Southern hip hop record label Swishahouse was founded in 1997 in North Carolina by founder and president Michael '5000' Watts and OG Ron C. Michael died at 52 at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands, and his death was confirmed on January 30, 2026.Watts' death comes after he was hospitalized earlier this week, after what family members described as "tremendous health issues." Watts' death was confirmed by his family on social media in a statement. The statement read,"It is with profound sadness and heartbreak that we inform the public of our beloved Michael '5000' Watts. On January 30, 2026, Watts transitioned surrounded by loved ones. We truly appreciate the love shown to Michael throughtout his career and we ask for continued prayers as we navigate throught his very hard jounrey."The family revealed that Watts died after suffering from "Torsades de Pointes,""Mr. Watts developed a fatal heart rhytm called torsades de Pointes causing a sudden cardiac death. He leaves behind a wife, Tammy Watts, 5 beautiful kids and 2 loving grandkids. His legacy and career started at the age of 14 and he continued his success as a business owner, DJ, radio personality, Founder & Owner of Swishahouse and pillar in the community."The statement mentioned that a "community event" will be organized to honor Watts.More about Swishahouse and founder Michael '5000' Watts diesSwishahouse is a Southern hip-hop record label founded in 1997 by DJ and record executive Michael '5000' Watts. In 1999, Watts and G-Dash partnered and created Swishablast. SH worked on distributing mixtape series that featured slowed versions of R&B songs. The record label was known to influence radio culture and impact hip-hop artists.Days before his death, Michael '5000' Watts' family released a statement on January 28, noting that the musician had been hospitalized due to "tremendous health problems." They also asked his fans and the community to continue sending thoughts and prayers.Watts' wife, Tammi Watts, in a Fox26 interview outside the hospital, gave updates on Michael's health,"So Michael was admitted to the hospital about a week ago. He underwent tremendous, tremendous procedures that had to take place. He is here with us, sedated as per doctor's orders, just to give (his) body time to heal."Tammi Watts thanked fans for their support and revealed that a fan gave her a hug while explaining how much Watts meant to their family.