NY crime rhyme vet David Styles, better known to the Hip Hop world as Styles P, turns 50 years young today.
The L.O.X.(Living Off Experience) co-founder along with Sheek Louch and Jadakiss began their careers with platinum honors, appearing on Puff’s No Way Out album and selling a million copies of their debut LP Money, Power and Respect. Styles has put out seven full length solo projects along with a host of mixtapes and callabos throughout his career, establishing himself as one of the top lyricists in the rap game. “The Ghost” has also made a proactive contribution in keping the hood healthy by opening all natural juice bars in NYC as well as his natural supplement and vitamin company built along with his wife Adjua Styles called Farmacy For Life.
From everyone here at The Source, we send a “Super Gangster And A Gentleman” salute to Styles on his born day and we hope that he enjoys today and many more!
Today, platinum-selling recording artist and member of the renowned group The Lox, Sheek Louch returns with his Halloween themed EP Gorillaween Vol. 6.
This highly anticipated EP showcases Sheek Louch’s signature lyrical prowess and gritty sound, featuring tracks that pay homage to the Halloween spirit. The project’s lead single “Trinity Talk” features his brothers/partners in rhyme Jadakiss and Styles P.
Gorillaween Vol. 6 is a thrilling ride filled with haunting beats, clever wordplay, and the raw energy that has made Sheek a household name. Fans can expect samples and references to classic horror films and themes. The project embodies the essence of Halloween while remaining true to Sheek Louch’s authentic style as he continues the annual tradition of fusing horror themes with the grit of hip-hop.
Sheek’s Gorillaween Vol. 6 is the next installment of the Gorillaween series which has become a yearly, Halloween traditionand is the follow up to Gorillaween Vol. 5. The new EP also comes off the heels of the group’s hit track “Money, Power, Respect” earning a platinum plaque.
n celebration of the 30th anniversary of The LOX’s legendary debut album “Money, Power & Respect,” Roc Nation’s iconic streetwear brand, Paper Planes, is proud to announce an exclusive collaboration with the renowned hip hop group. This limited-edition collection honors The LOX’s enduring impact on hip hop culture and their ongoing legacy as New York legends.
The LOX, comprised of Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch, have been on an impressive press run leading up to their 30th anniversary milestone, including a standout performance at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. As they continue their anniversary tour, fans now have the perfect way to represent the group with a special edition Paper Planes crown, graphic tee, and hoodie designed in collaboration with The LOX.
The collection was crafted by Queens native, Tmark, who has seamlessly blended Paper Planes‘ signature streetwear aesthetic with The LOX’s gritty, authentic New York style. These pieces are not just apparel—they’re a testament to the group’s influence over the last three decades. Whether you’re planning to rock these items on your block or at one of The LOX’s anniversary concerts, this collection is a must-have for fans and followers of both hip hop and streetwear.
The Paper Planes x The LOX collaboration will be available online at Paper Planes’ official site. Don’t miss out on this limited drop to commemorate a monumental occasion in hip hop history.
On this date in 1997, the Hip Hop mogul formerly known as Puff Daddy, put an album together with the entire Bad Boy Hip Hop roster and dubbed them “The Family” and released the label’s only collaborative effort, Puff Daddy and The Family’s No Way Out on the Bad Boy imprint.
Less than a year after the untimely death of the Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, who was then known as “Puff Daddy”, along with Ma$e, Black Rob, Loon and a few other Bad Boys for this monumental album.
The Grammy Award winning album went platinum in one year’s time with the help from tracks like “All About The Benjamins (Remix)”, “Been Around The World” and “I’ll Be Missing You” featuring Phil Collins, dedicated to the late executive producer of the album and co-architect of the Bad Boy legacy, Notorious B.I.G.
The dynamic duo of Method Man and Redman headlined the inaugural BUD DROP concert at Terminal 5 in NYC on Friday, April 19th. This groundbreaking event, produced by LTB Productions, provided a New Year’s Eve-style celebration on the eve of the cannabis holiday, culminating in a midnight “BUD DROP,” which is a spinoff of the NYE ball drop – counting down to the 4/20; marijuana culture’s high holiday.
The night started with sets from DJ DPrizzy. Host Ace the General introduced the opening act including Doov.DJ Self provided an enthusiastic set that transitioned from old-school hip-hop to Latin, to reggae, keeping the crowd energetic before the duo Girll Codee performed their set. They had the crowd chanting, “Roll that smoke that pass that” as it was a 4/20-themed event. DJ Self also paused for a brief moment to acknowledge the late great DJ Mister Cee, who recently passed away. Kyah Baby also graced the stage for the main acts.
Yonkers legend Styles P performed some of his old hits including “Fuck You” and “Wild Out.” Fellow LOX member Sheek Louch came out to perform “Wild Out” with Styles P. The duo also paid tribute to the late rapper DMX, performing “We Gonna Make It.”
His high-energy performance set the tone and prepared the crowd for Method Man and Redman, who closed out the BUD DROP event with an iconic performance. In the middle of their set, Method Man and Redman counted down the last few seconds before it was officially 4/20. Balloons and confetti dropped soon after and the Wu-Tang members continued their celebratory performance.
Throughout the show, attendees were able to shop with different THC and weed strain companies. Some vendors included Nectar Wellness, Motagua NYC, Don Karlos Cannabars, The Culture Craft Cannabis, and the Empire Cannabis Club. Attendees were able to purchase teas, candy bars, edibles, vapes, and weed strains.
Sei Less was the event’s food partner. They gave concert-goers a culinary journey that perfectly complements the festive atmosphere. Empire Cannabis Club NYC brought its unique touch to the event, ensuring concert-goers enjoyed an immersive holiday atmosphere. Empire provided all the pre-rolls in the balloons that dropped after the bud drop countdown, as well as complimentary tote bags upon entry filled with branded lighters, grinders, pre-rolls, edibles and more.
On this date at the top of the 21st century, legendary Yonkers trio The L.O.X.(Living Off Experience) released their sophomore full-length LP appropriately titled We Are The Streets on the Ruff Ryders/Interscope imprint.
Produced primarily by Double R in-house producer Swizz Beatz, We Are The Streets saw substantially more commercial success than its predecessor Money, Power And Respect, which solidified The L.O.X.’s hardcore Hip Hop fanbase. This sophomore album secured The l.O.X.’s tenure in the game despite their fallout with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Bad Boy Records not long after. The album was propelled by hit singles, but ironically the production of two of the three main singles was outsourced; ‘Ryde Or Die Bitch”, which was produced by Timbaland, and “Recognize”, which was produced by DJ Premier.
The album saw a short tenure on the Billboard charts, reaching Number 5 on Billboard 200 and Number 2 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Salute to Jada, Sheek Styles, Swizz, Eve, Dee, Waah, and the entire Ruff Ryder camp for this crucial piece of Hip Hop history!
On this date in 1998, Sheek Louch, Styles P., and Jadakiss, who are better known as the rap trio The L.O.X. (Living Off Experience), dropped their debut album on then-Puff Daddy’s steadily growing Bad Boy label. Following in the footsteps of artists like Craig Mack and Notorious B.I.G., the Yonkers collective had to go the extra length to prove themselves worthy to carry the Bad Boy legacy and that they have done and continue to do.
With production on this project from the likes of Swizz Beatz, D. Dot, Dame Grease, and Mr. Combs himself, there was very little chance that this project flop. Even with the shiny suits, the lyrical content and dexterity were on point from all three members, solidifying their slots as lyrical legends in their own rights coming into the new millennium. Tracks like “If You Think I’m Jiggy” and the album’s epic title track were both perfect fusions of street anthems with crossover appeal, which allowed the LOX a fanbase on both sides of the mainstream “boundary”.
Thanks to Diddy, D-Block, and the entire Bad Boy staff who helped to put together this timeless classic!
NY crime rhyme vet David Styles, better known to the Hip Hop world as Styles P, turns 49 years young today.
The L.O.X.(Living Off Experience) co-founder along with Sheek Louch and Jadakiss began their careers with platinum honors, appearing on Puff’s No Way Out album and selling a million copies of their debut LP Money, Power and Respect. Styles has put out seven full length solo projects along with a host of mixtapes and callabos throughout his career, establishing himself as one of the top lyricists in the rap game. “The Ghost” has also made a proactive contribution in keping the hood healthy by opening all natural juice bars in NYC as well as his natural supplement and vitamin company built along with his wife Adjua Styles called Farmacy For Life.
From everyone here at The Source, we send a “Super Gangster And A Gentleman” salute to Styles on his born day and we hope that he enjoys today and many more!
On this date in Hip Hop history, Jason Phillips aka Jadakiss released his first full-length studio album Kiss Tha Game Goodbye on the Ruff Ryders/Interscope imprint.
Regarded as one of the most anticipated releases within the month of the 9/11 tragedy(which also includes Jay-Z’s Blueprint and Fabolous’ debut Ghetto Fabolous), Jadakiss’ premiere project Kiss Tha Game Goodbye provides a peek into the L.O.X.’s star emcee and the album succession that has led him all the way to the offices of Roc Nation, where he is now on the roster. It was also proof that an emcee whose career began on a mixtape could actually morph into a full music career.
Singles from Jada’s certified gold debut include the album’s lead single “Knock Yourself Out”, the anthemic “We Gonna Make It” featuring L.O.X./D-Block cohort Styles P and other appearances including labelmate DMX, Snoop Dogg, the late Nate Dogg, and even Swizz Beatz ex-wife Mashonda.
Salute to Jada, Swizz, The L.O.X., Pharrell, DJ Premier, Just Blaze and everyone else who took part in making this album a part of Hip Hop history!
Soon after announcing his retirement in the fourth quarter of last year, Styles P released his second to last solo album Penultimate: A Calm Wolf Is Still A Wolf on January 27, 2023. Today (2/21/2023), The LOX rapper shares the official Bo-directed music video for album single “Death Before Dishonor” (featuring bass player, producer, singer, and band leader Brady Watt).
“After I did Bass & Bars with Brady Watt, we agreed that we’d be doing more sh*t together in the future”, said Styles. “This song was that. As a 48 year old emcee, I like to step outside of my comfort zone, and I did that here. [‘Death Before Dishonor’] has a different feel not typical to Styles P, but still fits in with what I do. I didn’t even know Brady could sing or produce, but when he played me this track, I just followed my emcee intuition and started working on it right then and there.“
With guest appearances from Bucky and Brady Watt, and production from Vinny Idol, Black Saun, Ty Feif, as well as Styles P’s son, Noah Styles, among others, Penultimate: A Calm Wolf Is Still A Wolf is P’s 15th solo project.
