Swishahouse


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.

History

Swishahouse was founded in North Houston in 1997 by founder and President Michael "5000" Watts 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. The series includes:
  • All Freestyles
  • Final Chapter
  • Before da Kappa
  • After da Kappa
  • Choppin Em Up
  • Fuck Action
  • Straight To Tha Room FKA Fuck Action
  • The Day Hell Broke Loose
  • Let Your Nutz Hang
  • Rollin' Strap
  • Paper Chase
  • Blow One
  • Juvenile Delinquent
  • Still Smoking
  • 2kHate
  • Street Fame
A song that originally appeared on the compilation album The Day Hell Broke Loose 2, Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'", achieved mainstream success in 2004. The single would go on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. This led to Swishablast/Swishahouse signing a national distribution deal with Asylum Records. Jones released his major-label debut, Who Is Mike Jones?, on Swishablast Ent. Warner Bros. in April 2005; the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA, for selling over a million copies in the United States of America, that June.
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."
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. Before embarking on his rap career and while still at school, Wall had worked in the Swishahouse office.
In 2006, Houston based music label Dope House Records and Swishahouse teamed up to release South Park Mexican's ninth album, When Devils Strike. 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 .
On January 30 2026, Michael Watts passed away from an irregular heart rhythm.

Notable artists