Swishahouse
| Swishahouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Michael 5000 Watts & OG Ron C |
| Distributor(s) | Universal Records |
| Genre | Southern Hip Hop, Chopped and Screwed |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Northside, Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Official website | Official website |
Swishahouse is a Houston, Texas-based independent southern rap record label.
History
Swishahouse was founded in North Houston in the late 1990s by founder and CEO Michael "5000" Watts and OG Ron C as a response to the popularity of chopped and screwed music from Houston's south side. The label began by distributing mixtape series such as Before da Kappa, After da Kappa, Choppin Em Up and Fuck Action (which featured chopped and screwed versions of R&B songs). Acres Homes/Northside/Homestead are where many of the current/former artists hail.
A song that originally appeared on the compilation album The Day Hell Broke Loose 2, Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'", achieved mainstream success in 2004, Still Tippin would go on to be certified platinum by the RIAA. This led to Swishahouse signing a national distribution deal with Asylum Records. Jones released his major label debut, Who Is Mike Jones?, on Swishahouse/Warner Bros. in April 2005; the album was certified platinum that June.[1]
Aftermath A&R Angelo Sanders said that the great advantage to independents like Swishahouse is that, "They're able to get their product out on the streets to specific regions at a greater speed than a major ... They're able to flood that whole Texas market with a product before the majors are able to notice what is going on out there."[2]
Paul Wall's major label debut, The Peoples Champ, on Swishahouse/Atlantic, was released in September 2005, eventually topping the Billboard 200.[3] Before embarking on his rap career and while still at school, Wall had worked in the Swishahouse office.[4]
In 2006, Houston based music label Dope House Records and Swishahouse teamed up to release South Park Mexican's ninth album, When Devils Strike.[5] A chopped and screwed version was also released.
Swishahouse has archives hosted by Rice University's Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning, a center under the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. The physical materials are hosted in the Woodson Research Center at the university's Fondren Library.[6]
Artists
- Michael '5000' Watts
- Paul Wall
- Mally Mall
- Archie Lee
- Lil Keke
- Yung Redd
- Lil' Young
- Coota Bang
- E-Class
Former Artists
- OG Ron C
- Slim Thug
- Chamillionaire
- Mike Jones
- Lil Mario
- Big Pic
- Big Tiger/Big Tike
- Sabwarfare
- 50/50 Twin
- Lester Roy
- Blyndcyde
- Hazel E
- J-Dawg
- PJ The Rap Hustla
- AD
References
- ↑ RIAA certification database (search "mike jones")
- ↑ "Interview With Angelo Sanders". HitQuarters. Dec 19, 2005. Retrieved Jun 20, 2010.
- ↑ The People's Champ (Billboard 200 chart), Billboard, June 24, 2006.
- ↑ "Interview With T Farris". HitQuarters. Dec 5, 2005. Retrieved Jun 21, 2010.
- ↑ "Rapper Carlos Coy jailed 45 years for rape", Daily Times, June 4, 2002.
- ↑ Hodges, Amy (11 October 2012). "Swishahouse becomes first hip-hop label archived in Rice library's Special Collections". Rice University News & Media. Retrieved 5 March 2013.