Two weeks after the Grammy Awards recognized the life and legacy of the music pioneer whose influence catapulted Houston’s hip-hop sound to national recognition in the late 1990s, family, friends and fans paid their respects this week during a celebration of life event held in the Heights for Michael ‘5000’ Watts.
The Swishahouse record label founder, DJ, business owner and audio engineer died Jan. 30 from a fatal cardiac condition, according to a family statement. He was 54.
At the center of the packed event hall in Houston on Monday was a DJ booth setup, flagged by larger-than-life photos of Watts. The speakers blasted music recognizable to the crowd who were dressed in coordinated colors of black, gold and white as a tribute to the late music visionary who opened doors for his community and shaped the Texas rap culture.
Acres Homes resident Melvin Henderson attended the event dressed in Swishahouse gear from head-to-toe and said his long history with Watts goes back to before the record label reached its level of success with well-known artists in the collective such as Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, OG Ron C and Lil’ Keke.
“I’ll never forget way back in 2001 when my daughter was born, DJ Watts’ wife gave my daughter her first pair of baby clothes,” Henderson said.
Seeing Watts’ success grow in the earlier years of the label as well as when other rising Houston artists such as Scarface gained momentum, he said, together they helped put Southern rap music “on the map.”
“They put our South on the map, because around the world they weren’t trying to hear our type of music,” Henderson said. “They got a legacy and I appreciate it. That’s why I’m here.”
U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee, recently sworn in to represent Houston’s 18th Congressional District, was also in attendance and made a proclamation designating Monday as “DJ Michael 5000 Watts Day.”
“Everybody in here knows the impact that he had, not just on music, but on our communities, on the culture and making sure that the entire country knows about Houston and about how we roll,” Menefee said.
Known for the rapper freestyles and the “chopped and screwed” subgenre of Southern hip-hop, Swishahouse’s sounds captured the cornerstone of the Houston rap scene in the late ’90s with songs that were distributed on CDs throughout Houston, according to Swishahouse rapper Big Tike. At the event, he wore a black shirt with gold, customized embroidery that said “legends don’t fade, they echo forever,” a nod to Watts’ influence.
“Long live Michael Watts,” Tike said. “He’s going to live forever through his music.”
As guests filed out of the event hall, the driveway was filled with black cars stamped with the Swishahouse label logo on the doors’ decals as part of the procession to Watts’ burial. A horse-drawn carriage was seen with his widow, Tammy Watts, who held back tears.
Outside the venue, the community farewell continued with rows of shiny, decorative cars with extravagant metal rims, or “slabs.” Each car and driver patiently waited to make their way to the freeway, with Swishahouse music blasting from car speakers, reminiscent of the label Watts founded nearly 30 years ago.
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