Ruff Ryders Ryde or Die Vol. 1 Released 25 Years Ago Today

Hip hop saw crew or record labels rise to the forefront of the genre throughout the 90s. We all know about Death Row and Bad Boy selling the most records from the early-to-mid 90s. After that, No Limit Records would rise and became the hottest label until about early 1999. No Limit passed the baton to Ruff Ryders and their crew. You had to be alive during this time because they were a movement. The late, great DMX would kick things off in 1998 by releasing his debut and follow-up albums in the same year. It’s Dark and Hell is Hot and Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of My Blood sold a total of almost 8 million copies. With his success, Ruff Ryders released their first compilation album in 1999. Ruff Ryders Ryde or Die Vol. 1 dropped 25 years ago today.

The compilation joint debuted at #1 and it went platinum in a little over a month. Ruff Ryders consisted of DMX, Eve, The Lox and Drag-On at the time. Seeing how big the Ruff Ryders were other artists jumped on the Ryde or Die Vol. 1 compilation. Jay-Z, Big Pun, Jermaine Dupri, Beanie Sigel, and Juvenile all featured on the album. Juvenile may seem out of place, but this was during his 400 Degreez era and arguably he was the biggest rapper in the game. Later, the Ruff Ryders and Cash Money would link up and go on a nationwide tour together. Ryde or Die was a street single, and it featured DMX, the Lox, Eve and Drag-On. The following month after the album dropped the next single featured Jay-Z. Jigga My Nigga was the track, and this was when Jay-Z started to blow with the Hard Knock Life album.

Jigga My Nigga became the #1 rap song in the country during this time. The following single from the album also became the #1 rap song in the country. What Ya Want was a track from Eve and it was another dope record. This pushed the Ryde or Die Vol. 1 album more and built anticipation for Eve’s upcoming debut album. The fourth and final single was Down Bottom, and it featured Juvenile and Drag-On. This was a major hit during the summer of 1999 and on damn near every mixtape. Swizz Beatz was at his best in this era and basically created the Ruff Ryders sound. Ryde or Die Vol. 1 is still in rotation and it’s an almost flawless joint. Below are the top 5 tracks from the album. After that, check out the track listing and stream link for Ryde or Die Vol. 1.

Top 5 Tracks: Ryde or Die, Down Bottom, Jigga My Nigga, What Ya Want, and Kiss of Death