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Styles P

From Alfawiki
Styles P
Born
David R. Styles

(1974-11-28) November 28, 1974 (age 51)
Corona, Queens, New York City, U.S.
OccupationRapper
Years active1994–present
Known forMember of The Lox, solo rap career

David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), professionally known as Styles P or simply Styles, is an American rapper best known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective the Lox. This group, formed in 1994 alongside Sheek Louch and Jadakiss, was associated with the Ruff Ryders Entertainment label.

In his solo career, Styles P secured a deal with Ruff Ryders' parent company, Interscope Records, and launched his first solo album, A Gangster and a Gentleman in 2002. The album’s lead track, "Good Times," climbed to number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the album itself reached number six on the Billboard 200. Additionally, Styles collaborated with Jadakiss on Jennifer Lopez’s 2002 single "Jenny from the Block" and appeared on Akon's 2004 hit "Locked Up," both of which ranked within the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

Over the years, Styles P has released multiple albums including Time Is Money (2006), Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) (2007), Master of Ceremonies (2011), The World's Most Hardest MC Project (2012), Float (2013), Phantom and the Ghost (2014), A Wise Guy and a Wise Guy (2015), and G-Host (2018).

Early life

Born on November 28, 1974, David R. Styles hails from Corona, Queens, New York City. His mother is South African, while his father originates from Jamaica’s Bed-Stuy. Following his parents’ separation, Styles and his younger brother Gary relocated with their mother to Yonkers. It was there that he forged lasting friendships with Jadakiss and Sheek Louch, with whom he established the group the Lox in 1994.

1994–2000: The Lox

During the mid-1990s, The Lox cultivated a strong underground reputation through live shows and freestyle performances. Their demo tape caught the attention of Mary J. Blige, who forwarded it to Sean "Puffy" Combs. After signing with Bad Boy Records, they collaborated with Combs, the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Mariah Carey, which helped them break into mainstream audiences. Their work included contributions to tracks such as "It's All About the Benjamins", "I Got the Power", Mase’s "24 Hrs. to Live", Mariah Carey’s "Honey", and Biggie’s "Last Day". In 1997, their tribute track "We'll Always Love Big Poppa" appeared as a B-side on Combs’ triple platinum album No Way Out, which featured the chart-topping single "I'll Be Missing You". This exposure set the stage for their debut album Money, Power & Respect released in 1998, which achieved platinum certification.

Although commercially successful, The Lox grew dissatisfied with Bad Boy’s polished production style that clashed with their raw image. After attempts to depart from the label proved unsuccessful, Styles P notably threw a chair during a dispute with Combs, an incident that ultimately led to their release from Bad Boy. Following this split, they signed contracts with Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records.

2000–2007: Ruff Ryders era and solo releases

After contributing to We Are the Streets alongside The Lox and participating in Ruff Ryders collaborations, Styles P introduced his solo career with the 2002 album A Gangster and a Gentleman. This record included the popular track Good Times, which climbed to number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and secured the sixth spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, enjoying widespread radio rotation. In 2004, he featured on a remix of Akon's debut hit Locked Up. His sophomore album, Time is Money, was released in 2006 via Ruff Ryders. By 2007, Styles P parted ways with Ruff Ryders and Interscope, opting to independently distribute his third studio album, Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman), through D-Block Records and Koch Records.

2010–2014: The Green Ghost era and mixtape output

Following a prolific stretch of mixtape activity, Styles P returned with two commercial albums in 2010: The Green Ghost Project, a collaboration with DJ Green Lantern released on Invasion Records, and The Ghost Dub-Dime under E1 Records (formerly Koch Records). This period marked the beginning of a steady stream of yearly releases, including his fourth through seventh albums: 2011's Master of Ceremonies, 2012's The World's Most Hardest MC Project, 2013's Float, and 2014's Phantom and the Ghost. These projects solidified his standing in hip-hop by consistently delivering content aimed at his loyal fanbase.

2016–present: Reunion with The Lox

In 2016, The Lox unveiled their first full-length album in sixteen years titled Filthy America... It's Beautiful, which achieved a peak position of number six on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Subsequent releases included G-Host (2018), two albums in 2018 titled Dime Bag and S.P. the GOAT: Ghost of All Time (2019), as well as Presence (2019). Additionally, Styles P partnered with Dave East for the collaborative album Beloved in 2018. His thirteenth studio effort, Styles David: Ghost Your Enthusiasm, was launched on May 22, 2020.

Personal life

Styles P follows a vegan lifestyle. He wed Adjua on July 31, 1995, and together they have two children: Noah (born in 1998) and Tai (1995–2015), whom Styles cared for as a stepfather until her tragic suicide in 2015.

His younger sibling, Gary Quarles Styles, lost his life in a vehicular accident in 2001. Styles has paid homage to Gary through his music, most notably in "My Brother" from his debut album A Gangster and a Gentleman.

In 2002, Styles was involved in an incident at a nightclub in New York that led to a stabbing. He later turned himself in that year and served an eight-month term at Westchester County Jail before being released on August 4, 2003.

Business ventures

Styles P and Jadakiss co-founded the juice bar chain "Juices for Life" in 2011, which has expanded to six locations across New York. In 2018, Styles and his wife Adjua launched "Farmacy for Life," a health-focused grocery store. Additionally, Styles P initiated a Web3 Music NFT collection called "The Farmacy Fantoms" alongside Gregory Cohen (MΞT∆DUTCH) and Daniel Dapaah. Teaming up with artist Dino Belli, they successfully sold all 6,666 NFTs within two weeks, attracting over 1,000 holders who benefit from brand discounts, event invitations, and full intellectual property rights to the associated music content.

Other ventures

In 2010, Styles P debuted as a novelist with the release of Invincible under the Random House Publishing Group. The following year, he partnered with Nyger Rollocks and Leo Galvez to launch a juice bar located in the Bronx. February 2012 saw the release of the EP #The1st28, a collaboration with Currensy.

In 2020, Styles P participated in the sixteenth season of Marriage Boot Camp alongside his wife Adjua. Later, in February 2022, he was featured in the Showtime documentary series Everything's Gonna Be All White.

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

Bibliography

  • Styles P, Invincible (2010, Random House Publishing Group, 240 pages) – A novel

External links

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