GHETTO RUFF is an independent South African recording label specializing in kwaito, hip hop, soul, house, gospel and rhythm and blues.
[1] Having been formed around the need to have a voice against apartheid GR released Prophets of da City who had tracks banned by the government of the day.
Currently, Ghetto Ruff Records known as Mlominent artists including Prophets of Da City (POC), Ishmael, Skeem, OdaMeesta, ASHAAN, Brickz, Zola, Pitch Black Afro, DJ Cleo, Bravo, Brown Dash, Mzekezeke, DJ What What, Skomplazi, Amu, Brassie Vannie Kaap, Tuks, Morafe, Jozi, Da Les, Bongani Fassie, Vusi NOVA, Nathi, NANCY G, BISHOP LOUIS, RUFF X, RJ Bejamin, Drenko, Kyllex, Malik, MCHANGANI, Gumshev, Metswako, Slice, SpyKos were just some of the releases.
Ghetto Ruff came to be in the late 1980s when Lance Stehr (current Managing Director of the label) formed the Cape Town-based hip hop group, Prophets of Da City.
With this foundation, Stehr was able to discover and nurture most probably the most artists from an independent label resulting in hundreds of thousands of record sales over the year.