Scott Storch

Scott Storch’s knack for laying down dazzling keyboard lines led to a burgeoning career as a musically blessed producer by the early 2000s after aligning himself with production duties for high-profile rappers such as Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes. Long before Storch was crafting entire tracks for superstar rappers, he was a humble keyboardist. He contributed to mostly forgotten Philadelphia-area efforts such as Schoolly D’s Welcome to America (1994) and G. Love & Special Sauce’s self-titled debut (1994), yet his humble contributions to a then low-profile, indie-label debut album by another Philadelpha act ended up being his path to success. This particular album happened to be the Roots’ Organix (1993), an album that led to a major label deal for the Roots, solidifying Storch’s role as keyboardist for the group. Yet as the years passed and his reputation grew as the talented keyboardist in America’s premier live hip-hop “band,” Storch began extending his reach, taking on production opportunities. His big break came when his keyboard riff laced the mammoth lead single to Dr. Dre’s comeback album, “Still D.R.E.” Working alongside Dre obviously had its pluses, and soon Storch found himself co-producing the lead single to Xzibit’s Restless album, “X,” and getting the opportunity to produce three tracks for Snoop Dogg’s Tha Last Meal. In subsequent years he became one of the rap industry’s most reliable hitmakers, up there with the Neptunes, Kanye West, and Lil Jon among the industry’s most in-demand hired hands. Some of his best-known productions include Terror Squad’s “Lean Back,” Mario’s “Let Me Love You,” 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop,” and Beyoncé’s “Naughty Girl.” ~ Jason Birchmeier