Ruff Ryders

Last updated: March 29, 2000

Ruff Ryders and Cash Money Clik on Tour Now!

Drag-On - Opposite of H2O in stores Now!

STOP...

"Yo, I'm sayin', these Ruff Ryder ni**as-I heard these ni**as is for real." "Dog, that's my mans and them." "I heard these ni**as supposed to be like, lockin' down the industry on some sh*t, on some power sh*t." "Dog, that's my mans and them." Those immortal words opened DMX's classic LP, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. Ruff Ryders? Who?

DROP...

It's Dark and Hell Is Hot quickly sold over 2 million copies (and counting). Oh, Ruff Ryders-that's DMX's mans and them.

SHUT 'EM DOWN...

Seven months after It's Dark, the Dark Man's X's sophomore LP, Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood debuts at number one, making him the first artist in history to have two records debut at the top spot on Billboard's Pop Chart within the same year.

OPEN UP SHOP...

"We want to establish credibility and respect for Ruff Ryders through the industry and the street, as a real record company," says Chivon Dean, one-third of the Ruff Ryders triumvirate, which is sure to make all power lists for the millennium's last year. "This is just to stamp and finalize and prove that we are a record company. We are not just DMX, we're not just the Lox." No, though they manage the gold-selling Lox through their Ruff Ryders Management and, under the wings of their Ruff Ryders Records, ushered DMX's rise to stardom, Ruff Ryders are brothers and sister Waah, Dee and Chivon Dean. Ruff Ryders are producers Swizz Beatz, PK, and Shok. Ruff Ryders are emcees Eve and Drag-On, R&B trio Parl�. Ruff Ryders is Powerhouse Recording Studio in Yonkers. And, to make it clear, Ruff Ryders is the Interscope-distributed Ruff Ryder Records which debuts this spring with the Ryde Or Dye compilation album. As Dean notes, "Instead of saying DMX, Ruff Ryders, you'll say Ruff Ryders/DMX, Ruff Ryders/Eve, Ruff Ryders/ Drag-On."

RYDE OR DIE

In the lexicon of the street, 'ride or die' is a call to arms, a battle cry, an affirmation of loyalty. Ryde Or Die is all that and more. This is seen no better than in the title track. Produced by DJ Clue? And Duro, "Ryde or Die" is a rousing remake of EPMD's classic "Headbanger" where the LOX, DMX, Eve and Drag-On trade verses like shots from a carbine. Results are just as exhilarating when 20 year-old production whiz Swizz Beats mans the boards. "Down Bottom" is a NorthEast rendition of bounce music, complete with the liveliest horns this side of the French Quarter, a chorus seeped in impropriety and thugosily, an a shining appearance by New Awlins' rising sun, Juvenile. Philly rhyme sensation Eve, who's appeared on the platinum selling Bulworth soundtrack with "Eve of Destruction" added a splash to fellow Illadpeth heroes The Roots' "You Got Me" from their latest LP, Things Fall Apart, scores big on the bouncy "What You Want" which also features Dru Hill's Nokio. On "Do That Sh*t," she assaults with teflon-coated quotables like "Ask around partner/Got this whole sh*t sewed up/ Got you crying all day like 'Man, I wanna blow up'/ Cowards make me sick / I swear to God I wanna throw up/ Entering a session with me?/ You better flow tough." "Jigga My Ni**a" pairs the cockiness and high-life one-upmanship of Brooklyn's Finest, Jay-Z with school-girl melodies and a bottom-swinging horn arrangement. Jigga, who's "been dope since Slick Rick's first chain," boils over with lyrics like "See, I scramble with priests/ Hustle with nuns/ I got the mind capacity of a young Butch Cassdiy." DMX shows up with an adrenaline-laced number replete with personality changes, dogs barks, grunts and growls that can only be classified as "Some X Sh*t" and "Bug Out," a freaky interpolation of funk-classic "Funky Worm." Keepers of all things gritty, the LOX destroy competition with witty brags and boasts on the P.K.-produced "Dope $," while Jadakiss boasts Kiss the "got the labels telling niggas not to drop" on his solo-outing, "Kiss of Death" and Sheeks teams up with Latin Heavyweight Big Pun to trade spit on "Pina Colada." Then there's molasses-thick R&B of North Carolina R&B trio Parl�'s "I'm a Ruff Ryder" and the flossing episode of "Platinum Plus" featuring Jermaine Dupri and Ma$e.

Ruff Ryders-they're not just DMX's mans and them.

Ruff Ryders - Ryde Or Die Compilation - Vol. 1

01. Ryde Or Die - DMX, Drag-On, EVE, LOX 02. Down Bottom - Drag-On, Juvenile 03. What Ya Want - EVE, Nokio 04. Jigga My Ni**a - Jay-Z 05. Taken $ - skit 06. Dope Money - LOX 07. I'm A Ruff Ryder - Parle' 08. Bugout - DMX 09. Kiss Of Death - Jadakiss 10. The Hood - Drag-On, Beanie Siegal, Mysonne, Infa Red, NuChild, Jadakiss 11. Platinum Plus - JD, Ma$e, Cross 12. Buff Ryders - skit 13. Do That Sh*t - EVE 14. Pina Colada - Sheek, Big Pun 15. Some X Sh*t - DMX

NYC, NY...Waah, Dee and Chivon Dean of Ruff Ryders-the driving force behind the success of Def Jam's multi-platinum rap superstar DMX and the gold debut of hip-hop trio Lox have recently secured a distribution deal with Interscope.... "By inking this distribution deal with Interscope, we will further establish credibility on the streets as well as in the industry." - Chivon Dean The first release under the agreement will be the Ruff Ryders compilation album, Ryde or Die Vol.1, to be released on April 27th. Ryde or Die Vol.1 features production by Ruff Ryders' own Swizz Beatz and hitmaster DJ Clue with appearances by: DMX, Lox, Jay-Z, Juvenile, Dru Hill's Nokio, Jermaine Dupri, Ma$e, Big Pun and Ruff Ryders' first signees, Eve and Drag-On. The first single, "Ryde or Die" has been serviced to radio and the video is currently on the rotation at BET, the BOX and MTV. Eve, who has already garnered notoriaty as a consummate rhymer is shining as a featured artist. With performances on The Roots' hit single "You Got Me" featuring Erykah Badu, the platinum selling Bulworth Soundtrack, and labelmate, Blackstreet's "Girlfriend / Boyfriend" featuring Janet Jackson, it seems sure that this Philly star is rising. She is currently perfecting her solo project to be released this summer.

Ruff Ryders' Release Dates

Ruff Ryders - Ryde or Die Vol. 1 In Stores Now DMX - Its Dark & Hell Is Hot In Stores Now DMX - Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood In Stores Now DMX - ...And Then There Was X In Stores Now Eve - Ruff Ryders' First Lady In Stores Now The Lox - We Are The Streets In Stores Now DRAG-ON - Opposite of H2O In Stores Now Parle' In Stores Summer 2000 Jadakiss In Stores Summer 2000 Swizz Beatz - double R Compilation Vol. II In Stores Summer 2000 Yung Wun In Stores Summer 2000 My Brothers Keeper - Movie & Soundtrack Coming Soon

Track Listings and more Ruff Ryders album info...DMX - Its Dark And Hell Is HotDMX - Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood

DMX - ...And Then There Was XEve - Ruff Ryders' First Lady LOX - We Are The Streets Drag-On - Opposite of H2O

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