One-on-One with
by Chris Recinos, Staff Writer, Editor
There are times in your life that you meet people that you can’t help but like – people that you really wish the best. Those are rare finds that deserve every good thing that comes their way… and much, much more. Take a person like that and then give them an undeniable talent and you would want nothing more than to see them succeed doing what they love most. That’s how you can’t help but feel about Co-Ruff. Sure he looks the part of the iconic hip-hop artist, but after meeting the quiet, mild mannered gentleman you wouldn’t expect the swagger and confidence he brings to the stage. Artists with that kind of presence you’d expect to be a lot fuller of themselves and a much less approachable. Throughout my days of living close to the Houma area, I had the pleasure of associating with Co-Ruff on a number of occasions but rarely found the time to sit down and actually pick his brain. Luckily I have his number and this magazine that gives me an excuse to ask him things I never got to before….
So word has it, you’ve signed with No Limit Forever Records… can you break down the timeline of when you started to this level that you’ve reached? I’ve been doing music as far back as I can remember. I started out, just like a lot of people, in the church. My mom’s been in music all her life. My mom and my older brother both play piano and are singers. I always had a fascination with drums; I wanted to be a drummer. My younger brother became a drummer also. So when I turned about eight or nine years Where are you from? old, man, I started putting the pots and the pans together, you I’m from Gibson, Louisiana. know, and started making music. The church I was attending at the time had a community choir with a bunch of kids, so it Where exactly is Gibson? kind of fell in place. At that point, I knew that I wanted to be Gibson is right out of Houma, it’s about ten minutes out. You in music. I just continued on, and I eventually got away from know, the swamps. the drum set. Growing up I always liked rap, but I loved R&B too. I’m not the best singer, but I could hold a note. So when How and when did you come to be known as Co-Ruff? I was in high school, me and my homeboys we would just be It actually started in High School. My name is Cory Ruffin. I free styling, we would be riding somewhere and everybody used to play basketball and a couple guys on the team started calling me Ruff, and then they started calling me Co-Ruff, it kind would just start rapping. We’d put a beat on it and everybody would do their thing, And they were like, “Hey Co, you need to of just stuck with me. 8
PRESS PLAY MAGAZINE MARCH 2011