Michael 5000 Watts

Michael 5000 Watts is a DJ from Houston, Texas (more specifically, the Homestead area on the northeast side of Houston) who specializes in the Screwed & Chopped technique of southern rap. Michael Watts is also the founder and owner of Swishahouse Records .

He founded his Swishahouse Label in 1997. The label was mainly known for releasing mixtapes which featured freestyles from such artists as Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Lil Mario, Golden Child, Big Pic, Archie Lee, and others. Around 2000, artists like Archie Lee and Big Tiger began to release rap albums under the Swishahouse Label. Meanwhile, Michael Watts was involved in a dispute with Swishahouse artists Big Pic and AD which stemmed from monetary disputes and the failure to release Big Pic's album "I Broke It!".

In 2003, Michael Watts was assaulted at the Kappa Texas Beach Party by a group of men led by defunct Swishahouse artist Big Pic.

In late 2005, Watts got in a monetary dispute with Mike Jones that resulted in Jones leaving Swishahouse, firing his manager T. Farris and signing with Rap-A-Lot Records. Watts and the label are also in talks with anime giant & native Houston company ADV Films for an Anime Screwed & Chopped Megamix series.

Screwed & Chopped

Watts is well noted for bringing the Screwed & Chopped genre to the commercial level. In the mid-1990's, Watts adopted the Screwed style (along side OG Ron C) from the South Side of Houston, TX to the North Side. The first Screwed & Chopped record outside Houston was Space Age 4 Eva by 8Ball & MJG, but the first album to receive big mainstream exposure was "Mississippi: The Album" by David Banner in 2003. Chopped & Screwed remixed albums by Michael Watts can be easily be identified with the Swishahouse logo on albums along with a strange looking effect & or a change of color of the album cover. It can also be identified in the audio with Watt's catch phrases such as "DJ Michael Watts" or "Swishahouse Remix".

Video Appearances

• "Still Tippin'" by Mike Jones (featuring Slim Thug & Paul Wall)
• "Chunk Up Tha Deuce" by Lil' Keke (featuring Paul Wall & Bun B)
• "I'm Throwed" by Paul Wall (featuring Jermaine Dupri)

Official Chopped & Screwed Releases

Radio career

Michael Watts hosts his own radio show on 97.9 The Box located in Houston, TX. There are two segments: "The Swishahouse Mix" which runs from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. His other segment, called "Straight To The Room", runs from 11:00 PM to 1:00AM and contains Screwed & Chopped R&B (aka Slow Jams).

See also

• Houston hip hop

External links

• Interview with Michael Watts conducted via 2-way pager (October 2001)
• Michael Watts Official Myspace
• Swishahouse Label Website