Styles P is regarded as one of hip-hop’s most versatile emcees. Beginning his career as part of the epic Yonkers supergroup The LOX, the rapper (real name David Styles) also cemented himself as an exceptional solo emcee outside the group.
Comprised of Styles P, Sheek Louch and Jadakiss, The Lox began their musical journey in their hometown of Yonkers, a suburb of New York City and aimed to follow in the footsteps of DMX, an emcee from their area who had taken over hip-hop.
Upon their arrival, The LOX became a staple of early 2000s hip-hop and as solo artists, most notably Jadakiss, began to rise up the ranks of rap, each becoming stars in their own right. Styles P (real name David Styles) was a very prominent figure in the culture, with his 2002 debut album, A Gangster and a Gentleman, managing to reach number six on the Billboard 200.
Styles has collaborated and brushed shoulders with some great wordsmiths during his career. However, during an appearance on the Creator’s Club podcast alongside his LOX counterpart Jadakiss, the emcee explained why Biggie Smalls is still the best lyricist of all time.
Detailing why Biggie is in a league of his own, Styles explained, “I think most people understand him as the greatest MC to ever live. What makes him the greatest, he was really great in all aspects of rhyming. Most people are good in two categories, maybe three, if you’re pushing it. Big was really, really nice in all categories.”
In the 1990s, after catching the eye of another Yonkers star, Mary J Blige, the group’s demo was presented to Diddy and the LOX ended up writing for Bad Boy entertainment. As such, they spent a lot of time around Biggie Smalls (real name Christopher Wallace).
As a fan of Wallace, Styles continued to explain why the ‘Hypnotise’ rhymer was untouchable in his prime and claimed that he struck a balance between a slick lothario and a hardcore gangster. Analysing this, Styles declared, “What really topped it off was he was a charismatic individual, but he was very fu**ing classy and a G at the same time.”
Styles P’s friend Jadakiss has previously admitted that the group hated working for Diddy, but during The LOX’s appearance on the Creator’s Club, Styles unveiled that Wallace treated the group amazingly.
Recalling this, Styles revealed, “He ain’t just treat me, Kiss and Louch good; he treated all over our homeboys good. He would treat my man how he would treat me. He would give me that same drink, that same weed, that same thing, and I think that’s what set him apart for me.”
The 48-year-old added, “I think he embodied something that most people don’t, and he was a student of the game. He loved rhyming, so when he heard us rhyme, and you know, at those times when somebody asked you to rhyme, you rhymed.”
Styles concluded by revealing that The LOX and Biggie briefly bonded because of their similar smooth yet gangster rhyming style. You can listen to Jadakiss’ and Styles P’s interview on the Creator’s Club podcast below.
