Ruff Ryders

The Ruff Ryders assembled an all-star hip-hop collective and production outfit that brought together CEOs Chivon, Dee, and Waah Dean, producers Swizz Beatz, DJ Shok, and PK, and gold- and platinum-selling rappers DMX, Eve, Drag On, and the LOX (Shawn "Sheek" Jacobs, Jayson Phillips, and David Styles). This lineup delivered the 1999 album Ryde or Die, Vol. 1, which included guest appearances by Big Pun, Mase, Jay-Z, and Jermaine Dupri. Parle, Yung Wun, and Cross & Infa-Red also contributed to Ruff Ryders tracks, while Ryde or Die, Vol. 2 reached stores in mid-2000. In response to the ascent of Southern rap, 2003’s Ryde or Die, Vol. 3: In the "R" We Trust brought Ludacris and Bubba Sparxxx into the fold. Redemption, Vol. 4 arrived in 2005, dropping the “Ryde or Die” prefix from the series title and introducing Flashy. Six years later the compilation Past Present Future appeared as members turned greater attention to their individual projects. In 2017 Ruff Ryders mounted a reunion tour and oversaw a reissue of the Past Present Future collection.