Born in Corona, Queens, and raised on Groshon Ave in Yonkers, NY, Styles began rapping with Jadakiss and Sheek in 1994, as they all grew up in the same Yonkers, New York neighborhood. They eventually signed to Bad Boy Records, formed the rap group called "THE LOX" which stands for "Living Off Xperience", and recorded songs with Notorious B.I.G., Sean Combs and Darren Blackburn. In 1998, The Lox released Money, Power & Respect w/ the hit song "Money, Power, Respect" feat. fellow Bad Boy, "Lil Kim" and Ruff Ryder Earl "DMX" Simmons. Soon thereafter, Styles P led the Lox on the now infamous quest to leave Bad Boy Records. When they were finally released, the Lox signed to Interscope. Shortly thereafter, a new Lox album and Jadakiss' solo album Kiss Tha Game Goodbye were released.
Styles released A Gangster and a Gentleman in 2002, as his debut solo album. The album contained the song "The Life", featuring Pharoahe Monch which was originally recorded for Rawkus Records' Soundbombing 3 compilation album. The follow up hit was the song dedicated to marijuana use, "Good Times (I Get High)", one of the most played songs of 2002.
In 2003, Styles P. and Jadakiss appeared on the "Oz Soundtrack" with one of the harder edged songs "Some Niggas" about prison life. On a mixed album with several songs about the lifestyle behind bars, "Some Niggas" was one of the fiercest and most remembered songs on the street from that album.
In 2004, Styles P. released the mixtape Ghost Stories in limited distribution form (NY only) -- the mixtape spread to other cities and onto the internet in the next year. He was featured on the hit song "Locked Up", by R&B artist Akon.
In 2005, Styles P. received local market airplay for his and Jadakiss' remix of Mariah Carey's mega-hit "We Belong Together", and on Miri Ben-Ari's album, The Hip-Hop Violinist; he features on the track "We Gonna Win". He released two stand-alone mixtapes in complete form: Ghost in the Shell in the spring of 2005 and Ghost in the Machine in the Fall.
Styles P. has been featured on many rappers' albums including Ghostface Killah, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Akon's albums. Styles is rumoured to appear on DMX's new album Walk With Me Now and You'll Fly With Me Later. He will also appear on the title track to The Roots' latest album, Rising Down.
Ryde on Da Regular
Styles P Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every day I ryde on da regular;
You just regular, probably smokin' the regular! (regular!)
Yeah; you the prey, I'm the predator!
Yeah; you the movie, I'm the editor! (editor!) [x2]
Now tell me: whatchu know about the zone?
You go to jail when your man is comin' home. (comin' home!)
Wait for the time but the sand is all gone. (all gone!)
What's the regiment? Smoke weed, get the Benjamins
Hit the spot for cocaine measurin! (measurin!)
Got a Desert Eagle. Need a city eagle!
Tryna tell my niggaz the whole city evil! (whole city evil!)
And all I know is murderers and gritty people.
But it is what it is!
And do what it do. I ain't gettin' money,
My nigga; I keep it movin' cause it ain't good biz! (good biz!)
Half a mill' to a mill', that make you hood rich;
If you dope as a dime, I can get you a good brick. (good brick!)
You don't understand when I'm talkin' this hood shit;
Then turn the volume down and on to the next! (next!)
Got your girl on Patron then she's off to the X,
Got the Lex from the Japanese triad connect.
Iraq, Iran, guns on deck;
In the hands of the shooters if the funds ain't correct! (ain't correct!)
YEAH! - Now what you know about the street life?
You could lose your life any night, you don't creep right. (creep right!)
Hoodie up with the mask down;
School of hard knocks, the Ghost never was the class clown! (class clown!)
[Chorus]
Now tell me: what you know about the hood?
You doin' bad but you plannin' to do good. (do good!)
You wanted platinum but they'll put you in the wood;
You wanna ride and switch sides if you could! (if you could!)
What's the schedule? Hit the streets stay credible;
Everybody food seems edible! (edible!)
Got the trey pound, got the four pound;
Ride around town playin' 'Pac then it's Dogg Pound! (Dogg Pound!)
Keep a big joint or a long sword;
I'm tryna win and fuck the points on the scoreboard! (scoreboard!)
Homie, this the game of death;
No Bruce Lee! I don't use the pen or the looseleaf.
All I need is the Dutchy if not two sheets of bamboo;
Handle. - You like the bars on the bike!
And you don't want a scar for your life;
This is the Ghost, I earned my stars and my stripes! Nigga
[Chorus]
In the song "Ryde on Da Regular," Styles P raps about his experiences growing up in the hood and the daily struggles he faces. The chorus is a boastful declaration of his street credibility and dominance, contrasting himself to those who are just "regular" and smoke basic weed. He compares himself to a predator, always on the lookout, and in control of his surroundings. He also uses the metaphor of being an editor, suggesting he has the power to manipulate and control the narrative of his story.
In the first verse, Styles P talks about the harsh realities of living in the hood, and how easy it is to fall victim to the streets. He references jail, trying to make quick cash, and time slipping away as sand in an hourglass. He then delves into the everyday routine of hustling, smoking weed, and making money, acknowledging the danger of his environment but also accepting it as a way of life. He concludes by saying if you're not making money, then it's not good business, and he keeps it moving.
In the second verse, Styles P more explicitly discusses the code of the hood. He mentions the difficulty of trying to do good and making it out of the hood, contrasting it to the potential of being buried in the wood. He also touches on the importance of credibility in the streets and keeping a low profile, but also staying armed with a trey pound or four pound. He concludes by saying he doesn't need to use a pen or loose leaves, implying he doesn't need to write anything down to remember his street code and that he earned his reputation through action.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day I ryde on da regular;
I ride every day without fail.
You just regular, probably smokin' the regular! (regular!)
You're nothing special, probably smoking average weed.
Yeah; you the prey, I'm the predator!
You're the victim, I'm the attacker.
Yeah; you the movie, I'm the editor! (editor!) [x2]
You're the star, I control the final product.
Now tell me: whatchu know about the zone?
Do you have any understanding of the situation?
You go to jail when your man is comin' home. (comin' home!)
You get caught when your partner is about to be released.
Try to get Grants but the plan was all wrong,
Attempt to get government funding, but the strategy was flawed.
Wait for the time but the sand is all gone. (all gone!)
Waiting for the right moment, but time has run out.
What's the regiment? Smoke weed, get the Benjamins
What's the routine? Smoke marijuana, make money.
Hit the spot for cocaine measurin! (measurin!)
Purchase a quantity of cocaine.
Got a Desert Eagle. Need a city eagle!
Have a powerful gun, but require a local criminal connection.
Tryna tell my niggaz the whole city evil! (whole city evil!)
Trying to warn my friends that the entire city is dangerous.
And all I know is murderers and gritty people.
All I'm familiar with is violent and tough people.
But it is what it is!
The situation is what it is.
And do what it do. I ain't gettin' money,
Just keep going and doing what I do.
My nigga; I keep it movin' cause it ain't good biz! (good biz!)
I keep moving because it's not profitable.
Half a mill' to a mill', that make you hood rich;
Earning between $500,000 to $1,000,000 means you're wealthy in the neighborhood.
If you dope as a dime, I can get you a good brick. (good brick!)
If you're a trustworthy drug dealer, I can provide you with quality cocaine.
You don't understand when I'm talkin' this hood shit;
You don't comprehend the language and life of the streets.
Then turn the volume down and on to the next! (next!)
If you can't handle it, switch to the next song.
Got your girl on Patron then she's off to the X,
After drinking Patron, your girlfriend goes to take ecstasy.
Got the Lex from the Japanese triad connect.
Acquired a Lexus vehicle from a Japanese criminal association.
Iraq, Iran, guns on deck;
Armed with guns from Iraq and Iran.
In the hands of the shooters if the funds ain't correct! (ain't correct!)
The shooters only act if they're paid enough.
YEAH! - Now what you know about the street life?
Do you have any experience with the life on the streets?
You could lose your life any night, you don't creep right. (creep right!)
Your life is in danger every night, unless you move with caution.
Hoodie up with the mask down;
Wearing a hoodie with the mask covering the face.
School of hard knocks, the Ghost never was the class clown! (class clown!)
The Ghost was never the student who acted foolishly.
Now tell me: what you know about the hood?
Do you have any knowledge of the neighborhood?
You doin' bad but you plannin' to do good. (do good!)
You're currently struggling, but have hopes for improvement.
You wanted platinum but they'll put you in the wood;
You aspired for great success, but they're close to killing you.
You wanna ride and switch sides if you could! (if you could!)
You want to hop from one side to the other, if possible.
What's the schedule? Hit the streets stay credible;
What's the plan? Stay active on the streets and remain trustworthy.
Everybody food seems edible! (edible!)
Everybody appears to be profitable.
Got the trey pound, got the four pound;
Have a three-pound and a four-pound gun.
Ride around town playin' 'Pac then it's Dogg Pound! (Dogg Pound!)
Drive around listening to Tupac and then switch to the Dogg Pound.
Keep a big joint or a long sword;
Have a large marijuana cigarette or a lengthy sword.
I'm tryna win and fuck the points on the scoreboard! (scoreboard!)
I'm trying to succeed and don't care about keeping track of points.
Homie, this the game of death;
My friend, this is a deadly game.
No Bruce Lee! I don't use the pen or the looseleaf.
I'm not like Bruce Lee, I don't fight with a pen and paper.
All I need is the Dutchy if not two sheets of bamboo;
All I require is a Dutch brand cigar, if not two bamboo sheets.
Handle. - You like the bars on the bike!
Take care of business. - You enjoy the handlebars on a motorcycle!
And you don't want a scar for your life;
And you don't want a permanent wound on your body.
This is the Ghost, I earned my stars and my stripes! Nigga
This is the Ghost, I've earned my respect and deserve my due! My friend.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind