Michael “5000” Watts has breathed his last!
On Friday, January 30, Fox 26 confirmed that the legendary Houston rapper and visionary DJ died at the age of 52 at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands.
After his hospitalization earlier this week due to “tremendous health issues,” the Swishahouse founder passes away at the hospital, surrounded by his loved ones.
According to Watts family, he "developed a fatal heart rhythm called torsades de Pointes causing a sudden cardiac death."
"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," they stated in their statement.
His record label, Swishahouse Records, also paid tribute to the rapper, writing, "Michael ‘5000’ Watts was more than a founder, he was a movement. 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."
Who was Michael ‘5000’ Watts?
Born in Houston, Michael “5000” Watts became a central figure in the city's music scene in the late 1990s.
In 1997, he founded Swishahouse, a Southern hip hop record label, with his business partner and record executive G-Dash.
