Chris Schwartz recounts his perilous yet prosperous journey through the music industry in a tantalizing new tome titled “Ruffhouse: From The Streets Of Philly To The Top Of The Hip-Hop Charts.” The founder of one of the most seminal Hip Hop labels of the 90’s ushers readers into a time portal & transports us to defining moments of his fascinating life and career. We learn of Chris’ daily struggles growing up in an abusive household and how his unnecessarily cruel upbringing helped prepare him for an unforgiving marketplace always focused on the next hit.
What’s truly impressive about the book is that Chris’ descriptive saga keeps us glued to the page before he even broaches the topic of Hip Hop. His stint in the Navy & experiences playing with assorted bands are sure to captivate the audience because of his dramatically colorful writing style. By the time Schoolly D is mentioned, we’re completely drawn into the author’s world. Chris regales us with his hilariously brief first in-person encounter of the legendary MC and also details a backstage club incident that sounds like a scene from a Scorsese movie.
When Chris links up with recording engineer extraordinaire, Joe Nicolo, to form Ruffhouse Records, all bets are off. A wealth of talent ranging from Kriss Kross & Cypress Hill to The Fugees, Nas, & Kool Keith, grace the label with their illustrious presence and help transform Hip Hop into the mega-profitable powerhouse it is today. Chris performs masterful maneuvers behind the scenes, made all the more astounding considering his ongoing battle with addiction. Eventually the Ruffhouse CEO conquers his demons and the industry at large to achieve success beyond his wildest dreams. This is but a brief overview of the sweeping narrative awaiting your discovery in what is without question the season’s best read!
Here’s a link to Amazon to order the book.
– Kevin Keith
Congrats to Chris!!!! Always been the kind soul.
Can’t wait to read it!