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Bio From All Music Guide
DMX' Bio From All Music Guide
DMX was born Earl Simmons in Baltimore, MD, on December 18, 1970. He moved with part of his family to the New York City suburb of Yonkers while still a young child. A troubled and abusive childhood turned him violent, and he spent a great deal of time living in group homes and surviving on the streets via robbery, which led to several run-ins with the law. He found his saving grace in hip-hop, starting out as a DJ and human beatbox, and later moved into rapping for a greater share of the spotlight, taking his name from the DMX digital drum machine (though it's also been reinterpreted to mean "Dark Man X"). He made a name for himself on the freestyle battle scene, and was written up in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column in 1991. Columbia subsidiary Ruffhouse signed him to a deal the following year, and released his debut single "Born Loser." However, a surplus of talent on the Ruffhouse roster left DMX under-promoted, and the label agreed to release him from his contract. He issued one further single in 1994, "Make a Move," but was convicted of drug possession that same year, the biggest offense of several on his record.
DMX began to rebuild his career with an appearance on one of DJ Clue?'s underground mix tapes. In 1997, he earned a second major-label shot with Def Jam, and made a galvanizing guest appearance on LL Cool J's "4, 3, 2, 1." Further guest spots on Ma$e's "24 Hours to Live" and fellow Yonkers MCs the LOX's "Money, Power & Respect" created an even stronger buzz, and in early 1998, he released his debut Def Jam single, "Get at Me Dog." The song was a gold-selling smash on the rap and dance charts, and paved the way for DMX's full-length debut, It's Dark And Hell Is Hot, to debut at number one on the pop charts. Produced mostly by Swizz Beatz, who rode the album's success to a lucrative career of his own, It's Dark And Hell Is Hot earned DMX numerous comparisons to 2Pac for his booming, aggressive presence on the mic, and went on to sell over four-million copies.
Not long after the album's release in May 1998, DMX was accused of raping a stripper in the Bronx, but was later cleared by DNA evidence. He went to make his feature film debut co-starring in Hype Williams' ambitious but unsuccessful Belly.Before the end of 1998, DMX completed his second album, and a pending buyout of Def Jam pushed the record into stores that December. Featuring a controversial cover photo of the rapper covered in blood, Flesh Of My Flesh Blood Of My Blood entered the charts at number one and eventually went triple platinum. The following year, DMX hit the road with Jay-Z and the Method Man/Redman team on the blockbuster Hard Knock Life tour. During a tour stop in Denver, a warrant for his arrest was issued in connection with a stabbing, of which he was later cleared; another incident occurred in May, when he was accused of assaulting a Yonkers man who'd allegedly harassed his wife (the charges were once again dropped). More serious charges were brought that summer, when DMX's uncle/manager was accidentally shot in the foot at a New Jersey hotel. Police later raided DMX's home, and filed animal cruelty, weapons, and drug possession charges against the rapper and his wife; he eventually plea-bargained down to fines, probation, and community service.
In the midst of those difficulties, the Ruff Ryders posse — of which DMX was a core, founding member — released a showcase compilation, Ryde Or Die Vol. 1. With contributions from DMX, as well as Eve, the LOX, and multiple guests, Ryde Or Die Vol. 1 debuted at number one in the spring of 1999, further cementing DMX's Midas touch. Toward the end of 1999, DMX released his third album, ...And Then There Was X, which became his third straight to debut at number one. It also produced his biggest hit single since "Get at Me Dog" with "Party Up (Up in Here)," which became his first Top Ten hit on the R&B charts. The follow-ups "What You Want" and "What's My Name" were also quite popular, and their success helped make ...And Then There Was X the rapper's best-selling album to date, moving over five-million copies. During its run, DMX returned to the big screen with a major supporting role in the Jet Li action flick Romeo Must Die.
In the meantime, he was indicted by a Westchester County, NY grand jury on weapons and drug charges in June of 2000. He also entangled himself in a lengthy legal battle with police in Cheektowaga, NY (near Buffalo) when he was arrested in March for driving without a license and possession of marijuana. He missed one court date, and when he turned himself in that May, police discovered more marijuana in a pack of cigarettes the rapper had brought with him. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 days in jail, and his appeal to have the sentence reduced was finally denied in early 2001. After stalling for several weeks, he turned himself in and was charged with contempt of court. He was further charged with assault when, upon learning he would not be let out early for good behavior, allegedly threw a food tray at a group of prison officers. He later bargained the charges down to reckless assault and paid a fine, and accused guards of roughing him up and causing a minor leg injury. Not long after DMX's release from jail, his latest movie, the Steven Seagal action film Exit Wounds, opened at number one in the box office. DMX also contributed the hit single "No Sunshine" to the soundtrack, and signed a multi-picture deal with Warner Bros. in the wake of Exit Wounds' success. With his legal problems finally resolved, he returned to the studio and completed his fourth album, the more introspective The Great Depression. It was released in the fall of 2001 and became his fourth straight album to debut at number one. Although it went platinum quickly, it didn't have the same shelf life as his previous releases. In late 2002, DMX published his memoirs as E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX, and also recorded several tracks with Audioslave (i.e., the former Rage Against the Machine). One of their collaborations, "Here I Come," was featured on the soundtrack of DMX's next film, a reunion with Jet Li called Cradle 2 the Grave. The film opened at number one upon its release in March 2003, and its DMX-heavy soundtrack debuted in the Top Ten. - Steve Huey
Eve's Bio From All Music Guide
Drag-On's Bio From All Music Guide
The LOX' Bio From All Music Guide
Shawn "Sheek" Jacobs, Jayson Phillips and David Styles began rapping together in their childhood. By the time they reached their late teens, they had settled on the name the LOX. Eventually, they met Mary J. Blige. Impressed by their demo tape, Blige forwarded the tape to Sean "Puffy" Combs, who hired the trio as writers. Between 1996 and 1997, the group wrote and performed on a number of Combs' productions, including his own "It's All About the Benjamins" and "I Got the Power," Ma$e's "24 Hrs. to Live," Mariah Carey's "Honey," the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Last Days," Mary J. Blige's "Can't Get You Off My Mind" and Zhane's "Saturday Night." The LOX received an unexpected boost in the summer of 1997, when their tribute to the late Biggie Smalls, "We'll Always Love Big Poppa," was picked as the B-side of Puff Daddy's international number one hit, "I'll Be Missing You." The single was the biggest hit of 1997, setting the stage for the January 1998 release of the LOX's debut Money, Power, & Respect, which went as high as number three on the pop album charts. After a switch to the Ruff Ryders label camp, We Are The Streets followed in early 2000. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Sheek's Bio From All Music Guide
Jadakiss' Bio From All Music Guide
Styles P's Bio From All Music Guide
Swizz Beatz' Bio From All Music Guide
Official Sites: Ruff Ryders, Jadakiss, Jadakiss' Official Forum, Sheek Louch, Styles, Styles' Official Forum & D Block
DMX (acronym: Dark Man X) (Born Earl Simmons, December 18, 1970 in Baltimore, MD)
Eve (Born Eve Jihan Jeffers, November 10, 1978 in Philadelphia, PA)
Drag-On (Born Melvin Jason Smalls)
Swizz Beatz (Born Kasseem Dean The Bronx, New York City, NY)
(acronym: Living Off Experience)
Jadakiss (Born Jayson Phillips)
Sheek Louch (Born Shawn Jacobs)
Styles P (A.K.A. Styles & Holiday Styles) (Born David Styles)
Ruff Ryders - Ryde Or Die Vol. 1
D-Block - The CD/DVD Mixtape
DMX - It's Dark And Hell Is Hot
DMX - Flesh Of My Flesh Blood Of My Blood
DMX - ...And Then There Was X
DMX - The Great Depression
DMX - Grand Champ
DMX - Here We Go Again (Promo)
DMX & The Kennel Family - Here We Go Again (The Mixtape)
Drag-On - The Opposite Of H2O
Eve - Let There Be Eve...Ruff Rider's First Lady
Eve - Scorpion
Eve - Eve-Olution
Jadakiss - Kiss Of Death
The LOX - Money, Power & Respect
The LOX - We Are The Streets
Styles - A Gangster And A Gentleman
Styles P - Time Is Money
Styles P - The Ghost Sessions
Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories
Tribute To The Notorious B.I.G. (Single) (The LOX)
DMX - The DMX Files: Live And Uncensored (DVD)
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Akon - Trouble (Styles P)
Akon - Global Lockdown (The Locked Up Remixes) (Styles P)
Akon - Look In Your Eyes (Mixtape) (Styles P)
Akon - Konvicted (Styles P)
The Alchemist - Insomnia: 1st Infantry Mixtape Vol. 2 (The LOX)
The Alchemist - 1st Infantry (The LOX)
Amerie - Touch (Eve)
Bad Boy Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (DMX & The LOX)
Barbershop 2: Back In Business (Eve)
Belly
Miri Ben-Ari - The Hip-Hop Violinist (Styles P)
Big Pun - Yeeeah Baby (Drag-On)
Big Pun - Endangered Species (The LOX)
Big Wy - What It Do Mixtape Vol. 1 (Swizz Beatz)
Bilal - 1st Born Second (Jadakiss)
Blackstreet - Finally (Eve)
Blackstreet - No Diggity: The Very Best of Blackstreet (Eve)
Mary J. Blige - Mary (Jadakiss)
Mary J. Blige - No More Drama (Eve)
Mary J. Blige - Love & Life (Eve)
Mary J. Blige - The Making Of A Queen Volume One (Jadakiss & Eve)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Strength & Loyalty (Swizz Beatz)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Strength & Loyalty Left-Overs (Swizz Beatz)
Bosko - E-40 Presents Super Producer Bosko: That Fire (DMX & Drag-On)
Brandy - Afrodisiac (Jadakiss)
Bulworth (Eve)
Busta Rhymes - Anarchy (DMX)
Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang (Swizz Beatz)
Caz - Undisputed (Eve)
Chef Aid: The South Park Album (DMX)
Clipse - Lord Willin' (Jadakiss & Styles P)
Common - Uncommon Classics (Styles P & Jadakiss)
The Corruptor (DMX & The LOX)
Cuban Link - Chain Reaction (Jadakiss)
Disses & Hot Shit Cornerstore Mixtape Vol 3 (DMX)
DJ Clue? - The Professional
DJ Clue? - The Professional 2
DJ Khaled - We The Best (Jadakiss & Styles P)
DJ Green Lantern - Invasion Part II: Conspiracy Theory (The LOX)
DJ Green Lantern - Invasion Part Three: Countdown To Armageddon (Sheek)
DJ Jam Presents WBALLZ 187.4 FM Vol. 1 (The LOX & Swizz Beatz)
DJ Kay Slay - Underground Part 1: Well Connected (DMX)
DJ Kayslay - The Streetsweeper Vol. 1 (The Lox)
DJ Khaled - Listennn The Album (Styles P)
DJ Muggs - Soul Assassins: Hits For Hire (The LOX)
DJ Quik - The Trauma Mixtape Version 2 (Jadakiss)
DJ Smallz & LeToya - Dirty RNB 14 (Swizz Beatz)
Tha Dogg Pound - Westcoast Gangstas (Swizz Beatz)
Jermaine Dupri - Life In 1472 (DMX)
Jermaine Dupri - Instructions (Jadakiss)
8ball & MJG - Space Age 4 Eva (Swizz Beatz)
Missy Elliot - Miss E...So Addictive (Eve)
Essential Underground Hip-Hop 3 (Styles P)
Fabolous - Street Dreams (Styles & Jadakiss)
The Fast And The Furious (DMX)
Fat Joe - Don Cartagena (Jadakiss)
50 Cent - Bulletproof (DMX)
Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap Present The Tunnel
The Game - The Documentary (Swizz Beatz)
The Game - Cut A Check Or Suck A Dick (The LOX)
The Game - You Know What It Is Volume 3 (Sheek)
The Game - Ghost Unit (Sheek & Jadakiss)
The Game - Uncovered (Sheek & Jadakiss)
The Game - Put You On The Game (Sheek)
The Game - Doctor's Advocate (Swizz Beatz)
Gang Starr - The Ownerz (Jadakiss)
Ghostface Killah - Go In (Jadakiss)
Ghostface Killah - The Pretty Toney Album Advance (Jadakiss)
Ghostface Killah - The Pretty Toney Album (The LOX)
Ghostface Killah - More Fish (Sheek Louch)
Ginuwine - Back II Da Basics (Jadakiss)
Guru - Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (Styles P)
Anthony Hamilton - Popularity (Jadakiss)
Hav Plenty (DMX)
Hi-Tek - Hi-Technology²: The Chip (Jadakiss)
Hip-Hop Docktrine Two: The Official Boondock Mixtape Disc 2wo (Styles P)
Honey (Jadakiss & Sheek)
Honey (Enhanced Edition) (Jadakiss & Sheek)
How High (DMX)
How To Be A Player (DMX)
In Too Deep (The LOX)
Jaheim - Ghetto Classics (Jadakiss & Styles P)
Jayo Felony - Whatcha Gonna Do (DMX)
Ja Rule - Venni Vetti Vecci (DMX)
Jay-Z - Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life (DMX & The LOX)
Jay-Z - The Black Mixtape (Special Limited Edition) (DMX)
Donell Jones - 8 Unreleased Jams They Left Behind (Styles P)
Junior M.A.F.I.A. - Riot Musik (Jadakiss)
R. Kelly - Double Up (Swizz Beatz)
Kid Capri - Soundtrack To The Streets (The LOX)
Sean Kingston (Sheek Louch)
Talib Kweli - The Beautiful Mix CD (Styles P)
Talib Kweli Presents Blacksmith: The Movement (Jadakiss)
Light It Up (DMX)
Lil' Kim - La Bella Mafia (Swizz Beatz & Styles P)
LL Cool J - Phenomenon (DMX)
LSG - Levert Sweat Gill (The LOX)
Ludacris - Red Light District (DMX)
Made Men - Classic Limited Edition (The LOX)
Made Men - Black Friday (Swizz Beatz)
Mario - Turning Point (Jadakiss)
Ma$e - Harlem World (DMX & The LOX)
Messy Marv & Mitchy Slick - Messy Slicks (Styles P)
Method Man - Blunt Force Vol. 1 (Styles P)
Method Man - 4:21...The Day After (Styles P)
Million Family March (Drag-On)
Mobb Deep - Amerikaz Nightmare (Jadakiss)
Monica - After The Storm (DMX)
Monica - The Makings Of Me (Swizz Beatz)
Mark Morrison - Innocent Man (DMX)
Mos Def - The Dangerous Mix (Swizz Beatz)
Nas - I Am... (DMX)
Nas - I Am... A Cappellas (DMX)
Nas - The Prophecy (Styles P)
Nas - The Prophecy E.P. (Styles P)
Nas - The Lost Tapes Vol. 2 (Jadakiss)
Nate Dogg (Eve)
The Neptunes Present...Clones (Jadakiss)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (The LOX)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Duets: The Lost Chapter (Jadakiss)
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (DMX & Eve)
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Osirus: The Official Mixtape (Drag-On)
Onyx - Shut 'Em Down (DMX)
Outlawz - New World Order (Jadakiss)
Oz (Jadakiss, Styles & Drag-On)
Papoose - Street Knowledge (Drag-On)
Papoose - Second Place Is The First Loser (Jadakiss)
Papoose - Fourth Quarter Assassin: Holiday Hitman (Sheek Louch & Styles P)
Pharoahe Monch - Y'all Know The Name (Styles P)
The Player's Club (DMX)
- Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (Eve)
- The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (Single) (Eve)
Puff Daddy & The Family - No Way Out (The LOX)
Raekwon - The Lex Diamond Story (Sheek)
Ras Kass Presents Re-Up (Sheek)
The Régime - All Out War Volume II (Jadakiss)
Teddy Riley - Black Rock EP (Styles P)
Teddy Riley - Blackrock (Styles P)
Romeo Must Die (DMX)
Shaft 2000 (Parlé, Jadakiss & Eve)
Shyne - Authentic (Swizz Beatz)
Snoop Dogg - Tha Last Meal (Eve)
Snoop Dogg - Tha Blue Carpet Treatment Mixtape (Swizz Beatz)
Snoop Dogg - Unreleased Heat Rocks (Swizz Beatz)
Soundbombing III (Styles P)
The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards 2001 (Eve)
The Source Presents Hip Hop Hits Volume 2 (DMX & The LOX)
The Source Presents Hip Hop Hits Volume 4 (DMX)
Statik Selektah - Spell My Name Right (The Album) (The LOX)
Angie Stone - Mahogany Soul (Eve)
Streets Is Watching (DMX)
Survival Of The Illest: Live From 125 N.Y.C. (DMX & The LOX)
T-Pain - Rappa Ternt Sanga (Styles P)
This That Gangsta Thug Shit (Jadakiss)
Thug Radio Mixtape 16: Bang On 'Em (The Lox)
Thug Radio Mixtape 18: Raw Shit (Jadakiss & Styles P)
Thug Radio Mixtape 19: Gonna Make A Change (Styles P & Jadakiss)
Thug Radio Mixtape 20: Real Shit (Styles P)
Too Gangsta For Radio (The LOX)
Training Day (The LOX)
Obie Trice - Cheers (Jadakiss)
2Pac - Untouchable (Vinyl Single) (Swizz Beatz)
2Pac - Loyal To The Game (Jadakiss)
2Pac - Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2 (Evolution: Duets And Remixes) (Styles P)
Turf Stories
Usher - Confessions (Special Edition) (Jadakiss)
Usher - Life Of A Star (Collabo Edition Part 3) (Jadakiss)
Warren G - I Want It All (Eve & Drag-On)
Kanye West - The Remixes (Jadakiss)
Woo
The Wood (DMX)
The all-star hip-hop collective/production team Ruff Ryders included 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 incarnation of the Ruff Ryders crafted 1999's Ryde Or Die Vol. 1, which also featured appearances from Big Pun, Ma$e, Jay-Z, and Jermaine Dupri. Parle, Yung Wun, and Cross & Infa-Red also appeared on Ruff Ryders tracks, with Ruff Ryders Vol. II hitting the streets in mid-2000. Acknowledging the rise of Southern rap, 2003's Ryde or Die, Vol. 3: In the "R" We Trust added Ludacris and Bubba Sparxxx to the mix. Redemption, Vol. 4 from 2005 dropped "Ryde or Die" from the title of the series and introduced the talented rapper Flashy. — Heather Phares
Following the deaths of and Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., DMX took over as the reigning, undisputed king of hardcore rap. He was that rare commodity: a commercial powerhouse with artistic and street credibility to spare. His rapid ascent to stardom was actually almost a decade in the making, which gave him a chance to develop the theatrical image that made him one of rap's most distinctive personalities during his heyday. Everything about DMX was unremittingly intense, from his muscular, tattooed physique to his gruff, barking delivery, which made a perfect match for his trademark lyrical obsession with dogs. Plus, there was substance behind the style; much of his work was tied together by a fascination with the split between the sacred and the profane. He could move from spiritual anguish one minute to a narrative about the sins of the streets the next, yet keep it all part of the same complex character; sort of like a hip-hop Johnny Cash. The results were compelling enough to make DMX the first artist ever to have his first four albums enter the charts at number one.
Eve was one of a new breed of tough, talented, commercially viable female MCs to hit the rap scene during the late '90s. Though she could be sexy when she chose, she wasn't as over the top as Lil' Kim or Foxy Brown, and as part of the Ruff Ryders posse, her production was harder than Da Brat's early work with Jermaine Dupri. In the end, Eve came off as her own person; a strong, no-nonsense street MC who could hold her own with most anyone on the mic; and was finding success on her own terms. She was born Eve Jihan Jeffers in Philadelphia on November 10, 1978, and started out as a singer in her early teens, performing with an all-female vocal quintet. She was also honing her skills as a rapper in impromptu battles with friends, and before she left high school, she formed a female rap duo called EDGP (pronounced "Egypt"), adopting the name Gangsta. EDGP performed at local talent shows and club gigs, often to the detriment of Eve's dedication to school. When the group broke up, she went solo and changed her name to Eve of Destruction; she also moved to the Bronx in the wake of her mother's remarriage, and worked for a time as a table dancer at a strip club. Unhappy with this direction, she decided to give rap another shot after being encouraged by Mase.Through some of her friends, Eve scored a meeting with Dr. Dre in Los Angeles, and surprised him by turning it into an audition. Dre liked what he heard and signed her to a one-year deal with his new label, Aftermath. Eve recorded a few tracks, including one, "Eve of Destruction," that ended up on the Bulworth soundtrack in 1998. However, Aftermath was searching for a direction at the time, and Eve wound up lost in the shuffle. Her contract expired without an album even in the works, but fortunately, she'd met DMX when the rising new star was in Los Angeles promoting his smash debut, It's Dark And Hell Is Hot. Eve passed a battle-rap audition to join DMX's Ruff Ryders posse, and in 1999 she contributed to their label's Ryde Or Die Vol. 1 compilation. Thanks to DMX's star power, it entered the charts at number one, and Eve's track, "What Ya Want," was released as a single. It hit the R&B Top Ten, and Eve built more anticipation for her debut album with high-profile guest spots on the Roots' "You Got Me" and the Blackstreet/Janet Jackson duet "Girlfriend/Boyfriend."Eve's first full-length was titled Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders First Lady and released in September 1999. With Ruff Ryders the biggest name in rap, the album was an instant smash; it entered the charts at number one — the first time a female rapper had ever accomplished that feat — and went on to sell over two million copies. Eve also scored hits with the R&B Top Ten "Gotta Man" and the antidomestic violence track "Love Is Blind," and guested on Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's hit "Hot Boyz." After touring in support of the record, Eve returned to the studio and delivered her follow-up, Scorpion, in early 2001. The album received strong reviews and topped the R&B charts, while debuting at number four on the pop side. Lead single "Who's That Girl?" had some chart success, but it was the follow-up, a duet with No Doubt's Gwen Stefani called "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," that really broke Eve on the pop charts. The song rocketed to number two and went on to win a Grammy in the newly created category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration; it also helped Scorpion go platinum.Eve next set about establishing a movie career; she made her box-office debut in the Vin Diesel action blockbuster XXX, which was released in the summer of 2002. Not long after, she was also seen in a prominent supporting role in the Ice Cube comedy Barbershop. Amid all this activity, Eve released her third album, Eve-Olution, in August 2002. It debuted in the Top Ten, and found Eve returning to the soul singing of her youth on a surprising number of tracks. The single "Gangsta Lovin'," which featured guest vocals from Alicia Keys, was a number two smash on both the pop and R&B charts, and the follow-up "Satisfaction" was nominated for a Grammy. In early 2003, Eve signed with the UPN network to produce and star in a multiracial sitcom about a fashion designer. - Steve Huey
East Coast rapper Drag On had a long and profitable history in the background of hardcore rap albums, contributing to projects like DMX's two multi-platinum albums, Ruff Ryders' Ryde or Die, Vol. 1, DJ Clue's The Professional and several compilations and soundtracks. In early 2000, he released his first solo album, The Opposite Of H2O, which brought him up to the forefront and showcased his talent for laid-back, slippery grooves and thug rhymes. — Stacia Proefrock
The LOX — an acronym for Living Off Experience — was a Yonkers, New York-based rap trio who worked their way up through the Bad Boy training camp, writing and rapping on hits by the likes of Puff Daddy, the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey before releasing their debut album in early 1998.
Sheek Louch united with childhood friends Jadakiss and Styles to form LOX, and the trio in turn signed with Bad Boy in the late '90s. LOX appeared on numerous Bad Boy-affiliated songs as guests and even released an album of their own, Money, Power, & Respect (1998), which yielded a hit single of the same name. LOX left Bad Boy soon afterward to join the Ruff Ryder camp, where the trio's style of hardcore rap fit better alongside other rugged rappers such as DMX and Drag-On. There, LOX released their second album, We Are The Streets (2000), followed by solo albums for each of the members. Sheek released his solo debut, Walk Witt Me, in 2003 on the group's own Universal-distributed label, D-Block. Despite modest promotion, the label debuted in the Billboard Top Ten, confirming the group's street-level appeal. - Jason Birchmeier
Jadakiss (born Jason Phillips) became a member of the Ruff Ryders in 1999. Five years earlier, he joined the Lox (who started their saga as a group called the Warlocks) and has remained a member of both groups since. The Lox gained national exposure in 1997 with their multi-platinum tribute to the Notorious B.I.G., "We'll Always Love Big Poppa." Jadakiss released his debut solo album, Kiss tha Game Goodbye, in August of 2001 on the Ruff Ryders/Interscope label. Three years later, second album Kiss Of Death was released. - Kerry L. Smith
For years known primarily because of his membership in the L.O.X., Styles broke away from his groupmates in 2002 with his debut solo album and its hit single, "Good Times." Up until the album's release, Styles may have not been well-known on his own yet was certainly no stranger to success. He united with childhood friends Jadakiss and Sheek to form the L.O.X. and signed with Bad Boy in the late '90s. The trio appeared on numerous Bad Boy-affiliated songs as guests and even released an album of its own, Money, Power, & Respect (1998), which yielded a hit single of the same name. The L.O.X. left Bad Boy soon after to join the Ruff Ryder camp, where the trio's style of hardcore rap fit better alongside other rugged rappers such as DMX and Eve. There, the L.O.X. released its second album, We Are The Streets (2000), followed by solo albums for each of the members. Styles' solo debut, A Gangster And A Gentleman, came in summer 2002, led by the Swizz Beatz-produced hit single "Good Times." - Jason Birchmeier
Swizz Beatz was born Kasseem Dean in the Bronx area of New York City. He relocated to Atlanta as a teenager, where he started to DJ parties. When his relatives became involved with the Ruff Ryders label, he began to produce tracks at the tender age of 16. Forgoing the practice of using samples, he used real instruments whenever possible and tried to accentuate the performance aspect of his music. He produced countless rap and R&B acts, from DMX to Eve, but he never really got much credit for his work. It wasn't until his first solo album, 2002's G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories, that he started to get notices for his production style and interesting ideas. - Bradley Torreano
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