Ruff Ryders Entertainment


Ruff Ryders is a hip hop collective and record label founded by Joaquin "Waah" Dean and Darin "Dee" Dean and Chivon Dean, uncles and aunt of producer Swizz Beatz. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Fontana Distribution.

History

Ruff Ryders began as the managers of DMX and The LOX. Following DMX's chart success, the management company started its own label. The label signed several more acts who consequently became successful, including Eve, Drag-On, and Jin. The Deans' nephew, Swizz Beatz, was the main producer for most of the acts.
The label promoted the idea of all its acts being part of the "Ruff Ryders family", as evidenced when DMX won Best Rap Album at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards and was joined on stage by the other Ruff Ryders artists when he went to accept his award.
In 2010 the Dean family relaunched the label as Ruff Ryders Indy, and has branched out into other areas, including Ruff Ryders Lifestyles, Ruff Ryders Films, Powerhouse Recording Studios, NatPro, a promotional company, and RR Rescue.

Former artists