A new solo album and a fresh LOX effort means we'll be hearing a lot from New York rapper Styles P in the near future.
The MC (real name David Styles) plans to drop his third solo album, "Supa Gangsta, Extraordinary Gentleman," on Dec. 4. He tells Billboard.com that the process of getting it out was "much smoother" than the embattled four-year gap between his first two solo outings.
"I always work, to tell you the truth," says Styles, who switched from Ruff Ryders to Koch for "Supa Gangsta..." "I would say I made three albums between (2006's) 'Time Is Money' and this one. I make songs every day. If not a song then a freestyle. If not a freestyle, I work with some of the young boys" on his label, D-Block. "Eventually it hits you in the gut -- 'I got an album! This is the album!' And then you put it out."
Styles describes "Supa Gangsta..." as "street-level hip-hop in its rawest form." Swizz Beatz produced the first single, "Blow Ya Mind Up," which has already been released to urban radio. Other collaborators on the album include Akon, Ghostface Killah, the Roots' Black Thought, Ray J and Max B. Styles plans to play some live shows to support the release.
As for the LOX, Styles says the trio is working on a new album -- its first since "We Are the Streets" in 2000 -- for release in the second or third quarter of 2008, after Sheek Louch drops his solo album in the first quarter.
"We've got a good amount of songs," Styles says. "It's the same direction we always go in -- 100 percent pure hip-hop electricity. You'll hear a lot of songs on each one of our solo albums preparing you for the LOX album." No guest collaborators are on tap for the set yet, however. "We've kept it strictly us so far," Styles says, "but we'll see as it goes on."
The MC (real name David Styles) plans to drop his third solo album, "Supa Gangsta, Extraordinary Gentleman," on Dec. 4. He tells Billboard.com that the process of getting it out was "much smoother" than the embattled four-year gap between his first two solo outings.
"I always work, to tell you the truth," says Styles, who switched from Ruff Ryders to Koch for "Supa Gangsta..." "I would say I made three albums between (2006's) 'Time Is Money' and this one. I make songs every day. If not a song then a freestyle. If not a freestyle, I work with some of the young boys" on his label, D-Block. "Eventually it hits you in the gut -- 'I got an album! This is the album!' And then you put it out."
Styles describes "Supa Gangsta..." as "street-level hip-hop in its rawest form." Swizz Beatz produced the first single, "Blow Ya Mind Up," which has already been released to urban radio. Other collaborators on the album include Akon, Ghostface Killah, the Roots' Black Thought, Ray J and Max B. Styles plans to play some live shows to support the release.
As for the LOX, Styles says the trio is working on a new album -- its first since "We Are the Streets" in 2000 -- for release in the second or third quarter of 2008, after Sheek Louch drops his solo album in the first quarter.
"We've got a good amount of songs," Styles says. "It's the same direction we always go in -- 100 percent pure hip-hop electricity. You'll hear a lot of songs on each one of our solo albums preparing you for the LOX album." No guest collaborators are on tap for the set yet, however. "We've kept it strictly us so far," Styles says, "but we'll see as it goes on."
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