Styles P has spoken about his daughter’s 2015 suicide in light of World Mental Health Day and said recognizing mental health warning signs is harder than people say.
The LOX veteran sat down with The Message on Apple Music on Monday (October 10) alongside Ebro Darden and opened up about his grieving experience.
“I’ve lost a daughter to suicide,” Styles P said. “And thinking about mental health, I probably look at it different from most people. She didn’t have signs. Didn’t see it, didn’t know. She never had no attempts, no anything. Most people don’t know how other people feel.”
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He continued: “Really, at the end of the day, even mental health specialists, even the experts, a lot of people don’t go around asking people how they feel or expressing how they feel. And with understanding that, like you said, I’m pretty sure most mental health experts have to go through some sort of specific training or class to keep their mind state intact.
“I think the average individual doesn’t look at their own life, what they’re going through. And measure it on their own scale without comparing it to someone else, and how they feel, and what’s going on, and what they should do, what they should not do, and what makes them tick. A lot of us aren’t in touch with ourselves to even be mentally healthy.”
Styles P’s daughter Tai Styles took her own life on July 27, 2015, and in a post shortly after the tragic event, the New York rapper spoke about how it has forever changed him.
“I rarely speak on my personal issues and i usually express my pain the through music but today I will share a little with you last month my wife and I lost a daughter and my son lost a sister,” he said in an Instagram post.
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“My baby girl took her life and there are no words to describe the day to day pain we have to endure and maintain through but in dealing with pain you find yourself dealing with the creator and asking questions and going through emotions most would not understand.”
He continued: “But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t take this time out to say from the most humbled part of my heart and soul to say to yall that the dream most of us chase is not!! I repeat is not!! more valuable than the love you get from your family and friends. It may seem like it is but it ain’t…”
Earlier this month, Styles P announced in a lengthy Instagram post that he was officially retiring from rap as a solo artist, but said he’s currently hard at work on two final projects.
He also noted that he still plans to work his LOX brethren Jadakiss and Sheek Louch moving forward, but that aside from a feature here and there his solo output will soon cease. He added that he’s on several “important boards” that he’ll dedicate more of his time to, and additionally said he’ll be stepping away from his juice company Juices For Life.
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“Of course you will see me In the spots and of course I’m going to keep pushing the movement when it comes to health,” he wrote in part. “I just gotta go figure a better way to do it and not harm myself mentally nor inconvenience others anymore. As far as any juices for life business goes I will plug you with one of my partners and the job will get done! The people need their health. Never forget, the message is always bigger than the messenger!!! So if you know the way, spread it. That is all that counts!!”
The last solo outing Styles P dropped was Ghosting in 2021, but he also linked with Havoc that same year for their joint effort Wreckage Manor. Styles’ solo career is almost as prolific as his work with The LOX, and in August he celebrated the 20th anniversary of his hit solo record “Good Times” with a special concert in his hometown of New York City.
