Styles P facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Styles P
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Styles P in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David R. Styles |
| Also known as |
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| Born | November 28, 1974 Queens, New York City, U.S. |
| Origin | Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 1994–present |
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David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), known as Styles P, is an American rapper. He is famous for being a member of the hip hop group the Lox. He formed the group in 1994 with his friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss. The group was also part of the Ruff Ryders Entertainment music family.
As a solo artist, Styles P signed with Interscope Records. He released his first album, A Gangster and a Gentleman, in 2002. The song "Good Times" from this album became a big hit. It reached number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album itself reached number six on the Billboard 200 chart.
Styles P also appeared on other popular songs. In 2002, he was featured with Jadakiss on Jennifer Lopez's song "Jenny from the Block". In 2004, he was on Akon's song "Locked Up". Both of these songs were very successful. He has released many more albums since then, including Time Is Money (2006) and G-Host (2018).
Contents
Early Life and Starting in Music
David R. Styles was born on November 28, 1974, in Corona, Queens, New York City. His mother was from South Africa, and his father was from Jamaica. After his parents separated, David and his younger brother Gary moved to Yonkers with their mother.
In Yonkers, he met his lifelong friends Jadakiss and Sheek Louch. They all loved hip hop music. In 1994, they decided to form a group called the Lox.
Music Career Highlights
The Lox: From Underground to Stardom (1994–2000)
The Lox started rapping in the mid-1990s. They gained fans by performing and freestyling on the streets. When they were teenagers, they met singer Mary J. Blige. She was very impressed with their lyrics. She gave their demo tape to Sean "Diddy" Combs, a famous music producer.
Diddy quickly signed the group to his label, Bad Boy Records. The Lox soon began working on hit songs with Diddy, the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Mariah Carey. This made them famous in the hip hop world and on the music charts.
In 1996 and 1997, the group helped write and perform on many hit songs. These included Diddy's "It's All About the Benjamins" and "I Got the Power." They also worked on Mase's "24 Hrs. to Live" and Mariah Carey's "Honey."
In 1997, the Lox gained international fame. Their song "We'll Always Love Big Poppa" was a tribute to the late Biggie Smalls. It was the B-side to Diddy's number one hit, "I'll Be Missing You." This success helped the Lox release their own album. Their first album, Money, Power & Respect, came out in January 1998. It sold very well and was certified platinum.
Even though the album was a hit, the group felt that Bad Boy Records' style did not fit their own grittier rap sound. They wanted to leave the label. After some discussions, they were allowed to leave Bad Boy. They then signed with Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records.
Solo Success and New Labels (2000–2007)
After releasing another Lox album, We Are the Streets, Styles P released his first solo album. This album, A Gangster and a Gentleman, came out in 2002. The popular song "Good Times" was from this album. It was played a lot on the radio.
In 2004, Styles P was featured on a different version of Akon's hit song "Locked Up." Two years later, he released his second album, Time is Money, with Ruff Ryders. In 2007, Styles P left Ruff Ryders and Interscope. He then released his third album, Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman), on his own label, D-Block Records.
More Albums and Mixtapes (2010–2014)
Styles P recorded many mixtapes. In 2010, he released two more albums: The Green Ghost Project with DJ Green Lantern and The Ghost Dub-Dime. This started a period where he released an album almost every year. His albums from this time include Master of Ceremonies (2011), The World's Most Hardest MC Project (2012), Float (2013), and Phantom and the Ghost (2014).
The Lox Reunite and Recent Projects (2016–Present)
In 2016, the Lox released their first album in 16 years, called Filthy America... It's Beautiful. This album did very well, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
After this, Styles P released more solo albums. These include G-Host (2018), Dime Bag (2018), S.P. the GOAT: Ghost of All Time (2019), and Presence (2019). Styles P also worked with rapper Dave East on a collaboration album called Beloved in 2018. His 13th album, Styles David: Ghost Your Enthusiasm, was released on May 22, 2020.
Personal Life
Styles P is a vegan, meaning he does not eat meat or animal products.
He married his wife, Adjua, on July 31, 1995. They have two children, Noah (born 1998) and Tai (1995–2015). Tai was Adjua's child from a previous relationship.
Styles P's younger brother, Gary Quarles Styles, passed away in a car accident on May 13, 2001. Styles P has mentioned Gary in his music, including a tribute song called "My Brother" on his first album.
Business Ventures
Styles P and Jadakiss opened a juice bar called "Juices for Life" in 2011. There are now six locations in New York. In 2018, Styles P and his wife Adjua opened a health food store called "Farmacy for Life."
Styles P also launched a special music project called "The Farmacy Fantoms" in 2022. This project uses Web3 Music NFT technology. He worked with Gregory Cohen and Daniel Dapaah on it. They sold out 6,666 "Farmacy Fantoms" in just two weeks. People who own these NFTs get discounts, access to shows, and the music files like instrumentals and vocals.
Other Projects
Styles P released his first book, a novel called Invincible, in 2010. He also appeared on the TV show Marriage Boot Camp with his wife, Adjua, in 2020. In February 2022, he was part of a documentary series called Everything's Gonna Be All White on Showtime.
Discography
Studio Albums
- A Gangster and a Gentleman (2002)
- 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)
- G-Host (2018)
- Dime Bag (2018)
- S.P. the GOAT: Ghost of All Time (2019)
- Presence (2019)
- Styles David: Ghost Your Enthusiasm (2020)
- Ghosting (2021)
- Penultimate: A Calm Wolf Is Still a Wolf (2023)
Collaboration Albums
- The Green Ghost Project (with DJ Green Lantern) (2010)
- #The1st28 (with Currensy) (2012)
- The Seven (with Talib Kweli) (2017)
- Vibes (with Berner) (2017)
- Beloved (with Dave East) (2018)
- Wreckage Manner (with Havoc) (2021)
