In addition to releasing upcoming projects from DMX and The Lox, Ruff Ryders CEOs Darrin “Dee” and Joaquin “Waah” Dean are also planning to expand the brand beyond music.
This year the label formed a nationwide bike club with street teams in most major U.S. cities.
The different chapters cross-market Ruff Ryders artists and provide an arena for the streets to express themselves in the extreme-sports genre, which is commonly associated with white, suburban youth.
“It’s important to not over-saturate the market to the point where fans are sick of hearing your music,” Waah Dean said. “We felt it was important to take a step back and expand the brand through our bike culture to maintain relevancy.”
Ruff Ryders has more than 20 million record sales to their credit, including five platinum albums by DMX and a series of compilations.
The label recently severed their ties with Virgin Records and is preparing solo albums from Jadakiss and Styles P.
Ruff Ryders is also currently renegotiating The Lox’s deal with Interscope and seeking a distribution deal for Drag-On.