Swishahouse

infobox record label
founded = 1997
founder = Michael 5000 Watts
ceo = G Dash
distributor = Liberia Music
genre = Hip hop
country = United States
location = Houston, TX
url = [http://www.swishahouse.biz Official website]

Swishahouse is a Houston, Texas based independent, southern rap record label. Its name was coined by former member Lil' Mario. The name derives from Swisher Sweets. Acres Homes/Homestead/Northside is where many of the current/former artists hail.

History

With the help of Michael 5000 Watts and OG Ron C, Swishahouse started in the late 1990s in North Houston as a response to the popularity of Screwed & Chopped music from Houston's south side. Hip-hop fans on the north side wanted to hear their local artists on slowed-down releases. Before he came along, many from North Houston longed for their own sound they could listen to, which at the time, they didn't. Anyone from North Houston was looked down upon if they were listening to music from DJ Screw or South Houston, hence, how Swishahouse slowly began to take form. Due to the infamous Northside/Southside Houston beef, many Northside fans of screw music couldn't listen to the music. Swishahouse began distributing popular mixtape series such as "The Day Hell Broke Loose" and "Fuck Action" (which featured screwed and chopped versions of R&B songs). The huge independent sales of their mixtapes led them to create the motto "Major Without a Major Deal".

Thanks to the success of "Still Tippin'" (a song that was originally featured on "The Day Hell Broke Loose 2" in 2003), Swishahouse was able to sign a deal with Asylum Records to gain national distribution. In addition to screwing and chopping Swishahouse's releases, Michael Watts has been commissioned to screw and chop several rap albums such as the Lil Jon's "Crunk Juice", Juvenile's "Juve The Great", Dem Franchize Boyz's "On Top of Our Game", and Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter & Tha Carter II" and more.

Watts has been heavily criticized in the past by some Houston rappers for not acknowledging the talent of DJ Screw, even to the point of admitting that he did not like the screwed genre until he himself was convinced to start doing so.

Mike Jones became the first artist to release a major label album with "Who Is Mike Jones?", which was released in April 2005 and went on to sell over a million copies. Jones is planning a follow up album, tentatively titled "The American Dream", which is slated for release on July 10, 2007. Paul Wall's major label debut, "The People's Champ", landed at the top of the Billboard charts at the time of its August release.

During late 2005, Mike Jones left Swishahouse, allegedly after a dispute over money with owner Michael Watts. Jones fired his Swishahouse manager T. Farris and is now managed by Rap-A-Lot Records. However, contracts dictate that Jones still owes albums to Swishahouse, and recently Jones got back on good terms with Swishahouse to distribute albums produced by Jones' Ice Age Entertainment.

Swishahouse finally released it's long anticipated compilation album "The Day Hell Broke Loose 3" on October 17th, 2006. It is sold in stores in two different formats: The normal version, which has a red cover, and the Swishahouse Remix, which has an icy blue cover.

In 2006 Dope House Records and Swishahouse label teamed up to release South Park Mexican's 9th album "When Devils Strike" in normal and Screwed & Chopped (by Michael 5000 Watts) versions.

The new album by Lil' Keke is scheduled to release in November of 2008, and contains the singles "Chuck up The Deuce", "I'm A G" and "Money in the City"

Current Artists

* Michael 5000 Watts
* Paul Wall
* Lil' Keke
* Archie Lee
* Coota Bang
* Yung Redd
* E-Class
* Lil Young
* Surreal

Former Artists

* OG Ron C
* Chamillionaire
* Slim Thug
* Mike Jones
* 50/50 Twin
* Lil Mario
* Sabwarfare
* PJ The Rap Hustla
* Big Tiger
* Big Pic
* Blyndcyde
* AD
* J-Dawg
* Lew Hawk
* Lester Roy
* Magnificent aka Magno
* Aqualeo

Disocgraphy

*After da kappa 1999
*After da kappa 2000
*After da kappa 2001
*After da kappa 2002
*After da kappa 2003
*All Freestyles 1
*All Freestyles 2
*All Freestyles 3
*All Freestyles 4
*All Freestyles 5
*All Freestyles 6
*Ballin and shot callin
*Ballin and shot callin pt 2
*Before da kappa 2000
*Before da kappa 2k1
*Before da kappa 2k2
*Before da kappa 2k3
*Before da kappa 2k4
*Before Da Kappa 2k5
*Before da kappa 2k6
*Benjamins and Grants 2k8
*Blow One '97 (Swishahouse First Mixtape)
*Blow One 2K8
*Bounce
*Breakin Shit 1
*Breakin Shit 2
*Breakin Shit 3
*Choppin em up 1
*Choppin em up 2
*Choppin em up 3
*Choppin em up 4
*Choppin em up 5
*Choppin em up 6
*Choppin em up 7
*Choppin em up 8
*Choppin em up 9
*Choppin em up 10
*Coming Soon
*Da Classics Vol 1
*Da Classics Vol 2
*Da Classics Vol 3
*The Day Hell Broke Loose
*The Day Hell Broke Loose 2
*The Day Hell Broke Loose 3
*Final Chapter 1998
*Final Chapter 1999
*Final Chapter 2k2
*Final Chapter 2k3
*Final Chapter 2k4
*Final Chapter 2k5
*Final Chapter 2k6
*Final Chapter 2k7
*First Round Draft Picks
*Front & Back
*Full Time Hustler 98
*Full Time Hustler
*Guess whos Back?
*Hater Hangin
*Hater Raid
*Have Nuts Have Money
*Houston hard hitters vol 1
*Houston hard hitters vol 2
*Houston hard hitters vol 4
*Houston hard hitters vol 5
*Houston hard hitters vol 6
*In the game for life 2k7
*I-45
*Leanin with houstons finest
*Lesson 1
*Lesson 2
*Let ya nutz hang 2k1
*Let ya nutz hang 2k7
*N da game
*Non stop ballin
*No time to waste
*Paper Chase 05
*Parking lot pimpin
*Pay like you weight
*Plastic Crack
*Playas holiday
*Playas holiday part 2
*Playing the game with no rules
*Posted up at the all star
*Rehab
*Ridin Dirty
*Rollin Strapped 98
*Rolling Strapped 2k4
*Shinnin and Reclinin
*Slowing it down
*Smokin and drankin '98
*Something to Smoke 2
*Spring Break 1999
*Spring Break 2000
*Spring Break 2001
*Spring Break 2002
*Spring Break 2003
*Still Smokin
*Straight to the Room 1
*Straight to the Room 2
*Straight to the Room 3
*Straight to the Room 4
*Straight to the Room 5
*Straight to the Room 6
*Straight to the Room 7
*Straight to the Room 8
*Straight to the Room 9
*Street Military
*Summer 2k
*Summer 2k1
*Swishahouse All Stars
*Swishmas
*Tight whips
*Time 4 da kappa
*Why ask why
*Y2K
*2K H8TE
*60 Degrees behind tint
*90% Grind, 10% Sleep

Swishahouse links

* [http://www.swishahouse.biz Official website]
* [http://www.gritboys.com/board Official message boards]