The LOX: Tiny Desk Concert

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The LOX: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

Bobby Carter | August 2, 2024

Experience with a live band is a prerequisite for most artists who want to play the Tiny Desk. The space isn’t kind to groups who aren’t locked in with each other and it will fully expose a lack of preparation. In the case of The LOX, chemistry has allowed the group to prevail in any environment. It’s the primary element of the trio’s longevity, so we all took a chance to build this performance from scratch. It took the audience a second to figure out what was happening, but the “woos” in tandem with the music affirmed everything. After 30 years in the game, we experienced The LOX, fresh and new again.

The trio of Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch might not spring to mind when it comes to rappers who work with live bands. Established in Yonkers, N.Y., in the 1990s, the group specializes in gritty street anthems, usually best presented with two turntables and a microphone. The LOX utilized the typical tools of the trade three years ago to dominate The Diplomats and reinvigorate the rappers’ careers in their Verzuz battle. The band assembled here consists of Tiny Desk alumnus Carrtoons and Kiefer, Daru Jones on drums and vocalist Le’Asha. The arrangements added a level of sophistication never heard before from The LOX, and for the grand finale, they brought a string section — or “more band,” as Styles put it.

SET LIST

“All for the Love”

“Recognize”

“Good Love”

“Good Times”

“By Your Side”

“Kiss Your A** Goodbye”

“Money, Power & Respect”

“We Gonna Make It”

MUSICIANS

Jadakiss: lead vocals

Styles P: lead vocals

Sheek Louch: lead vocals

Carrtoons: bass, musical direction

Kiefer: piano

Daru Jones: drums

Le’Asha: vocals

Technician The DJ: DJ

Lelia-Michelle Walker: viola

Keith Colon: violin

Clarke Randolph: violin

Johnny Walker, Jr.: cello

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Bobby Carter

Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant

Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai

Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur

Audio Engineer: David Greenburg

Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Alanté Serene

Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #thelox