Meaning
A rough, tough, streetwise man of the ghetto — raw, hardened, and unpolished in manner. Often worn as a badge of authenticity and toughness in dancehall, the 'ruff neck' is the genuine article of the streets, not soft or citified, and to be one is a kind of credential of nerve and survival. But the word can also plainly describe a coarse, rugged, ill-mannered character, and its exact colour, praise or criticism, depends on who is speaking and of whom.
Examples
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Him a real ruff neck from di corner.
He's a real rough-and-ready man from the corner.
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Di ruff neck dem nuh fraid a nutten.
The tough street guys aren't afraid of anything.
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She like a ruff neck ova a soft man.
She prefers a rugged, streetwise man over a soft one.
Origin
From English 'roughneck' (a rough, coarse person); in dancehall it takes on the specific flavour of the hardened, authentic ghetto man.
How it’s used
Can be admiring (authentic, tough) or critical (coarse, uncouth) depending on context.