Scott Storch

Early life

Storch was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was raised in South Florida and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, Joyce Yolanda Storch, was a singer signed to Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records under the stage name Joyce Carol, and is of Lithuanian Jewish heritage. His father, Phil Storch, was a court reporter. His uncle, Jeremy Storch, was a founder of soul-rock band The Vagrants and wrote songs recorded by Dave Mason and Eddie Money. Storch's parents divorced in 1983.

Storch attended elementary school in Sunrise and middle school in Davie, Florida. In the middle of his freshman year, he left South Florida to join his father in the Philadelphia area, and attended high school in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. After dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, Storch was expelled from home at the age of 16. By age 18, he was living with his father in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where his cousin lived nearby.

Career

Storch began his professional music career in 1991, when he became one of the first members of the hip hop group The Roots as a keyboard player. Storch's first commercial hit was when he collaborated with Dr. Dre and produced the riffs for the song "Still D.R.E." including the characteristic piano. Storch's most successful hit was "Lean Back", a 2004 single by Fat Joe. He was one of the top producers in the business, having worked on hits by Beyoncé, 50 Cent, The Game, T.I., Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Dr. Dre, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Pink, Lil' Kim and many others." Storch was also awarded ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year award in 2006.

He produces hip hop music through his label, Storch Music Company. He also has his own music production company called Tuff Jew Productions LLC which is published by Reservoir Media Management.

Personal life

By 2006, Storch had more than $70 million but also picked up a cocaine addiction the prior year. In August 2006, he "took a month off" and vacationed in Hollywood, California. Friend and manager Derek Jackson said, "It was just a wonderful year, but I think it was defined by the magic month of August. He ran into the Hollywood class – and when he went to Hollywood, all things changed." He withdrew from producing and focused on partying with friends at his $10 million mansion in Palm Island, Florida. He also purchased a private jet, a 117-foot yacht, and nearly 20 luxury cars, about half of which he estimated he purchased while high on cocaine. Storch squandered $30 million in less than six months, and was in dire financial straits by January 2007.

In 2008, Storch hit legal trouble after reportedly falling behind on both his child-support payments and his property taxes. In early 2009, he was arrested for grand theft auto for allegedly failing to return a Bentley he had leased three years prior. In April 2009, Storch checked into an intensive inpatient rehab program in Hollywood, Florida, and filed for bankruptcy that May. In February 2012, Storch was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada for possession of cocaine and was released on bail. On June 24, 2015, Storch officially filed for bankruptcy.