[NEWS] Rapper Styles P puts on a clean yet amped up show + Q&A

As soon as rapper Styles P took the stage he made an announcement - he wasn’t allowed to swear or smoke onstage, two of his signatures.

Despite the censorship, Styles P rocked the sold out crowd Wednesday night in a satisfying concert by playing cuts from his personal catalog and from his band The Lox’s repertoire.

Styles didn’t curse the whole night, instead leaving the crowd to fill in the obscenities.

"They should’ve been able to (curse)," said Alex Mitchell-Hardt, a senior marketing major. "But he’s the man for having the crowd feel ill."

DJ AKO opened the show with a set that succeeded in its execution but failed to ignite a crowd waiting for the main event. Rapper Staxx also performed a couple songs, and while his flow was tight, for some reason he never looked at the audience, instead choosing to look across the stage. If the anticipation couldn’t get any crazier for the main act, right before Styles P came out, a girl fainted in the front row.

Styles opened his set with "Super Gangster" from his new album "Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman)." He followed that up with more cuts from his new album and recent mixtapes, which had the crowd moshing and screaming.

The crowd went crazy when Styles jumped over the stage barrier and moved through the crowd while performing "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye" and The Lox anthem "Wild Out."

He had the crowd going crazy and rapping along to the anthem "Good Times (I Get High)," one of Styles’ classic cuts from the album "Gangster and a Gentleman."

Styles closed out the show with his new anthem "Blow Your Mind." And while Styles’ set was a little on the short side, about 45 minutes, his energy and his crowd interaction was topnotch.

Considering the limitations put on him regarding the language, Styles P proved he really is a gangster and a gentleman.

"He was a crowd pleaser," said Paige Bresky, a sophomore broadcast journalism major. "Very entertaining."


Q & A with rapper and collaborator Styles P
Tim Goessling


Rapper Styles P has been a part of the rap industry for more than 15 years doing solo work and collaborating with big name rappers like Akon and Ghostface Killah. Right before Styles P took the stage at the Schine Underground Wednesday night, he took the time to answer a few questions about his lyrics, fellow rappers and current events.

The Daily Orange: You spoke about your race on your song "I’m Black." How do you feel race has changed in America?

Styles P: I don’t think it’s changed much. I think people are pretty prejudiced and just not up front about it. And that’s from black-white, fat-skinny, tall-small. If you take all the black out, Italian people aren’t going to like Irish people. Irish people aren’t going to like English people. Dominicans are gonna have a problem with Puerto Ricans. Everyone has some type of tug with each other - it’s just not accepting each other’s differences.

Who you listening to right now?

I’m listening to old school music right to tell you the truth. Prince, Marvin Gaye, Public Enemy.

What’s the creative process like for you?

Smoke and listen to the beat.

That’s it, that simple?

Simple. I smoke to the beat, and I listen to the beat. I rap over feeling. I’m not a good plan-out rapper. I got to hear the beat, and everything is off the moment. I just got to go off the feeling.

What’s up with former D-Block member Jae Hood who recently left the group?

Screw Jae Hood. He was an unhappy artist, you know, which was understood. The way he went about it, being an Internet gangster, getting on stage with 50 was real disloyal. I mean, God bless him, I hope the best for him, I just think he’s a sucka, the way he went about it.

On the presidential race?

I’m with Barack now. I like Barack, and I like Hillary too ’cause I like change, definitely go with Barack first, but after that I’ll go with Hillary.

Out of all your songs, which one is your favorite one personally?

"I’m Black"

If you had the chance to see S.P. or any of the Lox live you will know they put on crazy shows with mad energy, a must for any fan...check the official myspace pages to see when they next live in your area.

Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) & Silverback Gorilla IN-STORES NOW