Now, on a warm mid-September afternoon, Styles and Sheek are reflecting on their careers from the roof of Roc Nation’s posh Chelsea headquarters. And if you’re a hip-hop fan, there’s a strong chance you’ve heard and seen them often since the beginning of August.Īfter thoroughly upstaging the Diplomats during a lauded Verzuz event at Madison Square Garden, the Lox made the final cut of Kanye West’s maximalist Donda, performed at the return of Hot 97’s annual Summer Jam concert, and received the keys to their hometown. and left their marks in the presence of DMX’s outsized personality. They’ve held their own next to the Notorious B.I.G. They flourished instantly with the Yonkers-rooted Ruff Ryders: “Wild Out” was the perfect breakout single from 2000’s We Are the Streets-an aggressive reset supercharged by their hunger and newfound liberation.
THE LOX RECOGNIZE FREE
After growing unhappy with a contract they deemed unfair, the Lox launched an infamous campaign to free themselves from Bad Boy, triggering a feud with Diddy, which they’ve since smoothed over. Although it flashed their potential and featured Lil’ Kim and fellow Yonkers native DMX on the title track, it tried too hard to straddle the line between Bad Boy’s flamboyance and the Lox’s rugged aesthetic. The Yonkers trio (Styles P, the live wire Sheek Louch, a hulking ball of charisma Jadakiss, a gravel-voiced assassin with a signature laugh and running list of stellar verses on his resume) started out on Bad Boy Records, where they released their debut album, Money, Power & Respect, in 1998. "But I got a son to raise so I'ma stay in this hell / And I gotta gun to blaze if you play with the L.The Lox found their niche at the turn of the millennium with a brash style of street rap all their own: You felt every “Fuck you” in your chest and knew they meant it. "So like Point Break with a mask on with president's face." Closing out is Styles P - "If I knew heaven had a ghetto that was sweeter than here / You know the P would pack his bag and just leave next year," he spits. "I give it to you point blank, in your mom's place," he raps, in his opening lines. Sheek Louch steps up for the second verse, his explosive flow reminiscent of the classic nineties style.
"Now I know y'all couldn't wait to hear 'Kiss over Premier, Kill you on tape then watch it over a beer," he raps, sliding over Primo's head-nodding production. In his opening lyrics, Jadakiss says what the masses had been thinking since first hearing him spit bars. And while there remain plenty of hard bars and classic tunes to parse through in honor of the milestone occasion, it's hard to ignore the allure of the Eve-sampling, DJ Premier-produced "Recognize."
Their first release on the Ruff Ryders label, many fans have praised The LOX's second album as their finest work yet, high praise of one of the rap game's beloved groups. Not long after their Bad Boy debut Money, Power, & Respect turned twenty-three, The LOX celebrate another massive milestone as their sophomore release We Are The Streets closes the door on twenty-one. 1 MAKE IT STOP Twenty-one years ago, The LOX came through with their first Ruff Ryders album "We Are The Streets."
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