broader rotation. The growing popularity of “Still Tippin’,” combined with Swishahouse’s independent success distributing music throughout the South, led to the label signing a national distribution deal with Asylum Records in 2004. The deal was a part of Warner Music Group's incubator program that built relationships with independent label executives the company aspired to hire. [1] In addition, Mike Jones was also signed to Warner Bros. Records, while Paul Wall was also signed to Atlantic Records.
Mike Jones released his major-label debut, Who Is Mike Jones? , throgh Asylum, Warner Bros., and Swishahouse in April 2005. The album debuted and peaked in the top 3 on the Billboard 200 , and was certified Platinum by the RIAA, for selling over a million copies in the United States of America, that June. [2]
Aftermath A&R Angelo Sanders said that the great advantage to independents like Swishahouse is that, "They're able to get their product out on the streets to specific regions at a greater speed than a major ... They're able to flood that whole Texas market with a product before the majors are able to notice what is going on out there." [3]
Swishahouse released Paul Wall's commercial debut studio album, The Peoples Champ ‚ in September 2005. The album debuted and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 , and was ultimately certified Platinum in America. [4] Before embarking on his rap career and while still at school, Wall had worked in the Swishahouse office. [5]
In 2006, Houston based music label Dope House Records and Swishahouse teamed up to release South Park Mexican's ninth album, When Devils Strike. [6] A chopped and screwed version was also released.
Swishahouse has archives hosted by Rice University's Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning, a center under the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. The physical materials are hosted in the Woodson Research Center at the university's Fondren Library. Thanks to the business contributions of G-Dash.. [7]
On January 30 2026, Michael Watts passed away from an irregular heart rhythm. [8]
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