Image via Complex Original
One time mega-producer Scott Storch recently filed for bankruptcy after once holding a net worth of $70 million during his prime. Though these rise-and-fall stories are nothing new in the music industry, Storch's fall from grace was particularly hard. Storch, who has produced multiple top 10 hits for the likes of Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and more, saw his rise in the early 2000s, and then his peak in 2006 when he reached elite status as a producer and amassed the majority of his earnings. His biggest commercial hit to date, "Lean Back" by Fat Joe, topped the charts in 2006, which is the same year that he won the prestigious ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year" award.
Since that point it's been pretty much downhill, with Storch making a multitude of poor life decisions centered around financial troubles and well-known drug abuse. Storch's fall from fame was so drastic and quick that we decided to go through some of the key moments of the time period and try to shine some light on just where everything went wrong with one of the most famous hip-hop producers ever.
Decided It Was Appropriate to Get a Haircut While Making a Terrible EDM Beat
This probably has no actual factor as to why Storch fell off so hard, but it’s just so damn confusing that it couldn’t be ignored. Why get a haircut while making a beat? Why is he wearing sunglasses indoors? So many questions, and literally no answers.
Wasted Beats on Paris Hilton and Brooke Hogan During His Prime
During the peak of Storch’s run, he for whatever reason decided it was a good idea to start making music with Paris Hilton and Brooke Hogan. It’s pretty obvious that neither Hogan or Hilton should be allowed in a recording booth, but this didn’t stop Storch from lacing them with multiple beats on both of their albums in 2006, which literally seems like the worst possible idea ever in 2015. That would be like Boi-1da making a beat today and instead of giving it to Drake, he sent it to Kylie Jenner.
Made a Comeback, Yet Didn't Release Any New Music
Throughout Storch’s hiatus, there have been many instances where he’s been spotted in the studio with a number of rappers, from the likes of Pusha T to Fat Joe, and more. Additionally, Storch has openly talked about his comeback to the industry, but there’s one glaring issue: He’s barely put out any new music. His last notable song was Rick Ross’ Mastermind cut “Supreme,” which came and went like it was nothing, and is basically the story of Scott Storch since 2010.
Switched His Style to EDM
Like the majority of artists who fall from their past relevance, Storch attempted to change up his sound and see what the EDM world had to offer. And well, as you can see in the video below, which Storch posted earlier this month, the EDM world isn’t really treating Scott all that great.
Beefed With Timbaland and Possibly Made the Worst Diss Song in History
One of the golden rules in hip-hop, and sort of life altogether, is don’t try to be something you’re not. Storch blatantly ignored this rule of thumb when he dropped a full-on diss record aimed at Timbaland in 2007 where he attempted to call out Timbo for stealing credit of his work. Now, whether or not Storch had the right to be upset with Timbo is one thing, but the fact that he might have dropped one of the worst diss songs of all time during the beef is inexcusable. This was certainly a sure sign that things were going downhill fast for Storch.
Thought It Was a Good Idea to Give Lindsay Lohan $1 Million in Jewelry
Back in 2007, any association with Lindsay Lohan was probably a bad PR move, but Storch went ahead and took the cake with this. While reportedly courting Lohan, which again, was probably a terrible idea, Storch decided it was a good idea to literally give her $1 million worth of jewelry as a gift. For someone who recently filed for bankruptcy and has less than $4,000 in assets in his name, this just seems like an even more horrible decision than it already was eight years ago.
Made His Own Reality TV Show on YouTube
They say any press is good press, but that probably goes out the window when you make your own reality TV show on your own YouTube channel. Yes, that’s exactly what Storch did in 2009 with his High on Life show, which is weird, because that’s probably the last thing that Storch was high on in 2009. This basically played out like an episode of Dr. Drew mixed with The Surreal Life, which is probably why basically nobody has ever seen it.
Hasn't Had a Charting Single Since 2006
The best way for a producer to stay relevant in hip-hop is to make hits. What a concept! Aside from all of the drug and legal issues that have plagued Storch, this is basically what doomed him. He stopped churning out the hits and he quickly saw his relevance drop off the face of the Earth.
Has Had Multiple Issues With the Law
As Storch’s music career began to slow down, his legal issues picked up in a big way, with multiple arrests for cocaine on his resumé. To make things worse, he’s also been popped for Grand Theft Auto, and failure to pay child support, plus had his mansion seized due to property tax issues. Just all bad.
Spent $30 Million on Cocaine in Six Months
Of all the poor financial decisions Storch has made in recent years, nothing can compare to his six-month, $30 million cocaine binge. How this is even possible will forever be a mystery, and when you put together the facts that he blew through $70 million in his career and almost half of it went up his nose, you literally can just shake your head.
