Son of the City: A Memoir

You might not know his name--but you've heard his work.

Dante Ross, raised by political activists on New York's pregentrified Lower East Side, would play a pivotal role in the golden age of hip-hop. Named as one of Complex Magazine's Top 25 Greatest Hip-Hop A&Rs, Ross got his start at Tommy Boy Records, where he would sign and handle the careers of De La Soul and Queen Latifah. At Elektra Records, he would go on to sign Brand Nubian, Grand Puba, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, KMD, Busta Rhymes, and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

As a producer, he has worked on a range of hit records by artists such as 3rd Bass, Del the Funky Homosapien, Run-DMC, and Everlast--including the multi-platinum album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues and the gold follow-up, Eat at Whitey's. Ross earned a Grammy in 1999 for his production work on Carlos Santana's Supernatural and also produced and cowrote two songs featuring Macy Gray and Young Z for the soundtrack to Eminem's 8 Mile.

In this highly entertaining memoir, Ross pulls no punches as he details his chaotic childhood, his life in hip-hop, and all the hard lessons he learned growing up in New York as a true son of the city.

Author: Dante Ross
Publisher: Rare Bird Books, a Barnacle Book
Published: 05/23/2023
Pages: 332
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.2lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781947856943

About the Author
Dante Ross is an American music industry executive, A&R man, and esteemed record producer. Son of noted writer and activist John Ross, Dante has been an important feature of the hip-hop landscape for more than thirty years. This is his debut memoir. He currently lives in New York City.