Dante Ross
| Dante Ross | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dante Ross |
| Born |
October 11, 1967 San Francisco, California |
| Origin | New York City, New York |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, A&R |
| Instruments | Drum machine, Sampler |
| Years active | 1987-present |
| Labels | Tommy Boy, Elektra, Warner Bros. |
| Associated acts | Brand Nubian, De La Soul, Digital Underground, Queen Latifah, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Leaders Of The New School, KMD, Macklemore |
Dante Ross (born October 11, 1967 in San Francisco, California) is an American music industry executive, A&R representative, and producer. He was named one of the top-25 greatest A&R representatives in hip hop by Complex magazine. Ross started his A&R career at Tommy Boy records, at which he signed and handled the careers of such artists as De La Soul, Queen Latifah, and Digital Underground. Ross was then hired by Elektra Records and was the first person ever hired by a major label to be specifically a hip hop A and R man. Ross became the architect of Elektra Records hip hop roster where he signed acts Brand Nubian, Grand Puba, Pete Rock & C.L Smooth, KMD, Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. He is currently a SVP of A&R ADA Music the independent distribution company owned by the Warner Music Group. He also serves as SVP of A and R for the newly re-activated Asylum records.
Dante Ross was born in San Francisco to political activist parents John Ross and mother Norma. He moved to New York City in 1967. Ross was raised by his mother raised in New York's Lower East Side, then a predominately Puerto Rican neighborhood, where his mother was a nursery school teacher. Ross grew up skateboarding, writing graffiti and going to see punk rock shows with teenage friends who would eventually become members of The Beastie Boys, The Cro-Mags and Luscious Jackson. He hung out at Manhattan nightclubs such as The Mudd Clubb, Danceteria and The Roxy nightly while still in High School in the early 80's. He frequently went to see live music at CBGB's where he often saw The Bad Brains who befriended a young Ross. Hanging out in NYC's Lower East Side during the early 80's Ross became friends with many notable punk and hardcore groups as well as various future creatives. He credits this along with watching his friends The Beastie Boys success with him wanting to work in the music business.
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