Michael "5000" Watts Passed Away!

Chop and screw legend Michael "5000" Watts passed away.

Chopped and screwed. 

The legendary producer and mixer Michael "5000" Watts, co-founder of Swishahouse Records has passed away at the age of 52. He gave rise to Houston's biggest talents.

Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Lil Keke, Lil Flip, Trae tha Truth

He is best in slowing down and chopping up songs.

Watts, the visionary DJ and producer who founded the influential Swishahouse record label and helped propel Houston’s "chopped and screwed" sound to international prominence, has died. He was 52. His death was confirmed January 30, 2026, at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands.

Watts had been hospitalized earlier this week with what family members described as "tremendous health issues."

‘He was a movement’

What they're saying: Watts' family and Swishahouse Records have released statements on his passing.

The DJ's family says he "developed a fatal heart rhythm called torsades de Pointes causing a sudden cardiac death." They say he passed away Friday surrounded by loved ones.

Johnny Dang, Paul Wall, Michael "5000" Watts and Chamillionaire.

"We truly appreciate the love shown to Michael throughout his career, and we ask for continued prayers as we navigate through this very hard journey," the family's statement reads.

Swishahouse Records credits its founder for helping "define the sound, spirit, and global influence of Houston hip-hop."

"Michael ‘5000’ Watts was more than a founder, he was a movement," the record's statement reads. "Beyond the music, Michael Watts was a mentor, a cultural curator, and a builder of opportunity. He believed in ownership, creativity, and the power of storytelling through sound."

In 1997, he co-founded Swishahouse, originally a grassroots mixtape label based in North Houston.

 The label became a cornerstone of the "chopped and screwed" genre—a technique of slowing down tracks and skipping beats to create a heavy, rhythmic atmosphere.

While the style was pioneered by the late DJ Screw, Watts is credited with taking the sound from the streets of Houston to the national stage. 

Under his leadership, Swishahouse transformed from an independent mixtape powerhouse into a commercial juggernaut that defined the sound of Texas rap in the mid-2000s.

In recent days, the Houston music community has rallied around the legend.

 After news of his hospitalization broke on Jan. 28, artists like Paul Wall and Slim Thug took to social media to ask for prayers, highlighting the deep respect he commanded across generations.