Ruffnation to launch hip-hop vinyl subscription on Oct. 31

Chris Schwartz will launch Vinyl Societe at midnight on Oct. 31, a subscription service billed as the first devoted to hip-hop vinyl.

Schwartz, chief executive of Ruffnation Entertainment, confirmed the date and pricing details to Billboard. The service will run entirely on pre-orders. Members will pay $40 to $45 a month.

The first-year target is 7,000 to 10,000 subscribers. Planned extras include a bonus CD and a 12-inch by 24-inch one-of-one poster with each shipment.

Two releases lead into the launch. Pre-registration for Juvenile’s Boiling Point starts Sept. 18, with the pre-order drop on Oct. 12. Erick Sermon’s Dynamic Duos follows on Oct. 23.

Ruffnation releases classic and new underground hip-hop albums on vinyl in partnership with Virgin Music Group, the distributor that moves its records into shops. It moved into audiophile-grade vinyl, meaning pressings aimed at high-quality sound, with collector-quality runs and one-of-a-kind artwork on Record Store Day on April 12 last year.

That first release was Wu-Tang Clan and Mathematics’ Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman. The double-LP exclusive sold out its 5,000-copy run priced at $59.90. That run sold out.

Ruffnation followed it with Ice Cube’s Man Up on vinyl in December. It then issued RZA’s Bobby Digital Presents: The Juice Crew and Man with the Iron Fists for Record Store Day 2026 on April 18.

Schwartz founded Ruffhouse Records with partner Joe Nicolo in 1989 as a joint venture with Columbia Records. Through Ruffhouse he developed Lauryn Hill, Cypress Hill and Kris Kross, according to a 1999 report in Variety.

For fans, this means no hunting for leftovers. If the pre-order model holds, the pressing matches the demand that members declare in advance.