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I caught up with some friends and we rapped on music for a bit. Somehow the chat switched gears and we ended up talking about The Lox. Then the “Who’s better?” question came up and the room was quite divided.

In one corner stood Jadakiss, the de facto leader and most popular member of the crew. He has the most memorable singles, well known punchlines and strangest, yet quite distinctive, call sign when he drops a verse. For the most part, his albums have been all over the place, as last evidenced on The Last Kiss. Still you must be doing something right when your biggest hit spawned a merchandise stint and ruffled O’Reilly’s feathers.

Styles P repped the opposite corner with bars that constantly test the rest of the group. His debut, A Gangster and A Gentleman, arguably stands as the best solo effort from the collective although he’s yet to replicate the same success as his first effort. But songs like “My Life,” “I’m Black” and “Blow Ya Mind,” got their radio spins by catering to vastly different crowds. With that said, he’s still sharp and improved since he first came in the game.

Meanwhile, Sheek Louch didn’t get much love in the convo, effectively left ringside somewhere & third by default. In all seriousness, Sheek is far from a bad rapper. At times, his bars are usually on par if not better than his Lox brethren. Sure, solo success has eluded him outside of “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye,” yet that doesn’t stop him from staying hungry. I always feel like he writes with a chip on his shoulder. So if anything he’s always a contender.

So who’s the best out of The Lox? To me, Jada wins on even days and Styles is the champ on odds. Sheek’s alright but it’s a two man race as far as I’m concerned. As a self-diagnosed rap geek, I’m eager to see where popular opinion among the extended TSS Crew stands.