The lox ain't shit.
That is when it comes to putting out garbage that the streets can't feel. Presently, the masses that are ignorant to the true life force of Hip-Hop want easy to digest, microwavable ear sweets that they can wave glasses of cheap champagne to. It's too bad that the Lox can't provide that. They're too busy improving style and rhyme flow that influenced an entire wave of emcee. Pay attention to the majority of uptown and Harlem based rappers and you will hear the lyrical path that Jason "jadakiss" Phillips, David Styles, and Sean "Sheik" Jacobs laid down for the rest. Even though they've sprinkled their sharply spiked lyrics over softer hits by the likes of Mariah Carey ("Honey"), LSG ("you Got Me") and Mona Lisa ("I Just Wanna Please You") the Lox have the uncanny ability to create true to life verses that give any song a ghetto pass into the hearts of the rough and rugged. "Even if we rhyme on some commercial shit we still keep it street," Styles confirms. So let it be known, The Lox absolutely suck at spitting that ol' fake stuff that dung lovers are afraid of.
In 1994, the Lox started their saga in the Ruff Ryders team (as a group called the Warlocks) in Yonkers, New York that bred platinum heavy-hitters Mary J. Blige and DMX. It was the ghetto songstress Blige who helped to open the politically padlocked doors for the hungry emcees. "We were always tight with Mary, " says Sheik. "She always used to listen to us when we were on the mix tapes and she introduced us to Puff." Once in contact with the multi-million dollar producer/artist/entrepreneur, The Lox (which now stands for Living Off eXperience) penned monstrous hits for him such as Biggie's "Victory", Puffy's "Seniorita", and Mase's "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (remix) and Faith's "You Used To Love me". In 1997 The Lox went to bat and grand slammed with their soul-warming memorial to the Notorious B.I.G. "We'll Always Love Big Poppa" which reached sales in the millions. Soon after their verbal sorcery was unleashed on the '97 club Bangor "It's All About The Benjamins". "We didn't like it at first," Jadakiss recalls. "D-Dot (Deric Angelettie) gave us a beat and we just did it." Little did they know their abrasive delivery and quick wit launched them into the spotlight making them the recording industry's most wanted. The Lox became a hood-hold name and their buzz was incredible.
When the Lox' debut album "Money, Power, & Respect" hit the shelves in 1998, the momentum was unstoppable. The title track featuring Lil' Kim captivated listeners and further established The Lox as a powerful entity that stood alone from bad Boy Records flashy, playboy image. They were dubbed Bad Boy's "Underground group" which solidified the label's street credibility. However, the trio was unhappy with the way their project was being presented and entered into a conflict with their manufactured appearance of floss. "That wasn't us, we're straight up street, " says Sheik. "We weren't happy around the shiny suits and fancy stuff. We've never been that." Time continued to tick by as The Lox wrestled with the red tape of company politics and they became frustrated. This frustration leaked onto the streets when fans initiated a full "Free The Lox" campaign full of picket signs, T-shirts, and protest. In 1999, Sean "Puffy" Combs decided to let The Lox out of their contract to travel their own road where they returned to their foundation with Ruff Ryders. "The Lox were always Ruff Ryders", Jadakiss explains. "We had to be sacrificed (to the industry) so all the others could come through." Now back at home with the Ruff Ryders camp, The Lox have hooked up with production wizard Swizz Beats to release their riot hymn, "Wild Out" from their sophomore album "We Are The Streets". The Joy of returning to their street rots is evident through the album. On the title track, their hook, "It ain't hot unless we on it 'cat/we are the streets and we makin' it hard to eat," expresses both their confidence and hunger to remain the true representatives of the real.
Making sure not to exclude other beatmasters, The lox have solicited the talents of other producers such as DJ Premier of Gangstarr, Timbaland, to round out the album's musical scope. Lyrically, the team has recruited artists outside of the Ruff Ryders camp like their Yonkers peer Kasino to rock as well. All these powerful elements combined helps The Lox ingenious goal defining every detail of street life worldwide.
During their struggling period with Bad Boy, The Lox continued to assault listeners with reminders of their existence and promise of a full return. During that time, they flipped devastating prose on the Ruff Ryders "Ryde Or Die Vol.1" album, Mary J. Bilge's "Mary", and DMX' "Blood Of My Blood, Flesh Of My Flesh." They also blazed on underground joints with Capone & Noreaga, Kasino, and Funkmaster Flex. Knowing that silence is death in the rap game, The Lox made sure to make their presence felt.
As it seems even if they were to try to be wack, The Lox couldn't do it. They defeated the obstacle of making a name from the ground up; they smashed through the contractual bullshit and still kept the streets locked down. With all the problems they faced, the anticipation grows greater for the next Lox record. If anyone is looking for the Lox to fall off and fail, tough luck, it won't happen any time soon.
If You're glad the LOX are Ruff Ryders Now, Wild Out....
--Lox-Wild Out
In the summer of 1999, the celebrated Yonkers Rap trio the LOX found themselves in a fight for freedom. Disappointed with the direction of their career on Bad Boy, the group wanted to be released from their contract in order to join the newly formed Ruff Ryders/ Interscope label. The Ruff Ryders had always served as the Lox's managers and the group felt like the new Double R 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 Hip-Hop's rawest group. The identities clashed, the LOX just didn't feel comfortable in the shiny suits. "We just needed to be with a rougher label" says Sheek. "A harder label that fit our image."
The LOX tried all of the legal maneuvering available to be released from their contract with Bad Boy. However, when the lawyers and conference calls didn't work, the group did what they do best. They took their story to the streets. At a New York rap concert, the defiant group sported "Let the Lox Go" T-shirts and sparked a grass roots movement to "Free the Lox." To a Hip-Hop public tired of all the flossing and commercialism which was dominating the art form, the struggle to release rap's most important trio symbolized an effort to purify the music. To return Hip-Hop back to its essence as an important form of urban expression. The streets spoke up loud and clear and the Lox were finally released to a heroes welcome. "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."
"You are always better off with your people no matter what." says Jadakiss about the group's excitement about joining their Ruff Ryder family which includes Eve, Drag-ON, DMX and red hot producer Swizz Beats. "Even if we would have gone over to Bad Boy and everything was sweet and alright, you are always better off with your people and your family because they love you and you love them. That's gonna beat anything in the world."
Jayson "Jadakiss" Phillips, David Styles, and Sean "Sheek" Jacobs, began their journey as artists back in their hometown of Yonkers New York. As high school students they started a group called the Bomb Squad and began doing shows and putting out their own demos. While the local rap scene was being dominated by talented artist like Raw Rome, Lord Devon and a young DMX, the squad began to gain attention because of their fierce lyrical style and their ability to present stirring tales of urban life with pin point accuracy. The group eventually changed their name to the Warlocks and continued developing a devoted fan base by being omnipresent on underground mix tapes. One of their faithful admirers was the Queen of Hip-Hop soul and fellow Yonkers native Mary J. Blige. Mary saw something special in the group and passed their tape on to Bad Boy CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs who signed them to a deal.
The LOX gained national exposure in 1997 with their powerful multi-platinum tribute to the Notorious BIG, "We'll Always love Big Poppa". The song which celebrated the life of the slain superstar, captured Biggie's essence and thrust the LOX into the media spotlight as a group to watch out for. The trio later appeared on a multitude of hits, including Puffy's Benjamins, which the LOX wrote, Mase's 24 Hours to Live, and Mariah Carey's Honey. The group's debut album Money Power & Respect went platinum and helped establish the LOX as an important voice in Hip-Hop music.
While lauded for the commercial success of their first album, Jadakiss, Sheek and Styles were not satisfied with the project's outcome. On underground mix tapes, the LOX had developed a reputation for spitting legendary freestyles of sex, murder and mayhem However, singles from MP&R like "If You Think I'm Jiggie", didn't fully utilize the group's talents. The Lox were not the pretty boys who were being shown in the videos, they were street soldiers who preferred rhyming about real life on the block, instead of fantasy worlds of Bentley Coupes and Grammy awards. As their new album suggest, the Lox are the streets, and having joined the Ruff Ryders' lethal squadron, they finally have the chance to just be themselves.
So who are the Real LOX? The Real Lox are authentic ghetto story-tellers, whose rhymes are derived from the pain, anger, lust and love which exist in the hearts of men. The Real LOX are the embodiment of Hip-Hop's origin as the voice of a disparate people. Their current singles Wild Out and Fuck you are certified street anthems and the impending release of their sophomore album has the hip-hop world holding their collective breathe in anticipation.
Swizz Beats has saved some of his best production for the LOX's sophomore project. The producer who blazed tracks for platinum artists DMX, Jay-Z and EVE blesses the LOX with cuts like Y'all fucked Up Now, and IF U Know, which features Drag-On and Eve, that pack pure street drama. The LOX devour his frenetic beats and spit complex rhymes over his moving rhythms creating an energy which is unmatched in any genre of music today. Styles, Jadakiss, and Sheek also flex their muscles as solo performers on the album as well, proving that they are more than just a talented group, but they also possess superior skills as individual performers. Producers Premiere, Timbaland and P. Killer also contribute cuts to We Are the Streets adding their own unique flavors to the diverse mix.
We are the Streets stands to be one of the most important albums of the millenium because it was born out of a movement. A call was put out to the streets, to help give the LOX back their voice and save Hip-Hop from its downward spiral of self indulgence. The streets responded ferociously and the LOX are finally free. This album is a testament to the power of the Hip-Hop fans who supported the group through their difficult times. They are the reason that the Real LOX have returned. Music will never be the same.