Michael "5000" Watts (June 7, 1971 – January 30, 2026) was an American DJ, record executive, and entrepreneur who co-founded the record label Swishahouse. He is credited as one of the primary figures responsible for promoting Houston hip-hop—particularly its characteristic chopped and screwed style—to a national audience in the early 2000s.
Biography Watts was raised in the North Side of Houston. In his teenage years, he began work as a DJ who performed live sets and sold mixtapes, before parlaying this early independent career into a radio DJ role at 97.9 The Box. While working for this station in 1996, Watts began producing chopped and screwed mixtapes, inspired by the earlier work of DJ Screw. Watts' role at The Box also placed him in contact with OG Ron C, with whom he co-founded the record label Swishahouse in 1997.
In contrast to DJ Screw, who preferred to self-release his music on cassettes, Watts promoted his chopped and screwed music extensively on radio and the Internet. He also used CDs and software like Pro Tools to assemble higher-fidelity material. Watts' adoption of a style so heavily inspired by Screw, and the commercial success he attained with it, made him the target of resentment from Screw-affiliated artists from Houston's South Side. Nevertheless, after Screw died in 2000, Watts came to be seen as the primary living exponent of chopped and screwed music. He began releasing screwed remixes of major-label albums through a deal with Universal Records, the first one being 8Ball & MJG's Space Age 4 Eva, and expanded his radio show to be syndicated across five Southern cities.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Watts released a number of compilation albums through Swishahouse; the first to be nationally distributed was 1999's The Day Hell Broke Loose. Watts, and the stable of artists he signed to Swishahouse, have been credited with bringing Houston hip-hop to the explosive success it enjoyed in 2005. In particular, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, and Chamillionaire have all been named as Houston rappers who flourished through their connections to Watts and Swishahouse.
On January 30, 2026, Watts died at the age of 54 from a torsades de pointes. He was buried on February 16.
Discography
+List of albums and mixtapes chopped and screwed by Michael "5000" Watts Year Artist Album1999 Swishahouse The Day Hell Broke Loose PSK 13 Pay Like You Weigh 50002000Baby LukeBallers Don't ComplainI.B.G.We BallinEminemThe Marshall Mathers LP Lone Star Ridaz Lone Star RidazMobb FiggazWise Guyz on tha Rise... Archie Lee Da Mista Mista – Archie Lee of da Swishahouse2001 8Ball & MJG Space Age 4 Eva Big Tiger AKA Big Tike I Came to Wreck2002 Devin the Dude Just Tryin' ta Live E.S.G. & Slim Thug Boss Hogg Outlaws Geto Boys Greatest Hits Paul Wall & Chamillionaire Get Ya Mind Correct Scarface Greatest Hits Slim Thug Underground Hoggin Tela Double Dose2003 David Banner Mississippi: The Album Mike Jones & Magno 1st Round Draft Picks Pimp C presents... Lil' Boosie and Webbie Ghetto Stories Scarface Balls and My WordSwishahouseThe Day Hell Broke Loose 2 Three 6 Mafia Da Unbreakables2004 8Ball & MJG Living Legends Big Tymers Big Money HeavyweightC Muphukkin WizStill Crunk David Banner MTA2: Baptized in Dirty Water Devin the Dude The Dude Dirty South Rydaz Presents Big Tuck Purple Hulk Juvenile Juve the Great Lil Scrappy The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville & Lil Scrappy Lil Wayne Tha Carter Paul Wall Chick Magnet Paul Wall How To Be A Player2005 Birdman Fast Money Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Greatest Hits Bun B Trill Lil' Boosie & Webbie Gangsta Musik Lil Jon Crunk Juice Mike Jones Who Is Mike Jones? Paul Wall The Peoples Champ Paul Wall & Chamillionaire Controversy Sells Pimp C Pimpalation Slim Thug Already Platinum Three 6 Mafia Most Known UnknownThe GameUntold Story Tru The Truth Twisted Black The Life of Tommy Burns Webbie Savage Life Ying Yang Twins U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta)2006 Dem Franchize Boyz On Top of Our Game DJ Drama & Young Jeezy Can't Ban the Snowman Korn Chopped, Screwed, Live and Unglued Lil Wayne Tha Carter II South Park Mexican When Devils StrikeSwishahouseThe Day Hell Broke Loose 3Swishahouse presents Lil Keke Of Tha S.U.C.Album B4 The Album2007 Boss Hogg Outlawz presents Slim Thug Houston Paul Wall Get Money, Stay True2008 ABN It Is What It Is Devin the Dude Landing Gear Three 6 Mafia Last 2 Walk Z-Ro Crack2009Boss Hogg Outlawz Presents Slim Thug10 Years Later: I Represent This Part .2 Lil' Keke Universal Ghetto Pass – The Mixtape Lil' O Tha Flood Slim Thug Boss of All Bosses2010 Bun B Trill OGLil KekeAddicted 2 Fame Pimp C The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones2011Big K.R.I.T.Return of 4Eva2014 J. Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive2015OG Point Blank The BullNo Money, No Reason2017David Banner#TheGodBox2019Mummy ClubAfterlifeSlim ThugKing of the Nawf2020 Slim Thug Thug Life2021AbanRap InfernoBig PokeySensei2025Slim Thug & PropainDouble Cup
References