When it comes to hip hop pioneers, you have to include The LOX in the conversation. Since the ‘90s, Sheek Louch, Styles P and Jadakiss have provided the streets with some of the realest hip hop, from their glossier Bad Boy days to the grittier and more recent D-Block movement. As of late, Jadakiss has been carrying the flag for the group — he recently released his fifth studio album Ignatius last month. Now, the trio return to the fold as a group, delivering their new single “Loyalty and Love.”
As the title suggests, The LOX continue to pledge allegiance to each other and the movement over the hard-hitting, Smiley’s People and Jimmy Dukes-produced cut:
“Loyalty and love, I ride with the homie when s*** is real, you ride with homie to get in clubs/
All you do is look at his ‘Gram to see how he movin’, when’s the last time you called him to see how he doin’?/
They just wanna catch it, they ain’t really for us, I had enough, I’m tired of supporting the supporters/
Shoe is on the other foot, all I hear is crickets/ they don’t even give a f***, all they want is tickets…/”
As The LOX, “Loyalty and Love” is the latest from the Ruff Ryders alumni since 2016’s Filthy America… It’s Beautiful, which featured additional assistance from Mobb Deep, Gucci Mane, Fetty Wap, and more. That album also boasted the singles “Don’t You Cry,” “What Else You Need To Know,” and “The Family.”
Recently, Jadakiss stopped by Real 92.3 in Los Angeles to promote his aforementioned project when he compared Megan Thee Stallion’s current legal situation with his groups own past battles with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records:
“We was younger. That’s why I can’t fault or judge nobody on how they handle it. We was younger. We was young and reckless. But, at that same time we put our hands in it and said this is what we gon’ do, we knew it could have not worked or it could have been over… Collectively all three of us said f*** this what we gotta do.”
You can press play on “Loyalty and Love” below.