Replete with tragic details and bad behavior, the ballad of Scott Storch may be the swan song of the bling era, a riches-to-rags tale of excess, poor decisions, and a hobbled music industry.
Raised in South Florida and the Philadelphia area, Storch is a high-school dropout from a broken middle-class family who turned serious musical chops and intense ambition into a high-flying career. Vanessa Bellido met him when they were both in high school and he was a talented keyboardist.
"He always knew what he wanted to be," she says. "He would play the piano unbelievably. He was like, 'I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it.' Even at 15 he was an old soul. Real smart, real different."
While still a teen, Storch was a founding member of the Roots. He produced their breakthrough single, "You Got Me," which helped Philly's acclaimed live hip-hop band win a Grammy and gave the sandy-haired Jewish producer serious hip-hop credentials.
Deciding he preferred studios to touring, Storch moved to Los Angeles to work with Dr. Dre. There his keyboard loops helped form the basis of such hits as "Still D.R.E." He produced seven tracks on Christina Aguilera's "Stripped" album, including "Can't Hold Us Down," which featured Lil' Kim.
Storch decided to return to his Florida roots to, as he has said, build his empire. Beginning in 2003, the hits rolled in: Beyoncé's "Naughty Girl," Terror Squad's "Lean Back," 50 Cent's "Candy Shop," and Chris Brown's "Run It."
Storch had the quintessential producer's talent for coaxing career-making performances out of both veteran and new artists.
