Today, we celebrate the life of legendary DJ Michael “5000” Watts.
Feb. 17 is now officially known as “King’s Day,” a day for supporters to pay their respects to the Swisha House founder and Houston icon. The celebration will take place at The Bell Tower in Houston, with attendees asked to wear black, gold, or white in honor of the late DJ.
Watts’ family released a statement following his passing, thanking fans for the continuous outpouring of love:
“We truly appreciate the love shown appreciate the love shown to Michael throughout his career and ask for continued prayers as we navigate through this very hard journey.”
Before King’s Day, DJ J-Que, a close friend of Watts and the new morning show host at 97.9 The Box, spoke with Hip-Hop Wired about the legend’s lasting impact on the culture.
“Innovator, creator, a leader, he was always changing the game. He [Watts] was always five steps ahead of everyone. It’s like he had one of those glass balls, and he knew what was going to happen years later. He would jump on it then.”
J-Que also reflected on Watts’ contributions to Swisha House and the Houston mixtape scene:
“He started DJ’ing, mixing, and then he came up with the Swisha House. He would do those mixtapes for the Kappa beach parties.”
When asked what he wants the world to remember most about his friend, J-Que emphasized Watts’ global reach.
“How he changed the culture, not just for Houston but for the whole wide world. I’ve seen a lot of people learning more about Watts. There were quiet some people who knew Watts was big but didn’t know how big of a global brand he was until he passed.”
J-Que ended it off with how Hip-Hop can keep 5000’s legacy going:
“Seeing him mentioned at the Grammys, a lot of people say, ‘Man, I knew he was big, but I didn’t know he was that big.’ You had people all over the world who loved Watts, loved the Swisha House, loved his mixes. I just want everyone to keep that legacy going, keep buying the Swisha House merch and keep playing his mixes.”
DJ Michael “5000” Watts’ legacy in Hip-Hop is stamped in history, and Kings Day ensures his impact will never be forgotten.
