The LOX "Live From Noochie’s Front Porch" (Video)

In an era bloated with overproduction and rented vibes, The LOX remind us why the foundation still matters. Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch—hip-hop’s grimiest holy trinity—stepped onto Noochie’s front porch in Southeast Washington, D.C. and delivered something rare: a performance that felt both timeless and urgent. This wasn’t a stage soaked in LED lights and choreographed smoke. It was concrete steps, folding chairs, and neighborhood energy. And that’s exactly where The LOX thrive. The performance channeled D-Block basement energy, the kind of cipher spirit that birthed them out of Yonkers. With a setlist that pulled from the Ruff Ryders vaults—“Dope Money,” “Wild Out,” and other deep cuts—they gave real heads the kind of moment we rarely see anymore: raw, unfiltered emceeing with nothing but bars and brotherhood. There’s an ease between them that only comes with time and loyalty. No gimmicks. This was for the culture, not the clicks. 

Styles P & Havoc "Wreckage Manner" (Album Stream)

Wreckage Manner is the collaborative project between Mobb Deep’s Havoc and The Lox’ Styles P. Entirely produced by Havoc, Wreckage Manner includes the previously released single “Nightmares 2 Dreams” ​​​alongside nine other songs that find The LOX wordsmith and Mobb Deep producer at the peak of their powers. In tandem with the release, Havoc shared some thoughts about working with Styles P. “Making this piece of work reminded me of working with P (the late, great Prodigy of Mobb Deep),” he said in a statement. “Styles is an artist that I was a fan of over the years, so making this project was truly a pleasure.” “Authentic, vibrant, quote-worthy, raw uncut hip hop,” Styles added. “Get ready for the ride!!!” We still mourn the loss of Prodigy, but I'm glad that Styles P and Hav were able to come together and make this art happen. I hesitated for several weeks to click play, may have been jaded by some negative reviews but after listening, I think it's a solid album. Dig into Styles P and Havoc's collaborative project, Wreckage Manner, below...

The LOX "Knicks Freestyle" (Video)

In late 2020, clothing line Kith revealed their collaboration with Nike and the New York Knicks with a freestyle video starring The Diplomats (Juelz Santana, Cam’ron, and Jim Jones). Now into their second year, Kith shares a second freestyle featuring the Dips’ VERZUZ opponents, The LOX. While standing on center court of Madison Square Garden, not far from where the trio beat their Harlem contemporaries in their VERZUZ session, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P unleash a barrage of bars for three minutes. It’s safe to assume that a reveal of the Kith x Nike x New York Knicks collaboration will arrive soon, too. - via 2DopeBoyz. “New York, New York, what’s bigger than this/The home of Jay-Z and Nas, matter of fact, the home of Biggie and Kiss/Donnie and P L-O-X way before Cube we were the big three.” Peep the dope visuals below... ain't none of y'all better...

Happy Born Day, Styles P! (Playlist)

I can't write much about Styles P that you don't already know... but I can say that in all the years I've written, Styles has been one of the most sincerest artists I've ever interviewed. He pulled no punches, he simply spoke his truth and owned all of it. He asked questions and was more interested in a conversation than a Q&A. His catalog and track record is that of a mixtape MC, who has seen great success and yet has always kept his ear to the streets. He's quick to argue that he feels he's the hardest lyricist in the game. In recent years his focus has shifted more into the community with his wife and his Juices 4 Life brand. He's taken on the roll of an elder statesman and a true OG for cats coming up. He's also written books, become something of a media personality, and continues to excel on the mic as a solo artist and member of the legendary crew, The LOX. Their appearance on the Verzuz stage, while overshadowed by Jadakiss' inimitable presence, was a masterclass in how to succeed as a group. I can't imagine the number of verses he's written in his career between albums, mixtapes, freestyles and features, but it's more than most. As solid a man as he is an artist, you can't say that about a lot of these artists, so salute Styles P, especially today on his born day. Lastly, check out this quick playlist below with some Styles P/The LOX joints... oh, and also dig in the archives for plenty of material, including some of our interview together from over 10 yrs ago... 

Man, that didn't even scratch the surface! More next year? Good idea...

The LOX vs. Dipset (Verzuz Battle, 8/3/21)

The LOX and Dipset took the stage at Madison Square Garden for a one night only Verzuz battle last night.... the outcome was absolute destruction. In the words of famed producer and wordsmith, Big Ghost Ltd... "I aint seen carnage like that since the movie Apocalypto. I cant remember.. but I think at one point Jada n Styles held Juelz over a pit of fire n disemboweled him to appease the Timberland gods while Cam n Jim watched helplessly.. Then Kiss rhymed over “Who Shot Ya” n Freekey Zekey just erupted into flames.. shit is a blur now. I went into this thinking its no way L-O-X would be able to out anthem my guys. But I knew shit was going sideways when the Set got lost on the way to the stage n gave Kiss a cool 5 mins to let off half a clip of jokes before the Diplomats DJ got his iPod Nano to successfully play “Bigger Picture” for em to walk out to. How yall down by 6 before the game start tho? Lox set the tone for the night early by going right into “F-ck You”…n it was all downhill from there. I know nobody in that room or anywhere else needed a whole ass Jim Jones/Purple City medley but TRUTHFULLY song selection was only part of the problem for them Harlem boys. The lack of cohesion n focus buried em. Didnt help that Lox had infinitely better stage presence, knew all they own lyrics, n could go into any chamber needed to respond (Damn Juelz…why you had to tell em they had no songs for the ladies smh). By the time Kiss used “Money, Power, & Respect” as a snippet transition to “By Your Side”.. they had already been poppin wheelies for the last 15 laps of the race. The biggest detriment to the Dips other than being outperformed was The Lox brought a real DJ who had actual timing, knew when to drop the beat, n understood the nuances of his craft. The Dips had Hell Rell or somebody using the edjing app on his phone. I stopped keeping score by the 5th round but if we went off pure energy it was something like 9 million - 3.5 for The Lox. S/o the Dips for being good sports tho..cuz I counted at least 8 moments where it probably took the willpower of a thousand Shaolin monks to not reach for a burner. Salute to both squads tho!" Dig into the 2-hour video below, which I hope remains online...

Props to the homie Shake of 2DopeBoyz, who is not only responsible for the dope artwork up above, but also put together a playlist of the tracks covered in the battle. While it does little to show the true destruction that was delivered, it's a nice complement to the video up above. You can't argue that both don't have impeccable catalogs - and, on paper - the anthems from Dipset kept them in the conversation, but they couldn't hold back the true performance and personality of Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch. Jadakiss is the official MVP of the whole shit. Enjoy all the memes out there! And riddle me this... how many hats, bandanas and durags did Juelz Santana have on? Why'd they keep bringin' up SOBs... shoulda came prepared. Don't rhyme over your vocals! Facts...

The LOX "Living Off Xperience" (Album Stream)

The LOX have released their new 14-track album Living Off Xperience on D-Block and Roc Nation Records. The album features the legendary DMX of Ruff Ryders, Grammy-Award winning producer Scram Jones, consistent hit-maker T-Pain, Jeremih, both Westside Gunn and Benny The Butcher from Griselda Records, and more. The new album also features additional production from a who’s who of legendary producers including Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch, AraabMuzik, Nottz, Statik Selektah, and Large Professor. The Yonkers’ trio of Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch have after 22 years since their debut album released their fourth group studio album together and their first in almost three and a half years since their successful ‘Filthy America… It’s Beautiful’ which charted well in late 2016. This new album clocking in at 57-minutes sees The LOX return as expected with their signature gritty lyrical delivery coupled with the traditional New York sound that is likely to be well received by their legions of loyal fans accumulated over the years. - via The Source. Dig in...

Styles P "Presence" (Album Stream)

Styles P is determined to go down as the hardest working emcee in 2019 as the rapper adds another project to his long list of releases. The New York rapper has delivered Presence, which on the cover art of the album Styles shares is "the state or fact of existing, occurring or being present in a place or thing." The 10-track record is delivered via The Phantom Entertainment LLC and EMPIRE. Presence is sonically aligned with Styles P's streetwise lyricism and delivery that fans have continued to love throughout the years. The veteran rapper calls on a few artists to help him round out the project including Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Chris Rivers, Cris Streetz, I-Man, Xander, and Butta. - HNHH. You can listen to Styles P's latest effort, Presence, below...

Me & Styles P (An Interview From 2009)

About 10 years ago, I had the honor of chopping it up on the phone with Styles P for an interview. It was around the time Jada was dropping “The Last Kiss,” because we talked a bit about that album, but it wasn’t a promo thing, just two guys discussing Hip-Hop. Right off the bat, he made his position clear, saying, “I'm a blue collar MC.” He was proud (and reflective) on the fact that he was alive, and that he was more than "relevant" in a culture that’s been holding him down since 1995. I asked him to help me understand better what “The Ghost” meant to him - he paused and said, “being in the zone; a different space; having an open mind towards things that others don’t; using your third eye; a feeling of being here before and knowing you are gonna be here later” and while it wasn’t necessarily crystal clear, I understood that he was speaking to a duality that represents the man he is in life and in music. To a degree, that feeling of being a Gangster & a Gentleman.

There was a calmness about him, but there wasn’t a point where I'd lost sight of the fact that this was one of the hardest living eMCees in Hip-Hop. When the conversation shifted to image and the youth, he was quick to shoot them bail and say he was proud and happy for anyone to be able to make a living and feed their family. But, he added "It’s upsetting also that they don't know that rap is also Hip-Hop.” That’s an important distinction he was making. “They think they are just in the rap industry and they don't have the slightest idea of their past, the history, or how they are supposed to be an MC.” In the end, however, he remained optimistic, “You’ve just gotta stick to your guns and do what you do best. It's people like you - who are asking me these questions and love this real hip-hop shit - that lets me know the whole world ain't f#cking crazy, so I'm alright!” A legend and an OG, Styles P closed it out by advising artists to maintain a solid work ethic, and brought it full circle because as a blue collar MC, he leads by example. Go check out his Juices For Life company and support all his efforts: podcasts, mixtapes, albums, live shows, etc! Final words from Styles P...

DJ Self "Let The Lox Go!" (Mixtape, 2000)

"At the time, it seemed like a fatal move. No one in his right mind would leave Bad Boy Records, then an indomitable force in the music industry. But Jayson (Jadakiss) Phillips, David Styles and Sean (Sheek) Jacobs of the hard-core rap group the Lox left and haven't looked back. "We're just happy to be free," says Jacobs. "We weren't the real Lox before, but this time it's us, 100%." ... "We couldn't say what we wanted to say, we couldn't write what we wanted to write" ... "You can't work when you're uncomfortable." Repeated requests to get out of their contract fell on deaf ears. So the group went public with their grievances and launched an unprecedented grass-roots campaign, complete with "Lex the Lox Go" picket signs, posters and T-shirts. Things came to a head in June at Hot 97's "Summer Jam" concert when the group performed in their protest T-shirts. Bad Boy honcho Sean (Puffy) Combs was there, and he was not pleased. He let the lox go in September. "We're the first hip-hop group to go against the powers that be with the power of the people," says Styles. "Too many [bleepers] in the industry don't do what they gotta do. They're too afraid of ending up back in the 'hood - but we ain't." Rhyming together since their high-school days in Yonkers, the Lox (it stands for "Living off experience") are tight enough to finish each other's sentences. Phillips, 24, has a sly grin and the group's most distinctive voice; it sounds gritty, as if he gargles with gravel. Jacobs, 25, is the friendliest in the crew. Not one for youthful shenanigans, he keeps the troops in line. As for Styles - well, the name says it all.... Tattoos that say "hope for the best, but expect the worst" cover his forearms. Honing their skills in local talent shows and on mix tapes, the Lox earned a reputation for delivering rough, true-to-ghetto-life narratives... "We were watered down," admits Jacobs. "Bad Boy's image was flossy. But we've always been - straight underground, straight ghetto." Now, the Lox is ready to prove they're worth the rumored $2.5 million that Interscope paid for their freedom...." - NY Daily News. Listen to DJ Self's "Let the Lox Go" mixtape below, which provides some more to the story, from an audio point of view. 

The LOX 'Living Off Experience' / 'Rawness' (12", 1999)

Today's vinyl post is a dope white label 12" from The LOX, circa 1999. I say that with some level of certainty because I can remember coppin' it around the same time as Big L's 'The Heist' and the 3 white labels that turned into Nas' 'The Lost Tapes' years later. On the A-side is 'Living Off Experience' and on the B-Side is 'Rawness,' which has been pressed up as 'Kiss of Death' on at least one other bootleg 12". I can't say exactly when it was recorded, but if it was the same year, then it would have been near their Let The Lox Go campaign in the summer of 1999, where they wanted to leave Bad Boy Records and join the Ruff Ryders label. Either way, the vibe fits a more gritty sound as compared to the shiny-suit-era. With The Lox still recording and releasing music for 20 years, this is another group that needs to be celebrated. You could fill a wall or a hard drive with as many releases as they've put out separately and collectively in those 20+ years - especially if you count mixtapes. Their new project, 'Filthy America ... It's Beautiful' is solid, and their venture with Roc Nation is dope, 'cuz it was reached on their own terms. Listen to the 12" with both tracks below...

The Combat Jack Show "The LOX Episode"

On the latest episode of the Combat Jack Show, they have arguably the hardest rap group of all time, The LOX in the studio. The trio of Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch discuss their longevity in the game, Hip-Hop's new generation, Puffy, as well as the new album & deal with Roc Nation, the elections and so much more. According to Combat Jack, this is one of their most passionate interviews thus far. Living Off Experience, listen to it below. Peace to Combat Jack & A-King.