The R

Ryan Ford and Hip-Hop music go back a long time together. At the age of 12, Ryan began DJing a Hip-Hop music program on a local radio station in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. The popularity of his weekly broadcast quickly earned Ryan credibility as a growing expert in the music and culture of Hip-Hop, even at such a young age.
Ryan continued his love affair with Hip-Hop music and culture as he began hosting a daily talk show dealing with community issues and writing a column in his high school newspaper. However, when Ryan landed at the University of Kansas it was to play football for the Jayhawks, not to focus solely on Hip-Hop. But when he later landed at the University of Iowa, Hip-Hop again became his passion.
Ryan worked as Urban Music Director for the university’s radio station along with DJing in local nightclubs and on the airwaves. During the summers, Ryan interned at the Iowa Bystander, the oldest black newspaper west of the Mississippi and the 50,000 watt 1040 WHO talk radio. Ryan also headed up a research program for the school’s foremost expert on Hip-Hop while earning his degree in journalism.
Ryan’s legwork in helping his father, Iowa State Representative Wayne Ford, recruit the attention of young minorities for his Brown-Black Presidential Forum, helped land him an internship at the New York headquarters of The Source magazine the following summer.
Ryan then moved to Los Angeles to pursue his Master’s degree in African-American Studies with a focus area in Ethnomusicology at UCLA. During his schooling, Ryan worked as a freelance journalist compiling clips for an array of magazines as well as starting his own web-zine, Contrabandit.com, along with a grad school colleague. Ryan continued to work closely with The Source’s West Coast office and upon his graduation was hired as West Coast Correspondent. Ryan rose through the ranks until finally becoming Executive Editor.
Ryan has interviewed numerous Hip-Hop artists and celebrites including Shaquille O’Neal, Jermaine Dupri, Diddy, Russell Simmons, Outkast, The Game, Nelly and controversial label head Suge Knight. In addition, Ryan profiled female rapper Eve for the July 2002 cover story, West Coast rapper Kurupt for the July 2004 cover story, Snoop Dogg for the July 2005 cover story, looked at the life of late rapper Eazy E for the January 2005 cover story, profiled embattled label head Irv Gotti for the February 2006 cover, analyzed the impact of gangsta rap on this generation with the July 2006 cover story on actor/rapper Ice Cube and explored Snoop Dogg's appeal to mainstream America with the January 2007 cover story. Ryan has also appeared on the E! channel’s True Hollywood Story: Snoop Dogg and True Hollywood Story: Hip-Hop Wives.
Ryan has also formed Rhyme Night, a reoccurring Hip-Hop talent showcase event in Southern California. Ryan co-founded Rhyme Night with rapper and host of MTV’s Pimp My Ride, Xzibit. Rhyme Night is currently being adapted for TV.