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American hip hop record label

Record label

Ruff Ryders Entertainment is an American hip hop record label and management company founded by siblings and record executives Joaquin "Waah", Darrin "Dee" and Chivon Dean in 1988.^[2] It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Interscope Records, with Def Jam Recordings serving as the distributor for DMX albums.

The label went on to launch the careers of several successful artists such as DMX, Eve, The LOX (Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P), Drag-On, MC Jin, producers Dame Grease and the Deans' nephew, Swizz Beatz among others.

The Ruff Ryders namesake also referred to a loose-knit hip hop collective composed of the core signees of the label. Ruff Ryders and its main studio Powerhouse Studios are headquartered at 33 South Broadway in Yonkers, New York.

History

1988–1999: Rise and success

Ruff Ryders began as a management company, representing DMX and The LOX. The com