While Styles P once contributed the memorable stoner anthem “I Get High,” nowadays he’s taken an alternative holistic approach to health, co -running a local chain of juice bars with Jada, and owns a plant-based supplement line.
Refusing to become one-note, the LOX members branched out into respected, successful solo careers - notably, Jadakiss has given the culture timeless songs, including 2001’s “We Gon Make It,” among a deep list of accomplishments (even famously ghostwriting Diddy’s “ Victory” verse) that were celebrated this June in his Verzuz showcase with Fabolous. Their humorous personalities shined through comedically violent skits and (occasionally not-so) subliminal jabs at Puff, as cult-classic deep cuts driven by Swizz Beatz’s keyboard wizardry helped satisfy their core audience, and the Timbaland-produced single “Ryde Or Die, Bitch” expanded their reach.
Blessed with the good fortune of signing to Diddy’s commercially rugged Bad Boy imprint, the trio’s 1998 debut Money, Power & Respect was a polished release that gave them a platform while simultaneously strengthening their resolve to craft music on their own terms.Īfter Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch - who’d formed the group in high school, originally under the name “the Bomb Squad” - publicly argued with their mogul boss, Sean Combs, to leave what most considered a dream label at the time, the group released what’s perhaps their most acclaimed release, 2000’s We Are the Streets. Blige, who would go on to ascend to R&B stardom, the LOX, along with future superstar DMX, represented a small-scale rap renaissance for Yonkers, a suburban Westchester County enclave neighboring the Bronx. One of New York rap’s mainstays since the days of mid-to-late ’90s DJ Clue tapes, the LOX have evolved seamlessly over the last 20 years from lesser-known street lyricists to elder statesmen of the game. Photo-Illustration: Vulture and Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIDAL Jadakiss drops studio LPs at his own pace, but not at the expense of his relevance-his unmistakable voice and sharp punchlines hold weight long beyond an album cycle.(L-R) Styles P, Jadakiss, and Sheek Louch. Following a blistering run of mixtapes, Jadakiss found a home at Def Jam, where he's continued to reveal new sides of himself: On 2020's Ignatius, he grieves the death of his best friend and A&R man-the album's namesake-via reflective rhymes ("Pearly Gates"), thundering production ("Huntin Season"), and a set of wishlist collaborations, including Pusha T, Rick Ross, and 2 Chainz. He followed up with 2004's Kiss of Death, propelled by "Why?", a massive protest anthem that some radio stations banned for questioning President George Bush's involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Singles like the triumphant "We Gonna Make It" and Neptunes-produced "Knock Yourself Out" proved that Jadakiss could navigate commercial success as adeptly as the streets.
After The Lox fiercely advocated for a release from their contract and liberated their sophomore album, We Are The Streets, through the Swizz Beats-led Ruff Ryders label, Jadakiss launched his solo career with Kiss Tha Game Goodbye in 2001. As the fire-spitting collective displayed seamless on-wax chemistry and a successful string of lyrical performances on '90s hits-namely the title track on their debut effort, Money, Power, Respect, and Diddy's 1997 posse cut "It's All About The Benjamins"-'Kiss quickly became a marquee MC. The MC born Jason Phillips in 1975 began his career as a member of The Lox, a hardcore rap outfit from Yonkers, New York, under the Bad Boy Records imprint. Between his distinctively hoarse voice, an equally scratchy laugh, and a long-proven capability for street-smart rhymes, Jadakiss has staked out his corner in New York City's hip-hop scene.