Swizz Beatz Waves Ruff Ryders Flag, "We Changed The Culture Of Music"

Platinum-selling producer Swizz Beatz has confirmed the hype surrounding an upcoming Ruff Ryders reunion tour and reflected on linking back up with elusive rapper DMX.

Reflecting on the Ruff Ryders movement, Swizzy said reunion tour plans are in full effect.

"First and foremost, it's great to start off with such an amazing brand as Ruff Ryders that people see as authentic. When we came out, we changed the culture of music at that time. It was just something about the timing of that that made sense to the people. And so to come back years later and have people missing that in their life, to perform with DMX at SOBs and it be sold out, people knowing every word of his songs, it's just like, wow, we really built something. Ruff Ryders was a great starting point, and to tour with it again is a cool thing." (The FADER)

Last week, X and Swizzy reunited for a New York City concert.

"It don't get no better than this," DMX told the crowd near the end of his triumphant set at S.O.B.'s in New York on Thursday night (Feb. 23). The beleaguered New York native littered his first Manhattan show in years with a decade and a half of hits: after stomping onstage and launching into "We Right Here," X tore through cuts like "What These B*tches Want," "Get At Me Dog," "Party Up" and "Ruff Ryders' Anthem," the latter of which featured special guest Swizz Beatz onstage. (Billboard)

In January, Ruff Ryders CEO Joaquin "Wahh" Dean talked about a reunion run kicking off in the near future.

"Everybody's on deck. It's just that we're making sure all of the schedules are intact," RR co-CEO Joaquin "Waah" Dean told MTV News. Dates are still being finalized, but Dean confirmed that he expects the tour to start between March and April. The plan is for the crew to begin their run overseas and then come over to the U.S. "We gonna take it nice and slow. We ain't gonna do like how we used to do, 30 or 40 cities; we not gonna go that far just yet," he said. "We gonna take it slow. Do a nice little five to 10 joints overseas and then some dates on this side just to build the momentum and have some fun with it." (MTV)

DMX initially broke the news of an RR reunion tour in mid-January.

It's official ... DMX and his legendary rap crew Ruff Ryders are getting back together -- in fact, X tells TMZ, a blowout reunion tour is already in the works. Ruff Ryders first lady Eve told us this weekend to expect a massive comeback -- but X says the RR reunion is already underway ... with CEO Waah Dean currently booking several venues across the country. The tour is supposed to kick off in a few months -- and X tells us, the entire crew's already on board, including Swizz Beats, Drag-On, and Murda-Mook. According to DMX, Eve and The L.O.X. haven't signed on yet -- but that's just because he hasn't gotten in touch with them yet. X insists, that will change very soon. X tells us, "We are all family and we're going to come back stronger than when we left ... It's going to take the nation by storm." (TMZ)