David Styles or better known as Styles P of the LOX has probably been through more label limbo than rain forest troopers have paraded in parrot shit over the last decade. Remember the historical free The LOX campaign earlier in the millennium or 50 Cent flexing his power at Interscope by single handedly having P’s last effort Time Is Money pushed back by nearly another half decade. As it turns out being dropped from one of rap’s most revered and feared labels can have its upsides, one being that Styles can now drop albums at his own discretion, not Jimmy Iovine or 50’s. His latest effort The Ghost Sessions is a mere six months removed from his aforementioned Time Is Money and an evident change in both sound and attitude are apparent from the opening minute to the closing second.

The underrated AZ shows up on the albums opening offering “The Hardest”, but its Styles solo effort on the NWA influenced “Fuck The Police” where he reaffirms his social and political prowess over Street Radio’s breathing backdrop. Again producer Street Radio laces P and D-Block protégé J-Hood with a menacing right coast g-funk feeling groove on “No Remorse”. Reaching back in his hip hop rolodex Styles goes on to enlists the help of hip hop pioneer Kool G Rap over a piano heavy arrangement on “Come One, Come All”. On “Hold On” Styles takes on an aggravated tone as he cooks up an uplifting hood ode then he goes on to get even more personal as he scorns those biting his and him henchmen’s styles on “Frustration”. Through his first two releases Stlyes proved his knack for wearing his emotions on his sleeve and nothing changes this time around as evidenced by tracks like “Pain” and “Struggle”.  Styles contracts producers Street Radio and Bob Perry to lace the album’s best beat on the hood retrospective “The Lessons”. On “Use Mad Clips” producer Emile serves up a deep breathing sound bed for Styles and Cormega to trade verses over.

Unlike Time Is Money which was recorded some two years before it ever hit shelves Stlyes opted to cater strictly to the streets with his premature independent offering The Ghost Sessions. Not that the production here is bad, it just turns out bland from time to time to most of the time, but that has its advantages as the entire twelve track offering can be easily sat through. Styles’ penchant for spitting the real will definitely keep him relevant in today’s bubble gum infested rap game. Now that he’s independent maybe he won’t have to lose too much money and time waiting for his next album to drop!

VERDICT – 14 / 20
LYRICS: 4
PRODUCTION: 3
DELIVERY: 3
CONSISTENCY: 4