Slim Thug and Chamillionaire also gained fame with the Swishahouse label but have gone on to form their own labels (Boss Hogg Outlawz and Chamillitary, respectively), however the former has maintaned affiliations with Swishahouse as a crew.
Swishahouse started in the late 1990s in north Houston as a response to the popularity of screwed and chopped music from Houston's south side. () Hip-hop fans on the north side wanted to hear their local artists on slowed-down releases. Swishahouse began distributing popular mixtape series such as The Day Hell Broke Loose and F-Action (which featured chopped and screwed versions of R&B songs). The huge independent sales of their mixtapes led them to create the motto "Major Without A Major Deal". Due to the volatile Northside/Southside Houston beef, many Northside fans of screw music couldn't listen to Chopped & Screwed.
Thanks to the success of "Still Tippin" (a song that was originally featured on The Day Hell Broke Loose 2), Swishahouse was able to sign a deal with Asylum Records to gain national distribution. In addition to chopping and screwing Swishahouse's releases, Michael Watts has recently been commissioned to screw and chop several southern rap albums such as the Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz' Crunk Juice, Slim Thug's Already Platinum, Dem Franchize Boyz's On Top Of Our Game, and Lil Wayne's Tha Carter II.
Mike Jones became the first Swishahouse 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 Valentine's Day 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 Ice Age.
The label is also in talks with anime giant & native Houston company ADV Films for an Anime Screwed & Chopped Megamix series.
Swishahouse 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 (Screwed & Chopped), which has an icy blue cover.
Step Ya Game Up
Swishahouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[talking]
Know I'm tal'n bout, I'm tired of these old
Lame ass, lazy ass, don't wanna grind ass
But they wanna complain all the time ass
Wish they was me ass, know I'm tal'n bout
I worked for where I'm at, know I'm tal'n bout
[Hook x2]
Step ya game up partna, step ya game up
Step ya game up partna, step ya game up
Get on your grind and go get it, get your change up
You falling off homeboy, you better change up
[Paul Wall]
Have you ever, noticed the people that's lazy and lame
Be the same ones crying, and always complain
You on the sidelines partna, better get in this game
You need to change, if you trying to get change
You must of fell on your brain, as a little kid
You wanna shine then you gotta grind homeboy, that's just how it is
Handle your bis', you wishing on a star
For money, hoes, clothes and cars, but you walk by far
You think a Bentley, just gon fall out the sky
You spending all your money worrying about, being fly and getting high
Stick to the G-Code, all the rules still apply
You slacking on your hustle, boy you living a lie
You run a block a couple hours, then you start getting tired
So why hating everytime, I pull up on chrome wires
You need to wake up out your sleep, cause you falling off
Step ya game up, you getting soft, step it up
[Hook x2]
[Paul Wall]
Look here hold your nuts cuz, and swallow your fear
Your future's looking kinda shady, but I see quite clear
I'm riding in the fast lane, you still in first gear
You've been driving the same car, for the past five years
You claim to be a baller, but boy really you broke
I'm buying bottles, and you barely buying Hennessy and Coke
Take a good look in the mirror, you a joke
You was on the ship to success, but I guess you fell off the boat
You either leave or get left, buy or get bought
Break or get broke, cause it's teach or get taught
I'm the age of a student, but I'm teaching a lesson
Consider it a blessing, for you to be in my presence
You something like a has-been, you was hot back then
But now-a-days you ain't nothing, but some dust in the wind
Get with the time, and quit worrying about mine homie
Get on your grind, and everything gon turn out fine
[Hook x2]
[Mike Jones]
I be sick and tired of haters, hating on the fact that I made it
But it's a funny, a year ago y'all haters said I wouldn't make it
But now y'all saying I'm overrated, and I got too much hype
But back then you said I'll flop, cause my flow wasn't tight
A year ago, the whole world didn't know my name
So I had to get on my grind, and step up my game
My name Mike Jones and I'm on the microphone, wrecking tape decks
Collecting checks, while y'all sitting at home
A lot of people to this day, be talking down on my flow
But who you know get five thousand, for a flow or a show
Who say his name a hundred times, and still get love from his fans
Who blew up in seven months, and in popular demand
Who you know that got a movie, and some clothes coming out
Who spend shit for the ladies, to keep em running out
Mike Jones nigga, and don't you forget it
While you at home living po', I'm balling independent
[Hook x2]
The lyrics of "Step Ya Game Up" by Swishahouse are about the importance of working hard and grinding to achieve success. The song features Paul Wall and Mike Jones who all discuss their own journeys and how they had to step up their game to reach where they are today. The opening lines criticize those who complain but do not put in the effort to succeed, and the hook emphasizes the need to step up one’s game, get on the grind, and make a change.
Paul Wall's verse centers on how laziness and complaining do not lead to success. He urges listeners to handle their business and stick to the G-Code, emphasizing that there are no shortcuts on the road to financial success. He also tells listeners that one needs to work hard consistently and not just for a few hours before getting tired. Mike Jones’ verse affirms that hard work pays off since he went from being unknown to having a successful music career. Jones also emphasizes his independence and success despite haters and critics.
Overall, "Step Ya Game Up" is an anthem for self-motivation and persevering towards success through hard work and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
Know I'm tal'n bout, I'm tired of these old
I want to talk about how fed up I am with
Lame ass, lazy ass, don't wanna grind ass
people who are uninteresting, unmotivated, and don't want to work hard
But they wanna complain all the time ass
But they still want to whine and complain about everything
Wish they was me ass, know I'm tal'n bout
They wish they were like me, you know what I mean?
I worked for where I'm at, know I'm tal'n bout
I had to put in work to get where I am now, you know what I'm saying?
Swishahouse Swishablast, Swishahouse Swishablast
The Swishahouse is where it's at, that's for sure
[Hook x2]
Chorus
Step ya game up partna, step ya game up
Improve your skills, my friend, improve your skills
Get on your grind and go get it, get your change up
Hustle hard to make a difference in your life
You falling off homeboy, you better change up
You're losing your edge, buddy, you need to switch things up
Have you ever, noticed the people that's lazy and lame
Have you ever noticed how the people who are unmotivated and boring
Be the same ones crying, and always complain
are also the ones who cry and complain the most?
You on the sidelines partna, better get in this game
You're just standing on the sidelines, buddy, you need to get in the game
You need to change, if you trying to get change
You need to change your ways if you want to get ahead
You must of fell on your brain, as a little kid
You must have hit your head as a child
You wanna shine then you gotta grind homeboy, that's just how it is
If you want to succeed, buddy, you have to work hard. That's just the way it is.
Handle your bis', you wishing on a star
Take care of your business and stop dreaming about things that may not happen
For money, hoes, clothes and cars, but you walk by far
You want money, women, clothes, and cars, but you're the farthest thing from that
You think a Bentley, just gon fall out the sky
You can't just expect a luxurious car like a Bentley to just appear out of nowhere
You spending all your money worrying about, being fly and getting high
You're blowing all your cash on trying to look cool and getting high
Stick to the G-Code, all the rules still apply
Stick to the guidelines of being a gangster and everything else will follow suit
You slacking on your hustle, boy you living a lie
You're not working hard enough, dude. You're living in a fantasy world.
You run a block a couple hours, then you start getting tired
You only work a few hours and then you get tired
So why hating everytime, I pull up on chrome wires
Why do you hate on me every time I show up in my flashy car?
You need to wake up out your sleep, cause you falling off
You need to wake up and realize that you're losing your grip on things
Step ya game up, you getting soft, step it up
Improve your skills, buddy, you're getting weaker. Improve them now.
[Hook x2]
Chorus
Look here hold your nuts cuz, and swallow your fear
Listen here, don't be afraid and don't be a wimp
Your future's looking kinda shady, but I see quite clear
Your future may seem uncertain, but I see things clearly
I'm riding in the fast lane, you still in first gear
I'm moving ahead quickly while you're still stuck in first gear
You've been driving the same car, for the past five years
You've been driving the same car for the last five years
You claim to be a baller, but boy really you broke
You claim to be rich and successful, but in reality, you're broke
I'm buying bottles, and you barely buying Hennessy and Coke
I'm buying expensive drinks, but you can barely afford Hennessy and Coke
Take a good look in the mirror, you a joke
Take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, because you're a joke
You was on the ship to success, but I guess you fell off the boat
You were on the right track to success, but it looks like you lost your way
You either leave or get left, buy or get bought
Either you take charge or someone else will take charge of you
Break or get broke, cause it's teach or get taught
Either you get ahead or you fall behind, because you either learn or get taught
I'm the age of a student, but I'm teaching a lesson
Even though I'm young, I'm teaching a valuable lesson
Consider it a blessing, for you to be in my presence
Consider it a privilege to be near me
You something like a has-been, you was hot back then
You're like a has-been, you used to be popular
But now-a-days you ain't nothing, but some dust in the wind
But nowadays, you're nothing but a memory that's long gone
Get with the time, and quit worrying about mine homie
Get with the program and stop worrying about what I'm doing, buddy
Get on your grind, and everything gon turn out fine
Work hard and everything will be okay in the end
[Hook x2]
Chorus
I be sick and tired of haters, hating on the fact that I made it
I'm sick and tired of people who hate on my success
But it's a funny, a year ago y'all haters said I wouldn't make it
It's funny, because a year ago, all these haters said I wouldn't make it
But now y'all saying I'm overrated, and I got too much hype
But now those same haters are saying that I'm not that great and that I'm too hyped up
But back then you said I'll flop, cause my flow wasn't tight
But back then, you said I would fail because my rap style wasn't good enough
A year ago, the whole world didn't know my name
A year ago, I was relatively unknown in the world of hip-hop
So I had to get on my grind, and step up my game
So I had to work hard and improve my skills
My name Mike Jones and I'm on the microphone, wrecking tape decks
My name is Mike Jones and I'm rapping and making music that people love
Collecting checks, while y'all sitting at home
Making money while others are just sitting at home doing nothing
A lot of people to this day, be talking down on my flow
Even now, many people criticize my rap style
But who you know get five thousand, for a flow or a show
But who else makes $5,000 for just performing or making music?
Who say his name a hundred times, and still get love from his fans
Who else can say their name over and over again in their songs and still have a huge fanbase?
Who blew up in seven months, and in popular demand
Who else became incredibly popular in just seven months and is constantly in demand?
Who you know that got a movie, and some clothes coming out
Who else has a movie and clothing line coming out soon?
Who spend shit for the ladies, to keep em running out
Who else spends a lot of money on women to keep them interested in him?
Mike Jones nigga, and don't you forget it
My name is Mike Jones, and you better not forget it
While you at home living po', I'm balling independent
While you're at home living poorly, I'm making a lot of money and doing it all on my own
Contributed by Ryan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.