The Lox

Last updated

The Lox
Also known asThe Bomb Squad, D-Block, The Warlox
Origin Yonkers, New York, U.S.
Genres Hip hop
Years active1994–present
Labels
Spinoff of Ruff Ryders
Members Jadakiss
Styles P
Sheek Louch

The Lox (stylized The LOX or The L.O.X.) is an American hip hop trio composed of East Coast rappers Sheek Louch, Styles P and Jadakiss. Each hailing from Yonkers, New York, the group formed in 1994 and signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records two years later to release their debut studio album, Money, Power & Respect (1998). Despite critical and commercial success, the group parted ways with the label in favor of Ruff Ryders Entertainment in 1999, through which they released their similarly successful follow-up, We Are the Streets (2000).

Contents

History

Formation and career beginnings (1994–1996)

Jason "Jadakiss" Phillips, David "Styles P" Styles, and Sean "Sheek Louch" Jacobs, began their musical careers in their hometown of Yonkers, New York. [1] As high school students, they formed a group called the Bomb Squad and began performing at local shows and producing their own demos. In 1994, they appeared on Main Source's "Set It Off" from the album Fuck What You Think . While the local rap scene was being dominated by artists like Raw Rome, Lord Devon and a young DMX, the group began to gain attention for their lyrical style and ability to present tales of urban life. The group eventually changed their name to the Warlox and continued developing a fan base by appearing on underground mixtapes. At some point, the trio connected with Jaz-O, and had a demo tape produced by him. [2] One of their admirers was the "Queen of hip hop soul," fellow Yonkers native Mary J. Blige. [1] After acquiring the demo tape that the group made with Jaz-O, Blige passed it on to Bad Boy CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs who signed them to a deal. [1] [3] [4] At the behest of Combs, the Warlox later changed their name to the L.O.X. After signing with Bad Boy, the Lox started gaining a bigger buzz off the strength of their first single "Well, Well, Well" featuring Kasino, which appeared on DJ Clue's 1996 mixtape Show Me the Money.

Mainstream success (1997–2000)

The Lox gained national exposure in 1997 with an onside collaboration on Sean "Puffy" Combs' single "It's All About the Benjamins", shortly after gaining additional exposure with their multi-platinum tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., "We'll Always Love Big Poppa". [1] The trio later appeared on a multitude of hits, Mase's "24 Hrs. to Live", Mariah Carey's "Honey", and Jennifer Lopez's "Jenny from the Block". [1] The group's debut album Money, Power & Respect , [1] went Platinum by the RIAA.

In the summer of 1999, the trio found themselves disappointed with the direction of Bad Boy, and the trio wanted to be released from their contract in order to join Ruff Ryders. The Ruff Ryders had always served as The Lox's managers and the group felt like the new label could better represent the hard-core sensibilities which they expressed in their rhymes. Bad Boy was known for its radio-friendly dance hits and high-priced videos, while the Lox were quickly establishing themselves as hardcore rap artists. The identities clashed — "We just needed to be with a rougher label," said Sheek Louch. "A harder label that fit our image."[ citation needed ]

The Lox tried all of the legal maneuvering available to be released from their contract with Bad Boy. However, the lawyers and conference calls did not work. At a New York rap concert, the trio sported "Let The LOX Go" T-shirts and sparked a grassroots movement to "Free The Lox." Pressure resulting from the campaign ultimately caused Bad Boy and Puff Daddy to release the trio from their contract. "We really changed the game by doing that," says Styles concerning the contractual drama. "It might take years from now, but other people are gonna do it. We made it so they don't have to be scared to speak up."[ citation needed ]

Hiatus and resurgence (2001–2020)

During the years that followed, the group contemplated signing to other labels as a collective. All the while working on music, each member continued to record steadily releasing various solo studio albums.

A collaborative album with the Wu-Tang Clan was released in 2012 titled Wu Block , bringing together two historic groups on an album. The result was billed as a collaborative album between members Sheek Louch and the Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. In June 2013, Jadakiss told XXL magazine that several labels, including Bad Boy and Maybach Music Group, made offers to release the next Lox album. [5]

On December 18, 2013, the group released a surprise extended play (EP) titled The Trinity , on iTunes. [6] The EP debuted at number 141 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 8,400 copies in its first week. [7] On February 24, 2014, the Lox announced a worldwide concert tour, named after their EP The Trinity. [8] [9]

On March 1, 2014, the Lox continued their release of new music with a song titled "New York", which was premiered by Funkmaster Flex. "New York" saw the three Yonkers emcees rap over a beat reminiscent of which samples the Pudgee, Biggie-assisted "Think Big" featuring Lord Tariq, backed by the "Ashley's Roachclip" drum break. [10] [11] On March 16, 2014, the Lox released the music video for "Faded", from their Trinity EP. [12] On March 24, 2014, the music video for "New York", was released. [13] [14]

Filthy America... It's Beautiful was their third studio album, and their first in 16 years. The album was released on December 16, 2016, by D-Block Records and Roc Nation. [15] [16]

In 2020, they released the song "Loyalty & Love", which was later included on their fourth studio album, Living Off Xperience , released on August 28, 2020. [17]

Verzuz against The Diplomats and aftermath (2021–present)

The Lox (Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch) and DipSet (Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Freekey Zekey) went head-to-head in a highly anticipated Verzuz battle at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden Tuesday, August 3rd. It was a no-nonsense New York hip-hop fight, and while no one got killed, unlike previous confrontations, the lyrical assassination committed with malice aforethought by the Lox should be against the law. Someone call Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah to charge the Yonkers trio with premeditated murder by microphone, voluntary microphone manslaughter in the first degree and assault with a deadly microphone. It wasn't merely a slaughter, it was a lyrical summary execution!

AJ Woodson's lead paragraph in his article in the July/August 2021 issue of Black Westchester on the Verzuz battle between the Lox and the Diplomats [18]

On August 3, 2021, the Lox participated in a battle with Harlem rap group The Diplomats (DipSet) via Timbaland and Swizz Beatz' Verzuz at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden and were widely regarded as defeating the Diplomats decisively with professionalism and preparedness attributed as major factors. [19] [20] [21] Moments in the battle included Jadakiss calling out the Diplomats for rapping over tracks including their vocals instead of using TV tracks before performing his freestyle over The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya?" released on his 2010 mixtape The Champ Is Here, Pt. 3 and the Lox responding to Diplomats jabs with chosen songs. First, Jadakiss responded to Cam'ron's remark before performing "Welcome to New York City" that the Lox did not have a New York record that could not beat it, to which Jadakiss responded with his verse in Ja Rule's "New York" that also featured Fat Joe, who was in attendance (Jadakiss also performed the verse when Fat Joe and Ja Rule faced each other in the subsequent Verzuz at the same venue). A Juelz Santana jab after Cam'ron's "Hey Ma" that the Lox had no records for female fans was then responded to with a medley that included "Ryde or Die, Bitch" featuring Eve followed by remixes featuring them of Mariah Carey's "Honey", Jennifer Lopez's "Jenny from the Block" and Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair", plus Sheek Louch's "Good Love" and Jadakiss' "Knock Yourself Out". Styles P also shouted out incarcerated ByrdGang member Max B – who Jim Jones had an ongoing feud with – before performing his verses in Akon's "Locked Up". [19] [20] [21]

Following their victory, streams of Lox music increased by 215%. [22] [23] In the same month, the group was featured on "Jesus Lord pt 2", the final track on Kanye West's 10th album Donda alongside Jay Electronica, and received the key to the city of Yonkers. [24] Just over a year after the battle while they were performing at LL Cool J's Rock The Bells festival at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, Jadakiss presented Styles P and Sheek Louch with Lox championship rings and unveiled his. [25]

Discography

Studio albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jadakiss</span> American rapper (born 1975)

Jason Terrance Phillips, better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records to release their debut studio album, Money, Power & Respect (1998); their second album, We Are the Streets (2000) was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records. Both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200 and yielded critical praise; their two subsequent albums, Filthy America... It's Beautiful (2016) and Living Off Xperience (2020) were both released by Jay-Z's Roc Nation and met with continued praise.

The Diplomats is an American hip hop collective formed in 1997 by childhood friends Cam'ron and Jimmy Jones in Harlem, New York. The group was originally composed of Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Freekey Zekey, all of whom grew up together in Harlem. In 1999, fellow Harlem-based rapper Juelz Santana joined the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Styles P</span> American rapper from New York

David R. Styles, better known by his stage name Styles P, is an American rapper, best known as a member of East Coast hip hop group the Lox. Formed with fellow rappers Sheek Louch and Jadakiss in 1994, the group was also part of the Ruff Ryders Entertainment collective.

<i>A Gangster and a Gentleman</i> 2002 studio album by Styles P

A Gangster and a Gentleman is the debut studio album by American rapper Styles P. The album was released on July 9, 2002, through Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records. Styles P was the second member of the Lox to record a solo album, after Kiss Tha Game Goodbye by Jadakiss was released in August 2001.

<i>Money, Power & Respect</i> 1998 studio album by The Lox

Money, Power & Respect is the debut album by hip hop group The Lox. It was released on January 13, 1998, through Sean "Puffy" Combs's Bad Boy Records. The album featured production from the Hitmen, Dame Grease and Swizz Beatz. The album found huge success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and spawned two charting singles, "Money, Power & Respect" and "If You Think I'm Jiggy". In 2008, the title track was ranked number 53 on Vh1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheek Louch</span> American rapper (born 1974)

Sean Divine Jacobs, better known by his stage name Sheek Louch, is an American rapper, best known as a member of East Coast hip hop trio the Lox, which he formed in 1994 with Jadakiss and Styles P.

<i>Walk witt Me</i> 2003 studio album by Sheek Louch

Walk witt Me is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Sheek Louch. It was released on September 16, 2003, through D-Block Records and Universal Records. Recording sessions took place at Liveson Studios, Cocoa Studios, D-Block Studios and Green Lantern Studios in New York. Production was handled by Vinny Idol, Mr. Devine, Liveson, DJ Cocoa Chanelle, DJ Green Lantern, DJ Twinz, The Alchemist, and "Supa Mario" Pizzini, who also served as executive producer together with The Lox and Charles Suitt. It features guest appearances from Styles P, Jadakiss, J-Hood and Stephanie Lynn.

"Good Times" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Styles P, of East Coast hip hop group the LOX. It was released as his solo debut single and served as the lead single from his debut album, A Gangster and a Gentleman (2002). The song, produced by Swizz Beatz and Saint Denson, samples "I Get High ", as performed by Freda Payne.

J. Cardim is an American/Brazilian music producer who has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently lives in New York City.

<i>The Green Ghost Project</i> 2010 studio album by Styles P & DJ Green Lantern

The Green Ghost Project is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Styles P and record producer DJ Green Lantern. It was released on February 2, 2010, via Invasion Music Group. Beside Green Lantern, production was handled by Alchemist, Buckwild, Dame Grease, Dutchez Beatz, Poobs, Scram Jones, Statik Selektah and Vinny Idol. It features guest appearances from Tre Williams, Dwayne Collins, June Summers, Junior Reid, M.O.P., Noreaga, Raekwon, S.I. and Uncle Murda, as well as Styles P's The Lox groupmates Jadakiss and Sheek Louch.

<i>Donnie G: Don Gorilla</i> 2010 studio album by Sheek Louch

Donnie G: Don Gorilla is the fifth solo studio album by American rapper Sheek Louch. It was released on December 14, 2010, via Full Surface Records and Def Jam Recordings. Production was handled by Red Spyda, Y-Not, Bangladesh, Big H, Darius "Phonix" Barnes, DJ Webstar, Don Cannon, J. Cardim, Mike & Keys, Nemis, Pree-Recorded, Statik Selektah, Team Ready and Kool Aid. It features guest appearances from Bun B, Casely, DJ Webstar, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Jeremih, Kevin Cossom, Kobe, Styles P and The Bully.

The discography of American hip hop group The Lox, consists of four studio albums, one compilation album, two extended plays, one mixtape and fifteen singles.

<i>Wu Block</i> 2012 studio album by Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch

Wu Block is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch. Louch announced the album in 2011, in an interview. The album was released on November 27, 2012, by E1 Music. The album features guest appearances from Raekwon, Jadakiss, Cappadonna, Method Man, Styles P, Masta Killa, GZA, Erykah Badu and Inspectah Deck.

<i>Float</i> (Styles P album) 2013 studio album by Styles P

Float is the sixth solo studio album by American rapper Styles P. It was released on April 16, 2013, through High Times Records. Recording sessions took place at Beast Music Studios in New Rochelle. Production was handled entirely by Scram Jones. It features guest appearances from Bullpen, N.O.R.E., Raekwon and Scram Jones, as well as his The Lox groupmates Jadakiss and Sheek Louch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruff Ryders Entertainment</span> American hip hop record label

Ruff Ryders Entertainment is an American hip hop record label and management company founded by siblings and record executives Joaquin "Waah", Darrin "Dee" and Chivon Dean in 1988. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Interscope Records, with Def Jam Recordings serving as the distributor for DMX albums. The label went on to launch the careers of several successful artists such as DMX, Eve, The LOX, Drag-On, MC Jin, producers Dame Grease and the Deans' nephew, Swizz Beatz among others. The Ruff Ryders namesake also referred to a loose-knit hip hop collective composed of the core signees of the label. Ruff Ryders and its main studio Powerhouse Studios are headquartered at 33 South Broadway in Yonkers, New York.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 240. ISBN   0-7535-0427-8.
  2. ↑ "Kingz Kounty Media Group Presents Jaz-O's New EP "The WarmUp" Available February 7th on All Platforms Via Equity Distribution". www.rfdtv.com. February 7, 2020.
  3. ↑ MTV News Staff (January 15, 1998). "The Lox Get By With A Little Help From Puffy And Mary J. Blige". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. She was like a number one fan for us. She was loving our music before anybody, and she just brought us to Puff. Puff was looking for a group, a rap group, at that time. It was instant. It just clicked like that. It was chemistry.
  4. ↑ "Jaz-O & The Immobilarie "Kingz Kounty" (Album)". MRCNN Live. January 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ Bristout, Ralph (June 6, 2013). "Jadakiss Says, "The LOX Might Get An Offer From MMG" - Page 2 of 2 - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  6. ↑ Diep, Eric (December 18, 2013). "The LOX Release New Surprise EP 'The Trinity' On iTunes - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  7. ↑ Tardio, Andres (December 26, 2013). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 12/22/2013 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  8. ↑ Rose Lilah (February 24, 2014). "The LOX Announce "The Trinity" World Tour". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ "The Lox Announce 'The Trinity Tour'". Rap-Up. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ "New Music: The Lox "New York" - Rap Radar". Rap Radar. March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ "The LOX - New York City - OnSMASH". OnSMASH. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ Edwin Ortiz. "The LOX Know How to Have a Good Time In "Faded" Music Video with Tyler Woods". Complex. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Music Video: The Lox "New York City"". Watchloud.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  14. ↑ "The Lox - New York City (Official Music Video)". rapWAVE. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Filthy America… It's Beautiful by The Lox on Apple Music". Itunes.apple.com. December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  16. ↑ Adelle Platon (December 3, 2016). "The LOX Talk Forthcoming Album 'Filty America... It's Beautiful'". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  17. ↑ "The LOX Releases New Album 'Living Off Xperience' Featuring Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher And More". The Source . August 28, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  18. ↑ Woodson, AJ. "The Lox Slaughter DipSet in Highly Anticipated Verzuz Battle". Black Westchester. Vol. 4, no. 12. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  19. 1 2 Buford, Jayson (August 4, 2021). "In the Lox and Dipset's Verzuz Battle, Hip-Hop Wins". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  20. 1 2 Elibert, Mark (August 4, 2021). "The Six Best Moments From The LOX & Dipset's New York Heavyweight Live Verzuz Battle". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "The Best and Worst of the Dipset and the Lox VERZUZ Battle". Pitchfork. August 4, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  22. ↑ The Breakfast Club (August 11, 2021). "The LOX On Showmanship, Brotherhood, Dipset Verzuz + More". YouTube. WWPR-FM (Power 105.1). Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  23. ↑ Gee, Andre (August 3, 2022). "The Price Went Up: How The Lox Pulled Off Their Iconic "Verzuz" Victory". Complex. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  24. ↑ Araújo, Keka (August 7, 2022). "The City of Yonkers Honors The Lox With Key to the City". Black Enterprise. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  25. ↑ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (August 8, 2022). "Jadakiss Gifts Styles P & Sheek Louch Championship Rings Ahead Of Benny The Butcher Mixtape". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
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