Ryu (born Ryan Patrick Maginn) is a member of the underground hip-hop ensemble Styles of Beyond. Born in New York on June 10, 1975, he is also associated with the Demigodz and Fort Minor. Ryu resides in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. He has several nicknames, including “Tiger Chan” (which is referenced in several S.O.B. songs), and “The Ranch Dressing Of Rap”, indicating his diversity, flow, uniqueness, and crafty one-liners, as well as the obvious fact that he is white. He met up with his current bandmates Takbir "Tak" Bashir and DJ Cheapshot, while attending Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California. However, Takbir and Cheapshot met while attending Taft High School, and they were on the football team together. They formed their group “Styles of Beyond”, (Tak came up with the name) and began work on recording their debut album 2000 Fold . The album was released in 1997 on Tak’s brother Balil Bashir’s record label, Bilawn Records. 2000 Fold’s cover artwork was designed by Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park and Fort Minor), who was friends with the group, before any of them (including Shinoda) became famous. In between the release of 2000 Fold, and their second album Megadef, both Ryu and Cheapshot provided their talents, on long time friend Mike Shinoda’s Linkin Park Remix album Reanimation. However, Ryu’s partially recorded bits for the track WTH>You, were never used, and possibly not even finalized. Before the release of their second album Megadef, the group temporarily broke up, with Ryu doing some solo work. Ryu and Tak didn't go their separate ways, but they were going in different musical directions and wanted to do different things. But then Takbir had gotten into a car accident, so Ryu contacted Tak to see how he was doing, and the next thing you know, they were talking about releasing Styles of Beyond's next album release, Megadef. Ryu's solo album would have been called "Megadef". He was featured on Name of the Game and Ready for Action off The Crystal Method’s album Tweekend (incidentally, S.O.B. at one point early in their career, were signed to The Crystal Method’s record label Hi-Ho Records), among being featured on many other tracks. Currently, Ryu, along with the other members of S.O.B., are working on their third album (the first of which is on a major music label) Rocket Surgery (which is scheduled for release in early 2008), and their new mixtape Razor Tag, which is presented by DJ Green Lantern.
Solo
- Name of the Game - (with The Crystal Method)
- Unsung Heroes - (Gatorade Commercial)
- Algae - (with Talksicc)
- Rock (Remix) - (with Lexicon)
- The OfficiaL - (with Lexicon)
- Keep The Rats Movin - (with Awol One)
- Can't Leave Rap Alone - (with Apathy)
- Speak Ya Clout - (with Apathy)
- Dawn of the Decade - (with Emanon)
- Paper Planes - (with Veze Skante)
