Jadakiss reveals why he once embarrassingly had to perform in tight Speedos
Jadakiss of the LOX is often considered one of the best lyricists of the East Coats, and for many, he is among the top ten rappers of all time. Comprised of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P, The LOX had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s and achieved fantastic things individually.
Still, things haven’t always been easy for all of the members and getting their foot in the door required paying their dues in the US and around the world. The LOX eventually became a household name by releasing quality music and performing. However, in an interview, Jadakiss once spoke about how one of the collective’s early shows remains the worst show of his life.
During a conversation with emcee Dave East on the HipHopWired YouTube series ‘I Got Questions,’ Jadakiss spoke about the group’s early days and revealed that while they were on the road, he once ran out of underwear. However, he didn’t just buy a new pair; during their discussion, the Kiss Of Death creator admitted that he ended up having to wear Speedos.
The lyricist took East to the early days of his career during the 1990s and unveiled that during the collective’s first-ever European tour, he hadn’t packed his bags adequately and flew to the UK light on underwear. Still, Jadakiss only realised this an hour or two before he had to take to the stage.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a spare pair around he could use. As such, he had to wear a pair of Speedos his friend Nerf lent him. Recounting the disaster, Jadakiss told East, “It was probably our first European tour, late ’90s in London, and I ran out of underwear. One of my homies from my block here lived in London, too. So I’m like, ‘Yo Nerf, I need some boxers for the show.’ He’s like, ‘Don’t worry I got you.'”
He continued, “We looking, and there’s nothing though. I had a pair of Speedos. I had the worst shits (diarrhoea) ever. It was my worst show ever in life. I felt horrible. These shits — they wasn’t even boxer briefs. They was boy shorts—the KD, London Euro joints. Now, no matter what happens, [I] overpack underwear.”
Despite the story being unbelievably funny, the experience permanently changed the emcee’s packing behaviour. However, it didn’t affect his love of doing live shows. Although he has been a household name in the music industry for over three decades, in an interview with DJ Enuff on Hot 97, the ‘By Your Side’ rhymer admitted that he still gets nervous before he performs live. Furthermore, he unveiled that even if he’s playing a small show, he gets anxious.
Detailing his emotions before a performance, Jadakiss told the DJ, “I catch butterflies at every show. No matter which calibre, which city, no matter where I’m at. Every show, there’s some butterflies before you gotta go out there.”