The Lox have put in work; from singles with Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and P. Diddy to collaborations with Wu-Tang, The Lox are true legends of hip-hop. Hence we were excited to see these guys live for the first time. We arrived halfway into The Lox’s set when we were treated to their DJ showing us how Jadakiss and Styles P would look like if they played live instruments on stage. Styles P began mimicking playing the piano and Jadakiss started pretending to play the guitar. All the while exclaiming “We love Amsterdam and High Times!” Too funny. Then the piano started, a classic Lox song began, and everyone started jumping up and down. So much energy felt throughout the Melkweg .
Soon after the song ended, Jadakiss and Styles P started an impromptu freestyle session onstage – circling each other like an elk about to battle a grizzly – then they broke into a raucous version of “Money, Power and Respect” off their debut album and the place went bonkers. A few minutes later the show ended, but you could feel a party vibe that could’ve continued well into the morning hours.
It’s amazing to think how far The Lox have taken their musical careers; their first album debuted on Bad Boy before they moved over to Ruff Ryders, then created their own label, D-Block Records, and are still pumping out new material (Check out their latest EP, The Trinity). Sixteen years later they’re still at it and sound better than ever.
Check back with HighTimes.com when we reveal the oral history of the Lox!
