On Friday 30 January, Michael '5000' Watts passed away of a cardiac arrest, at the age of 52. He was a titan of Houston hip-hop, and the Chopped and Screwed genre and subculture. Based in the Northside of Houston, he co-founded the Swishahouse label in 1997, and as such would immensely boost the careers of artists like Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Mike Jones and Paul Wall to the national level. The 2003 hit 'Still Tippin', which Watts worked on (and is in the music video), helped to put these last three artists and the Swishahouse label on the map. Whilst the Screwed Up Click and DJ Screw from the Southside were the originators, Watts and the Swishahouse were the key group that caused the surge in popularity of the genre throughout the U.S. in the 2000s. Watts hosted Houston’s 97.9 The Box radio station, and he also streamed on TikTok in recent years, helping to bring his sound to a new generation. I particularly enjoyed his Screwed and Chopped (that was how the Northside often referred to their mixes as, even though they weren't by DJ Screw) version of Bun B's Trill (2005). May Watts rest in peace.
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