During its reign in the mid-’90s and the 2000s, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records sought to strike a balance between the snarling, hard-nosed narratives of the street and the shimmery, accessible samples that had platinum plaques hanging on the walls. The Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death and Mase’s Harlem World served as sterling proof of concept, and in January 1998, The LOX was up next. Combs had discovered the Yonkers, New York, trio of Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch when Mary J. Blige gave him their demo. They had shown sharp lyricism on songs like Combs’ “It’s All About the Benjamins” and Mariah Carey’s “Honey (Bad Boy Remix)”. The group eventually asked to leave Bad Boy for Ruff Ryders Entertainment because they wanted to lean further toward their hardcore sensibilities and away from the shiny suits and the bright, Hype Wililams-produced music videos that Combs made popular. (And in the late ’90s, that line of demarcation was as stark as ever; many thought that Combs’ hitmaking formula was steering rap in a commercial direction that hurt its cultural authenticity.) The LOX’s debut, Money, Power & Respect, didn’t have the natural ambidextrousness of their mentor Biggie or the refinement that would bloom in their works from the 2000s, but it’s still a splendid display of their talents and Bad Boy’s golden era. Jadakiss had head-turning punchlines and multisyllabic rhyme schemes, Styles P provided sinister street soliloquies and Sheek Louch brought a brute brawniness. And they all got busy over the instrumentals by The Hitmen (Combs’ assembled roster of producers who had built the label’s distinctive sound), with additions by Dame Grease and Swizz Beatz. Songs such as “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”, “If You Think I’m Jiggy” and the Kelly Price-assisted “So Right” emitted the bouncy, chorus-forward sheen that made Bad Boy such a force on the radio, while songs like “Everybody Wanna Rat” and “Bitches From Eastwick” channel the opposite end of the spectrum, with their respective anti-snitch screeds and conquests of the opposite sex. But the best moments are when they showcase their chemistry and unexpected emotional depth. Jadakiss and Styles trade bars on the hook of “Not to Be F**ked With” (one of three songs that showcase solo verses from each member) and use “The Heist, Pt. 1” to direct a cinematic, Steven Soderbergh-esque tale of a bank robbery gone wrong. “We’ll Always Love Big Poppa” is a heartfelt memorial that premiered months after Biggie was murdered, honouring his family while also channelling the members’ own grief. And the title track is as memorable a mission statement as rap has ever seen. Over a set of searing strings and pounding keys by Hitmen producers Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie and Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence, The LOX drop sharp, charismatic verses alongside Lil’ Kim and DMX for a classic that distils the aspiration of the street into a succinct, three-word credo. It also topped the rap charts and earned them a gold plaque, despite not adhering to Combs’ radio formula. It’s proof that not only are The LOX just as lyrically talented as any other legends from the East Coast, but that they can achieve success on their own terms—a strategy that would find them serving the streets for decades to follow.