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Styles P

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Styles P

David Styles(born November 28, 1974), better known as Styles P) is an American based rapper. He was born to an African father and an African mother. He is a member of rap group D-Block, which includes Jadakiss, and Sheek Louch. He is known primarily for the hardcore lyrics and powerful messages in his music.

Music career

Born in Corona, Queens, and raised in Yonkers, Styles began rapping with Jadakiss, Kasaan and Sheek in 1994, as they all grew up in the same Yonkers, New York neighborhood. They eventually signed to Bad Boy Records,formed the rap group called "THE LOX" which stands for "Living Off Xperience", and recorded songs with Notorious B.I.G. and Darren Blackburn. In 1998, The Lox released Money, Power & Respectw/ the hit song "Money, Power, Respect" feat. fellow Bad Boy, "Lil Kim" and Ruff Ryder Earl "DMX" Simmons. Soon thereafter, Styles P led the Lox on the now infamous quest to leave Bad Boy Records. When they were finally released, the Lox signed to Interscope. Shortly thereafter, a new Lox album and Jadakiss' solo album Kiss Tha Game Goodbye were released.

Styles released A Gangster and a Gentleman in 2002 as his debut solo album. The album contained the somber "The Life", featuring Pharoahe Monch which was originally recorded for Rawkus Records' Soundbombing 3 compilation album. The follow up hit was the song dedicated to marijuana use, "Good Times (I Get High)", one of the most played songs of 2002[citation needed].

In 2003, Styles P and Jadakiss appeared on the "Oz Soundtrack" with one of the harder edged songs "Some Niggas" about prison life. On a mixed album with several songs about the lifestyle behind bars, "Some Niggas" was one of the fiercest and most remembered songs on the street from that album[citation needed].

In 2004, Styles P released the mixtape Ghost Stories in limited distribution form (NY only) -- the mixtape spread to other cities and onto the internet in the next year. He was featured on the hit song "Locked Up", by R&B artist Akon.

In 2005 Styles received local market airplay for his and Jadakiss' remix of Mariah Carey's mega-hit "We Belong Together", and on Miri Ben-Ari's album, The Hip-Hop Violinist; he features on the track "We Gonna Win". He released two stand-alone mixtapes in complete form: Ghost in the Shell in the spring of 2005 and Ghost in the Machine in the Fall.

Styles P has been featured on many rappers' albums including Ghostface Killah, Jadakiss and Akon. Styles is said to be appearing on a track titled "It Is What It Is" on the new DMX album Here We Go Again.

Styles opened up about the loss of his younger brother in the song "My Brother", one of Styles most emotionally filled creations.

Current disputes

Styles P, as a member of D-Block, is currently playing a leading role in D-Block's battle with 50 Cent. The origins and scope of the conflict are somewhat complex: In late 2004, Ja Rule, a rap artist with a history of beef between himself and 50 Cent released an album entitled R.U.L.E.. A particular track on the album (New York) featured D-Block artist Jadakiss.

50 Cent, claiming that he interpreted Jadakiss' presence on the R.U.L.E. album as a personal attack, responded by mildly -- albeit in a very widespread manner given the distribution of his album -- dissing Jadakiss in his 2005 album The Massacre on the track Piggy Bank.

Thus ensued a conflict between D-Block and G-Unit, into which Styles P was rapidly drawn. Each of his mixtapes mentioned at the end of this article increasingly focus on the growing tension between the two groups of rappers -- indeed, the move from subliminal references to outright "disses" seems to have been completed by the fall of 2005 as evidenced by his most recent mixtape Ghost in the Machine, which features many tracks directly referring to 50 Cent, including an aptly named "Invite to 50" where 50 Cent is challenged to a physical confrontation. (Also "Snitching 101" and "Pussy Niggas" among others)

Outside of his own mixtapes, Styles P's best-known contributions to the conflict can be found in verses on the song "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye", featured on several mixtapes as well as the 2005 Sheek Louch album After Taxes and, most recently (February 2006), on the diss track "Ms Jackson", featured on the Sheek Louch mixtape Still A Wolf.

Styles recently had a phone conversation live on Hot 97 with 50 Cent that progressed into an awkward conversation that some perceive as them having made peace, while others viewed as being left unresolved.

Time is Money

The album has had its release date modified on more than one occasion: original release dates in the spring of 2005 were missed and scheduled releases within the summer months were similarly revised. Again, in the fall of 2005, the album was delayed from an October to a November date. Time is Money was finally released on December 19th, 2006. [1].

The album's supposed lead single, "I'm Black" received a fair amount of radio play last year, as did the single "Can You Believe It" featuring Akon, for which a video was shot. The release boasts guest appearances by the late Gerald Levert, Akon, Jagged Edge, Jae Hood, Mario Winans, Floetry's Marsha Ambrosius, Rashad, Talib Kweli and The Lox. The album's production will be handled by hit makers Scott Storch and Swizz Beatz among others.

Trivia

  • The "P" in Styles P is an abbreviation of the word Paniro, a combination of the last names of actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. This has been stated by the rapper on the track 'Ain't None of Y'all Betta' featuring Sheek Louch and Jadakiss, where he raps, "Like Pacino and De Niro, so they call me Paniro."
  • He is also known as The Ghost, Holiday, or The Phantom.
  • Good friends with Jadakiss

Discography

Solo Albums

Mixtapes

  • Big Mike & Supa Mario - Ghost In The Shell
  • Big Mike & Supa Mario - Ghost Stories: The World According To P
  • Supa Mario & Poobs - Ghost In The Machine
  • Dj Drama - The Ghost Who Sat By The Door
  • Big Mike & Poobs Present The Phantom

Singles

Year Song (Top 100 Hot R&B Hot Rap UK Singles Album
2002 "Good Times" 22 6 8 - A Gangster & A Gentleman
2002 "The Life" (featuring Pharaohe Monch) - 66 - - A Gangster & A Gentleman
2002 "Jenny from the Block" (Jennifer Lopez featuring Jadakiss & Styles P) 3 - - 3 This is Me...Then
2004 "Locked Up [Remix]" (Akon featuring Styles P.) 8 - - 5 Trouble
2005 "Can You Believe It" (featuring Akon) - 32 - - Time is Money
2005 "I'm Black" (featuring Marsha from Floetry) - 94 - - Time is Money
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