Just three months removed from the release of his impressive retail-available mixtape with DJ Green Lantern, The Green Ghost Project, Styles P is already preparing for the release of another all-new material street album, The Ghost Dub-Dime (due May 18th).
“I think when you make a official album you gotta think worldwide…but I’m not in that mood yet, I feel more like just keeping it street right now,” replied Styles to HipHopDX earlier this week when asked why he decided to take time to record a second unofficial album for 2010 instead of working on the follow-up to his last studio release, 2007’s Super Gangster Extraordinary Gentleman. “Because I think your mind-frame should be in a certain spot when you gonna make an album for the world. And I think the streets is lacking something right now.”
In addition to wanting to take time to thoroughly serve the streets, Styles explained to DX that he is also pushing his plans to record a new solo studio album temporarily to the side to first complete work on New L.O.X. Order, the long-awaited follow-up to he and partners-in-rhyme Jadakiss’ and Sheek Louch’s last L.O.X. group effort, 2000’s We Are The Streets.
“We trying to really handle this business, get all the business formalities [taken care of right now],” said Styles regarding the current status of his group’s reported negotiations to return to Bad Boy Records for the release of their third album. “We recording now… We gathering the music. We got a couple joints [already done], [and] working on more joints [now]…”
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While remaining tight-lipped about which producers Styles and company have already worked with for New L.O.X. Order, The Ghost did confirm that the Yonkers trio are planning to put in studio time with previous production suppliers to the group, Pete Rock and DJ Premier.
Whichever beatmakers are recruited for the album, the sound and overall direction of the new L.O.X. project will likely differ dramatically from what Pinero is planning for his next, currently untitled, solo effort.
“It’s gonna be like [Public Enemy] and N.W.A. was in the studio all at once,” declared Styles of the early vision he has for the album he will begin work on after New L.O.X. Order. “I’m trying to do something crazy… It’s gonna be like a…conscious [but still] hard direction… I think it’s only really me that can [walk] the line [between] consciousness and gangsta…”
For now fans of Styles’ signature brand of street consciousness will have to get their fix from the aforementioned Green Ghost Project and the two lead leaks from The Ghost Dub-Dime: the thunderous 808-bolstered “It’s Over”
and “That Street Life,” the introspective first single featuring a vocal appearance from the song’s producer, North Carolina native (and 9th Wonder discovery) Tyler Woods.
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Styles’ supporters can also look forward to hearing more of their favorite hood spokesman soon via the Duck Down debut from Pharoahe Monch, W.A.R. (We Are Renegades).
“Oh my God, that shit is fuckin’ a problem!,” Styles’ exclaimed of his collabo with Pharoahe (with Phonte on the song’s chorus), tentatively-titled “Blackhand Side.” “I’m waiting to hear it. I’m sitting here every day wondering when Pharoahe’s gonna drop that shit. That shit is a problem. He got some good music on that [W.A.R. album]. I was listening to his [new] music [and] he got some shit! Oh man, he got some shit.”
Another possible collaboration that fans of The Ghost may soon be hearing is Styles rockin’ alongside Jay Electronica.
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“I like him, he can spit,” replied Styles definitively when asked if a recent exchange of tweets between the two highly-praised rhymesayers was the confirmation of a collaboration. “We ain’t confirm [working together] yet, but that’s good as – once you say something it’s good as gold in the Hip Hop world, most of the time. We emcees [so our discussion] wasn’t on no business shit…”
Clearly not a fan of putting business before art, Styles boldly declared to DX back in January that he was unconcerned about what the commercial response would be to The Green Ghost Project: “This particular project I just did to get it off my chest… I wasn’t worried about who’s gonna cop it, who’s not gonna cop it, so they don’t even have to cop it. They can just go listen to it for all I care. Don’t buy it, just take the time to respect the real Hip Hop laid down…” But how did The Ghost really feel upon learning that his first offering for the streets this year failed to even crack the Billboard 200 albums chart?
“Oh I ain’t even know it didn’t crack the Top 200,” replied an only slightly surprised Styles when asked. “I was dumb happy off of it, off the response I was gettin’ from the hood. I didn’t know it didn’t crack – I mean you know, I’m at a point in my career, I been doing so much for so long…I’m fortunate enough to have fans and people that still love me. And I’m really just here to maintain and hold down the streets… As long as it’s a classic in the hood – When the shit ain’t a classic in the hood, that’s when you can call me and ask if I’m hurt and I’ma tell you, ‘Yeah.’ But as far as like [this] day and age and how shit is going now, I don’t really sweat [sales] ‘cause everything is instant. You could crack, and there’s dudes crackin’…and they did it and whatever, but you won’t even hear from ‘em at all next year, or in two years. So, it depends on what side of the game you play. I always play fair, [and so] I’ll take [being] D-list in the industry. But I’m A-list as far as street music and in the streets.”
The A-list street scribe will have a message for his less honorable peers in the industry on “To All The Sellouts,” a Statik Selektah-produced selection (that is in Styles’ words simply, “Crazy. Holy shit”) from the soundtrack that will accompany The Ghost’s new fiction novel, Invincible.
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Styles revealed to DX back in January what readers can expect from his first literary offering: “The storyline is basically it’s an action-mystery of a dude who has his life endangered…a dude trying to stay positive, his store ends up getting robbed, he shoots the people who robbed him, ends up going to jail, [and] while he’s in jail he gets a mystery letter from someone that wants to kill him, his lady ends up leaving him, he sees old friends – he don’t know whether he can trust ‘em or not…and it’s just an action-packed mystery adventure from The Ghost.”
Both the Invincible book and soundtrack will be available on the same day, with pre-orders for the book available now at Amazon and plans to release the soundtrack exclusively via StylesP.net on the official June 1st book release date.
Even with a busy dub-dime schedule of writing, recording and promoting his various new projects, Pinero took time out of a hectic press day to fondly reflect on his personal memories of the voice of Gang Starr, recalling that, “I just remember every time I seen Guru, from when I met him [on], him giving props. You gotta think, as an emcee coming in the game, to get props and respect from Guru [is] something big. He [was] just always mad cool.”
“I grew up on Guru,” he added. “And, you know what? With me, with death, I try to not take it in a negative aspect anymore – as a person who’s dealt with death a few times. I believe you’ll see the person again, and I just try to look at the good moments. He was a hell of an emcee and left a marvelous body of work.”
The Ghost Dub-Dime is due in stores and online May 18th from E1 Entertainment.
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Tracklist and production credits for The Ghost Dub-Dime are below.
1. Intro
(produced by Tyler Woods)
2. G-Sense
(produced by Street Radio)
3. Back On My New S***
FT. Tre Williams
(produced by Street Radio)
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4. Where I’m From
(produced by Street Radio)
5. It’s Over
(produced by Ceasar Productions)
6. The Beat Don’t Stop
FT. Jimi Kendrix
(produced by Street Radio)
7. That Street Life
FT. Tyler Woods
(produced by Tyler Woods)
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8. Fast Lane
(produced by Don Joe for Dogzilla Productions)
9. Here I Am
(produced by Street Radio)
10. Juice Bar
(produced by Don Joe for Dogzilla Productions)
11. Road to Success
(produced by Ceasar Productions)
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12. Outro
(produced by Street Radio)
