| Full Surface Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | BMG |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Swizz Beatz |
| Distributor(s) | J |
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B |
| Country of origin | United States |
Full Surface is a record label founded in 2001, by American hip hop recording artist and record producer Swizz Beatz. The label used to operate through Sony's J and through Universal's Interscope, Motown and Universal Motown. However, the label also had released material through joint ventures with other companies outside the Sony BMG group.
The label was launched in 2001 in a joint venture deal with Clive Davis's J Records, which was under BMG. The first artist signed to the label was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based battle rapper Cassidy, who was affiliated with Ruff Ryders from being discovered by Swizz Beatz's father and as a member of Larsiny signed to Ruff Ryders's subsidiary label TD Entertainment. Other artists signed to the label after its launching were Mashonda, Swizz Beatz's partner, and Ruff Ryders artist Yung Wun. In a January 2003 interview with AllHipHop, Swizz Beatz said: "My new label [Full Surface] is on its way, by storm. We are moving like the army on the creep. I wanted something new so I got a mix of talent – Bounty Killa, Cassidy, Mashonda, Yung Wun, Big Tigg and Mr. Sweat – with me the beat man." [1] Despite the affiliations of Bounty Killa, Big Tigger, and Keith Sweat, they were never officially signed to the label.
In March 2004, Full Surface released Cassidy's debut studio album, Split Personality . The lead single from the album was Hotel , and the second single was Get No Better (featuring Mashonda). Hotel peaked in the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked in the top 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold in America in one month. In December of that year, rapper Yung Wun released his debut studio album, The Dirtiest Thirstiest . The album was supported by Yung Wun's biggest single, Tear It Up , which peaked in the top 80 in the Billboard Hot 100. The Dirtiest Thirstiest failed to make an impact on the charts, and by 2006 Yung Wun was dropped from J and Full Surface.
In 2005, Cleveland-based rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, signed with Full Surface and secured a distribution deal with Interscope, the following year. [2] In 2005, DMX was about to sign to Full Surface but chose Sony Urban Music instead. [3] In April 2006, it was announced Ruff Ryders alumni Eve, signed a joint venture deal with Full Surface and Dr. Dre's Aftermath. [4] Eve went on to release the singles "Tambourine" and "Give It to You". In October 2007, it was announced another Ruff Ryders alumni, Drag-On, signed a record deal with Full Surface. [5] [6]
Artists
Executives
| Artist | Album | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Swizz Beatz | Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories (released with Ruff Ryders and DreamWorks) |
|
| Cassidy | Split Personality |
|
| Yung Wun | The Dirtiest Thirstiest |
|
| Cassidy | I'm a Hustla |
|
| Mashonda | January Joy |
|
| Bone Thugs-n-Harmony | Strength & Loyalty (released with Interscope) |
|
| Swizz Beatz | One Man Band Man (released with Universal Motown) |
|
| Cassidy | B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story |
|
Barry Adrian Reese, better known by his stage name Cassidy, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first garnered attention for his freestyles and competitions as a battle rapper in the late 1990s, and formed the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective Larsiny Family by the end of the decade. American record producer Swizz Beatz discovered the group in 2000 and signed Cassidy to his newly-established Full Surface Records, in a joint venture with J Records. He adopted a commercially-oriented approach for his 2003 debut single "Hotel" and its follow-up, "Get No Better" ; the former peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 while both preceded the release of his debut studio album, Split Personality (2004).
Jason Terrance Phillips, better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records to release their debut studio album, Money, Power & Respect (1998); their second album, We Are the Streets (2000) was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records. Both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200 and yielded critical praise; their two subsequent albums, Filthy America... It's Beautiful (2016) and Living Off Xperience (2020) were both released by Jay-Z's Roc Nation and met with continued praise.
Kasseem Daoud Dean, known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper, record producer, and DJ. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean initially embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the age of 18, he gained recognition in the music industry through his family's record label Ruff Ryders Entertainment and his affiliation with its flagship artist, Yonkers-based rapper DMX. Working with DMX as his producer, DJ, and hype man helped Dean gain prominence as a high-profile figure in hip-hop in the following years.
Mashonda Karima Dean is an American R&B singer from Boston, Massachusetts. In 2004, she married record producer Swizz Beatz and signed with his record label Full Surface Records, an imprint of J Records to release her debut studio album, January Joy (2005). In 2011, Dean joined the first season of VH1's reality show Love & Hip Hop: New York.
James Carlton Anderson, also known by his stage name Yung Wun, is an American rapper from Atlanta.
Melvin Jason Smalls, known professionally as Drag-On, is an American rapper. He is best known for his time on Ruff Ryders, through whom he released his debut album, Opposite of H2O (2000). The album was successful, debuting at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart and eventually sold over 500,000 copies and earning a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Drag-On released his second album Hell and Back, in 2004.
Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories is a compilation album by American rapper and producer Swizz Beatz, released on December 10, 2002, under Interscope, DreamWorks and his own label Full Surface. It debuted at number 50 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, selling 59,000 copies in its first week.
Kiss tha Game Goodbye is the debut studio album by American rapper Jadakiss. Originally scheduled for an April 18th, 2000 release, the album was ultimately released on August 7, 2001, by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story is the third studio album by American rapper Cassidy. It was released on November 6, 2007, by Full Surface Records and J Records. Before its release, XXL Magazine ranked the album the 10th most anticipated album of 2007. The album debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 with 63,000 copies sold in the first week released.
One Man Band Man is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Swizz Beatz, released on August 21, 2007, through Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Full Surface Records and Universal Motown Records. The album features guest appearances from Drag-On, Lil Wayne, R. Kelly and Jadakiss. The album's production was handled by Swizz Beatz himself, as well as producers such as The Individualz, Needlz, Nottz, Snags, Neo Da Matrix, Eric McCaine, Young World Music.
Ryde or Die Vol. 2 is the second compilation album by American hip hop collective and record label Ruff Ryders. It was originally scheduled for release on March 7, 2000, but was delayed to July 4, 2000 and released via Interscope Records and Ruff Ryders. Recording sessions took place at Chung King Studios, Sony Music Studios, Battery Studios, Powerhouse Studios in New York City, at the Record Plant, the Enterprise, Westlake Audio in Los Angeles, at the Hit Factory Criteria in Miami. Production was handled by Swizz Beatz, Mahogany, Teflon, Icepick, P. Killer Trackz and TJ Beatz, with Darrin Dean, Joaquin Dean, Chivon Dean and Leota Blacknor serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Method Man & Redman, Scarface, Snoop Dogg, Trick Daddy, Twista, and Yung Wun.
Opposite of H2O is the debut studio album by American rapper Drag-On. Originally scheduled for a January 25, 2000 release, it was ultimately released on March 28, 2000, through Interscope Records and Ruff Ryders. It was produced by Swizz Beatz, Dj Iroc, and P.K., among others. Critical reception of the album was mixed.
The Dirtiest Thirstiest is the only studio album by American rapper Yung Wun. It was released on December 7, 2004 via Full Surface/J Records. Recording sessions took place at Basement Studios in New Jersey, at Doppler Studios, Greenhouse Studios and PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, and at Sony Music Studios in New York City. Production was handled by Vizion, David Banner, Jay-Mac, The Koul Kats, Bangladesh, Faust, Swizz Beatz and Tony "V.I.P." Lopez, with Lauren Lake, Eric McCaine and Laferron Miles serving as co-producers. It features guest appearances from David Banner, Cassidy, DMX and Lil' Flip.
"Ruff Ryders' Anthem" is a song by American rapper DMX, released on May 5, 1998, as the third single from his debut studio album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998). In 2008, the song was ranked at number 79 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. In the US, upon the song's initial release it had originally peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, before reaching a new peak of number 16 following DMX's death in April 2021.
Larsiny is an American hip hop group from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rapper Cassidy formed the group in the late 1990s with hometown natives Akbar and Shiz Lansky. They first signed with the Ruff Ryders Entertainment-subsidiary label TD Entertainment by 2000, and were subsequently featured on the song "Ryde Or Die Boyz" from the Ruff Ryders Ryde or Die Vol. 2 (2000) compilation album. AR-Ab later joined the group in 2005, while Lansky was featured the song "I Pray" from Cassidy's B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story (2010) album.
The following list is a discography of production by Swizz Beatz, an American rapper and producer from The Bronx, New York. It includes a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artist, album and title. With a career spanning three decades, Swizz Beatz has contributed production on over 160 albums, including studio projects, compilations, soundtracks and mixtapes. Beatz has also produced 81 singles, a number of them have received gold certification or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Ruff Ryders Indy is a record label founded by brothers Darrin Dean and Joaquin Dean. It focuses on "scouting and signing emerging talent" in hip-hop music, and in providing marketing, promotion, and consulting services to artists.
"Gotta Man" is a song by American rapper Eve, and the lead single from her debut studio album Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady (1999). The song features American singer Mashonda and was produced by Swizz Beatz.
Ruff Ryders Entertainment is an American hip hop record label and management company founded by siblings and record executives Joaquin "Waah", Darrin "Dee" and Chivon Dean in 1988. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Interscope Records, with Def Jam Recordings serving as the distributor for DMX albums. The label went on to launch the careers of several successful artists such as DMX, Eve, The LOX, Drag-On, MC Jin, producers Dame Grease and the Deans' nephew, Swizz Beatz among others. The Ruff Ryders namesake also referred to a loose-knit hip hop collective composed of the core signees of the label. Ruff Ryders and its main studio Powerhouse Studios are headquartered at 33 South Broadway in Yonkers, New York.
"WW III" is a song by American hip hop collective and record label Ruff Ryders and promotional single from their second compilation album Ryde or Die Vol. 2 (2000). It features American rappers Snoop Dogg, Scarface, Jadakiss and Yung Wun. The song was produced by Swizz Beatz.