A Gangster and a Gentleman: Styles Walks the Fine Line Between the Two

I've recently come to respect and admire Styles, the seemingly forgotten LOX member, as an artist for various reasons. For one, he's incredibly realistic and his thuggishness doesn't seem to be the whole of his lyrics. He is aggressive and violent, yes, but he gets deeper than that and drops jewels in-between bars that give us the impression that he's speaking from harsh experience rather than glorifying the lifestyle. I can respect him on that level and also understand where he's coming from. You can sit there and rhyme until you're blue in the face, but if you don't touch on anything substantial anyway that you can, the point isn't going to be made. I don't expect people who don't take this for what it's worth and look a little deeper into it to see that, though. To the untrained ear, it'll probably sound along the same lines as anything from G-Unit and its cohorts. But upon closer inspection, Styles is a better emcee, let alone one with a lot more class and intelligence. With A Gangster And A Gentleman, he draws the line between violent reality and violent hardcore. It's this split in subject matter that gives the LP its identity and uniquely defines street life; maybe it's time we gave gangsta Rap a little more respect.

Track Listing And Rating:

1. Intro
2. Good Times (I Get High) (****)
3. Y'all Know We In Here (**)
4. A Gangster And A Gentleman (*****)'
5. Black Magic (****)
6. Daddy Get That Cash (****)
7. Lick Shots (****)
8. And I Came To... (*)
9. Get Paid (****)
10. Ass Bag (Skit)
11. I'm A Ruff Ryder (***)
12. Soul Clap (**)
13. We Thugs (My Niggas) (****)
14. Styles (****)
15. Barbershop (Skit)
16. Listen (****)
17. Niggas Flippin (Skit)
18. Y'all Don't Wanna Fuck (****)
19. Shit Done Changed (Skit)
20. Nobody Believes Me (*****)
21. Dedication (Skit)
22. My Brother (*****)
23. Outro
24. The Life (Bonus Track) (****)

Unlike many intros that begin albums, this actually means something. Although brief, he introduces himself and tells the listener that he's happy to be alive, doing the album, etc... He doesn't make a big speech or anything of that nature, but to have a hardcore rapper state that he's happy with the aforementioned; it goes without saying that you're going to get a little more than you probably anticipated. It starts the album off on the right note by doing something a little less conventional.

The lead single that I'm sure most people heard in mid-2002, Good Times (I Get High), is also one of the LP's top moments. The beat crafted here is composed of a synthesizer that scales up and down in tone and a pounding bass line which supplies the track's percussion. Although there's a slight snare in the background, it really does nothing for the structure. The song's sample is what popularized it; Ayatollah pulls a Kanye and speeds it up until it has the "chipmunk" sound. It works, however, and is undeniably infectious. As the title of the track may suggest, this track is an ode to blazing up. Don't expect Styles to just sit there and tell us how great smoking weed is time and again as he finds more than enough time to elaborate on the projects and the violence it contains. Styles is lyrically proficient here and gets darkly nihilistic as usual. The weed references are actually not as overpowering as you may think; the hardcore mentality of the track is really what the subject matter is about. Although Styles is rather simple, you can still feel his words through emotion and conviction. Even with that said, he's still a good lyricist, though far from complex. The marriage between the beat and Styles' lyrics is one of the largely listenable aspects of the song.

The album descends for a moment with Y'all Know We In Here, a track that remains gangsta lyrically and is listenable due to that, but the beat supplied is absolutely horrible. It's very electronic and sounds blatantly commercial. The chorus, spat by Swizz Beats himself, is just as bad and sounds very radio-friendly.

After that disastrous moment, an LP highlight is brought forth in the form of the title track, A Gangster And A Gentleman. Styles decides to get introspective; he spits lyrics detailing his life growing up and his mentality through those years. Instead of telling us how gangsta he is and then backing it up through descriptions that could also be related to introspection, he actually takes a neutral stance and gives us a biography. His words are powerful and emotional. His rhymes are even improved as he lacks the expectancy in his bar ends. The more than befitting production is also flawless, giving the track what it truly needs to convey the emotion he spits. It sounds slightly middle-age, yet it's more up-beat. It still manages to keep a low-key tone even through the faster drum loop and sample. I would say that Styles' lyrics and subject matter are what really make it feel more melancholic. There's no denying that this is one of the album's best moments.

I know many people aren't going to feel Daddy Get That Cash, but it connected with me immediately. The beat is mainly composed of a synthesized foreground that I'm sure is an acquired taste. What I really feel this track would catch a lot of flack for would be its subject matter. Styles gives us a situation in which his significant other helps him with various crimes and such. The way he goes about it is what really keeps it from failing. He doesn't make it a sappy song about being in love with a girl and reiterating Bonnie & Clyde. On the contrary, this main focus of this track is the thuggishness, not necessarily his female counterpart. When included, though, it retains the overall feel and still remains hardcore. No, he doesn't improve his rhymes in terms of complexity or anything in those terms, but say what you will; his rhymes aren't meant to be extravagant. For what they are I feel them and can't really complain.

As the first of many skits on the LP, Ass Bag serves no purpose whatsoever. It's unfunny and easily skippable, as most skits are.

The track that follows it, I'm A Ruff Ryder, is slightly disappointing. But apart from a mediocre, uneven beat, Styles drops dark, gritty verses that contain some of the illest lines on the album. The beat itself would be a stand-out if it stuck with the haunting keys utilized in the first few seconds of the instrumental instead of switching it up seconds later. The beat itself sounds very uninspired and lacks conviction. Styles himself overcomes this, but the lack of quality in the production is very noticeable.

Making up for what was lacking in the aforementioned track, Styles is joined by fellow LOX members Jadakiss and Sheek Louch on We Thugs (My Niggas). What makes this particular song slightly unique is that the subject matter is divided into two sections. The first half of the song finds Styles being more insightful and lyrically introspective. The other half includes ‘Kiss and Sheek spitting hardcore, sometimes humorous verses with Styles that are what you come to expect from The LOX. Also fairly odd yet fitting is the production. The piano sample and slower drum loop sounds more like something that would be found on an intelligent, thought-provoking track. The tone of this song is lighter, however, so it drapes over the lyrics well. The hardcore feel of the track isn’t as dark as a few previous tracks found on the LP. This uniqueness benefits the song greatly and gives it a more distinct feel.

Following another time wasting skit, Styles attempts a reflective track in the form of Listen. Though the production is rather weak, incorporating a guitar sample, which lacks cohesion, into an off-key drum loop, the song is saved by the well-written lyrics. Getting deep and bringing out social issues, ghetto life, poverty, and thoughts on our world as a whole, the quality of the lyrics are endless. It should go without saying that Styles’ rhymes never approach complex or even unconventional, he’s still able to bring strong emotion onto the track and convey his thoughts without attempting Canibus-styled lyricism. It’s this that I really admire. He doesn’t need to adapt complexity to get his message across. Even as simple as he can be, he still manages to be intelligent and mature in terms of his subject matter.

No LOX album would be complete, though, if it didn’t have a street anthem-type track with a powerful chorus and a pounding beat. M.O.P. and Styles go head-on with Y’all Don’t Wanna Fuck, a track that will certainly get the blood flowing and the heads nodding. Not only is the beat incredibly addictive, the chorus is made only better by incorporating M.O.P. members Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame vocalizing the firing of a pistol and repeating it one after another in a rhythmic fashion. I simply can’t explain; it’s something you have to hear for yourself. You should already know what to expect on a track of this nature. Styles comes ill, as do M.O.P. They drop hardcore, violent, boastful verses that do exactly what they’re meant to do; boost the energy. As a track that I would call the “New York anthem,” it works wonderfully.

Another skit follows the aforementioned tracks and leads us into one of A Gangster And A Gentleman’s highlights. Nobody Believes Me is a conversation between Styles himself, his gun, knife, and his haze (weed). Playing the parts of each of these objects is Sheek, Jae Hood, and Cross. The beautiful beat, which consists of an unbelievably ill piano loop and a light drum loop, is dramatic and melancholic; it crafts the tracks identity. Each of the guests on the tracks actually keep up with the talented Styles as well. No one on the track really gets more time to shine than the next because each of them play crucial parts in the song. This keeps everything evenly paced and lacking unevenness. If it has to be said, Sheek is the nicest on the track mostly due to his charisma and personality. The track as a whole is original and well-executed. The subject matter, though done before but with a different approach, has never been this gritty or quite this well done.

Skipping past yet another skit, the LP’s shining moment, My Brother, immediately comes into play. Styles discusses the death of his brother and how it’s emotionally affecting him since the day that his death occurred. To begin things, the beat chosen is better than anything on the album. I can’t place the sample on the song and what it contains, but its angelic quality perfectly fits with the lyrics. Styles even gets more complex in his wording and let’s his emotions power his pen. You can feel the emotion strongly in his rhymes as he expresses sorrow and grief time and again. If that wasn’t already good enough, the chorus is fueled by it. The first time he says ”there’s my brother, with Allah, best place he could be,” I guarantee you will feel it. Styles is more than lyrically proficient here and the emotion you can feel in his words only makes the track all the much more listenable. Sitting here all day and telling you how good it is won’t even begin to describe it. This is, without a doubt, the best track on the LP.

A Gangster And A Gentleman’s Outro finds the emcee speaking on street violence and the ills of the world. He rights wrongs through apology and speaks the truth as blatantly as possible. This would’ve been the perfect way to end the album; Styles speaking wise words. A bonus track is the real conclusion to the album, however. This track was found on Rawkus’ Soundbombing III, entitled My Life, which also features Pharaoh Monch, providing the chorus. As the title implies, Styles tells the listener about his life. Rhyme-wise it’s deeper than many of the tracks on the album and has a feel that’s much more passive in its approach. While Styles is a good hardcore rapper, I can’t deny that this track is a good one and is only advanced by the intelligence and the maturity shown. Monch’s chorus also perfectly suits the track, as does the production.

This album, though it has introspective moments and a good display of intelligence, is one only for those who like the hardcore subgenre. The heads will find a lot to dislike about it including the subject matter and Styles simplicity. Those who aren’t as critical, however, will find a lot to like about it. The emotion felt on the album is strong, the production is generally solid, the introspective tracks are well thought-out, and the gangsta tracks contain an energy and raw grittiness that push the point they create. To be honest, if you’re not a critical listener, I’m fairly confident that you might actually like this. Styles possesses a good mic presence, an ability to convey emotion perfectly, and a realness to his words that few artists possess. For those who like what is dubbed “street music,” give this a listen. For everybody else, I doubt you would find much to like about it.