New York rapper and former Lox member Jadakiss recently appeared alongside the iconic DJ Tony Touch to explain hip-hop’s evolution as it celebrates its 50th anniversary and growth since its humble Bronx beginnings in 1973.
The emcee (Jason Phillips), as well as celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary by performing at various events, has also helped Paramount+ create a new in-depth film about the culture entitled, entitled Mixtape.
In a statement by Paramount+, the film wants to highlight that “Before radio play, the internet, and social media, there were mixtapes. DJs were tastemakers, trendsetters and creators of the sound that became the biggest musical genre on the planet.”
Tony Touch and Jadakiss, the producers, expressed their gratitude to tell the story of hip-hop, stating, “It’s an honour to be involved in this film and to help tell the real story of the mixtape, its origins, its impact, and its on-going relevance for the culture.”
The growth of rap music in the US and around the world relied heavily on mixtapes, and during their appearance on the CBS Morning Show, Phillips and Touch delved into the origins of the mixtape. Furthermore, they detailed how the DJ-curated cassettes and CDs of the past still impact the genre today. Every voice in this film played a critical role, especially the DJs who, as KRS-ONE says beautifully in the film, risked everything to ‘bring us the music’.”
Aside from speaking about hip-hop and his new film, Jadakiss unveiled that he, Styles P and Sheek Louch as The Lox are back in the studio making new music. Dropping a bomb on fans, Phillips disclosed, “We got new music we’re working on. Right now, we’re tryna get out by the end of this year. I got new solo music.”
Fans of The Lox will undoubtedly be excited that by the end of this year, they should have some new material from the Yonkers trio. The Mixtape documentary is available to stream on Paramount+ in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Latin America and Brazil so far.
