He’s rich, bitch. Boyfriend of Lil’ Kim. Producer of “Lean Back.” Beyoncé hitmaker. Dr. Dre coconspirator. And, oh yeah, he’s White.Ladies and gents, Scott Storch. Challah!

When it comes to the Jewish calendar, it don’t get any heavier than Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Like Good Friday for Christians, Yom Kippur is a religious event that even the most lapsed of the chosen people choose to acknowledge. It’s not uncommon for the kind of Jews who openly enjoy a ham sandwich to spend the day fasting, dutifully filing into temple to pray and reflect upon the sins they’ve committed over the past year.

Of course, there are those who opt to observe (or not observe) in their own special way. Count among such fallen Israelites this writer and Scott Storch. Because on this Yom Kippur, as dusk slowly embraces Miami Beach, and the omnipresent palm trees are doing their own version of the Rock-a-way thanks to the gathering strength of incoming hurricane Jeanne, Storch, who calls his production company Tuff Jew and refers to himself as the “Meyer Lansky of hip-hop,” is skipping the mandatory self-sacrifice in favor of what promises to be a lengthy session of weed-smoking. (And beat-making.)

The three Ziploc bags of hydro, perched on a table next to a jar of Rolaids, might get Scott and the flotilla of friends, clients and support staff trickling through his Sound Villa studios as high as the Holy Days, but it’s what the 30-year-old Philadelphia native is lighting up behind the console that matters. A founding member of The Roots (he’s on the group’s 1993 debut Organix and had a major role in composing their 1999 Grammy winner “You Got Me”), and longtime keyboard player for Dr. Dre (the hookup came via old Philly pal Eve), Storch has hit the hip-hop trifecta of money, power and respect. He’s the dude behind the unofficial single of the summer, Terror Squad’s unexpected chart-topper “Lean Back.” With his slight, schlumpy frame, boyish, nondescript features (the most noticeable characteristic being a pair of dimples that explode when he’s particularly animated) and exceedingly low profile (most rap fans are probably unaware of the fact that Storch is White), this middle-class ninth-grade dropout is more geek than gangsta. But if homeboy ain’t cool, his beats are sure enough hot. Over the past five years, Storch has had a hand—as either a musician, producer, songwriter or something in between—in a long list of records you know: Beyoncé’s “Baby Boy,” “Naughty Girl” and “Me, Myself And I,” Eve and Gwen Stefani’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.” (Storch’s insistent keyboard riff anchors the track), Xzibit’s “X,” Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River,” Ja Rule’s 50 Cent diss “Clap Back,” The Roots’ aforementioned “You Got Me” and their latest single, “Don’t Say Nuthin’.” (Despite his lofty day rate, Storch still considers himself “a major part of The Roots family.”)

Yes, life is good for Scott Storch. He’s getting paid—he’s eager to discuss the $6.5

million Florida manse he’s in the process of buying, and Sound Villa’s garage resembles a high-end car dealership. And, as half of hip-hop’s most eye-rolling couple, it seems safe to assume that he’s getting laid. Storch’s current paramour is Lil’ Kim, a woman who, Storch declares with a disarmingly dimpled grin, is “a really exceptional, sweet person” with whom he hopes to build “a lasting relationship.” (Cue jaded writer trying to keep a straight face.)

Whatever one might think of the Queen Bee/Storch pairing (and we at XXL applaud commitment), there’s no argument as to Storch’s future. Hip-hop and R&B is riddled with the burned-out corpses of hot producers of the moment, but Storch is mastering the maxim that slow and steady (and stoned) wins the race. He might have the high-profile girlfriend and the luxury rides and the impressive baubles—most notably a yellow-diamond pinkie ring and two wrists’ worth of sparkling bracelets—but really, Storch has the mentality of a session player: you work your ass off and go where the opportunities (read: $$$) are, even if that means toiling in relative obscurity.

For all his achievements, Storch comes off as a bit conflicted (and restless, continuously pacing throughout the interview), leaving the impression that he still hasn’t found what’s he looking for. Or maybe it hasn’t found him. He doesn’t have the all-access, everywhere-you-look visibility of a Timbaland, a Dre, a Kanye, a Lil Jon. He’s a successful producer, but he’s not yet a star. He may not want to be. He’s not hanging around video sets, angling for face time. But he does want credit for what he does. Being White and Jewish is not usually an impediment in showbiz. But, MC Serch aside, it’s less of a sure bet in the rap game. “In the beginning of my career, people didn’t have faith in me because I was White,” Scott says, adding that the artists he was making beats for would often ask him to fetch them drinks, assuming that the nerdy honky in the studio must be an intern.

He’s come a long way since then. As you’d assume, on the heels of “Lean Back” (on which, he notes, Fat Joe gave him his first recorded shout-out), Storch’s dance card is fully booked. Over the next few months, expect to hear his melodic and still (thankfully) less-than-instantly-identifiable sound on forthcoming albums from Eminem, 50 Cent, Mario and Faith Evans, among others. He also has plans to secure a major-label deal. “I’m impressing the guys with the checkbooks,” he says. “Trying to get as much exposure [as I can] right now.”