David Styles (born November 26th 1976) better known by his
stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper. He is a member of Hip
Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group,
and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a rapper.
Styles P, a member of The LOX or more commonly D-Block, grew up
on the streets of Yonkers, NY rapping alongside Jadakiss (Jayson
Phillips) and Sheek Louch (Shawn Jacobs). In their late teens the
trio met Mary J. Blige who was so impressed with their tough street
east coast lyrics, she gave them a big break by putting their demo
in the hands of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Diddy immediately
hired the trio to write for Bad Boy Records. With the label, The
LOX quickly started collaborating on hits with Diddy, the Notorious
B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Mariah Carey which gave them instant notoriety
and status within the hip-hop and mainstream charts.
In 1996 and 1997, the group wrote and performed on a number of Diddy
hits, including “It's All About the Benjamins” and “I
Got the Power,” Mase’s “24 Hrs. to Live,” Mariah
Carey’s “Honey,” the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Last
Day,” and Mary J. Blige’s “Can’t Get You
Off My Mind.” In 1997 The LOX received international acclaim
when their tribute to the late Biggie Smalls, “We’ll
Always Love Big Poppa,” was picked as the B side track off
of Diddy’s No Way Out album (3x Platinum) with the number one
hit, “I'll Be Missing You.” This single was the most
played hit in 1997, which opened the door for The LOX first solo
album debut in January 1998 entitled Money, Power & Respect (Certified
Platinum). Though the album was a chart toping success, The LOX felt
the glossy sheen of Bad Boy Records conflicted with their grimier
rap aesthetic and therefore cut their ties and moved on to Ruff Ryder
Records. After another LOX album, We Are the Streets (2000), Jadakiss
was the first to release a solo in 2001 with Kiss tha Game Goodbye
and Styles followed with his own in 2002 with A Gangster and a Gentleman.
[edit] Discography
Main article: Styles P discography
[edit] Studio albums
2002: A Gangster and a Gentleman
2006: Time is Money
2007: Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman)
2011: Master of Ceremonies[1]
[edit] Collaboration albums
2010: The Green Ghost Project (with DJ Green Lantern)
[edit] Mixtapes
2006: The Ghost That Sat By The Door
2007: Independence
2007: The Ghost Sessions
2008: Phantom Gangster Chronicles
2009: Phantom Empire
2010: The Ghost Dub-Dime
[edit] With The LOX
1998: Money, Power & Respect
2000: We Are The Streets
2011: New L.O.X. Order