Ruff House: From the Streets of Philly to the Top of the ’90s Hip-Hop Charts

Ruffhouse records founder and CEO Schwartz tells a predictable rags-to-riches tale in plain and often tedious prose. Growing up in 1960s and ’70s Philadelphia with an alcoholic mother, a largely absent father, and bullying older brothers, Schwartz found refuge in music. He took an early interest in prog rock and electronic music, putting together his own prog band and playing around town. Schwartz was eventually drawn to hip-hop because it combined the storytelling element of R&B and the syncopation of electronic music. After a brief stint at Nicetown Records, doing sales and A&R, he left to start his own company. In early 1987, he partnered with Joe Nicolo to open the Ruffhouse label with one artist, rapper Schoolly D, and soon artists flocked to their studio in hopes of cutting an album. As Ruffhouse grew, it discovered artists that changed the face of rap music—such as Cypress Hill, the Fugees, Lauryn Hill, and Kriss Kross. In sometimes clichéd writing (“Little did we know that opportunity was on the front porch about to knock”), Schwartz concludes that his remarkable success in the record business grew out of his being willing to step into the unknown. Schwartz’s insider’s tale will appeal mainly to his die-hard fans of the label’s musicians. (June)