Jadakiss Bio

• About
• Latest Posts

Colin Mahar

Colin is a content creator based out of New York City. Colin loves rap music because it brings together various things that he enjoys, like art, fashion, and film. He spends his time writing and producing music when he's not working. He's eager to share with you his first hand experiences in the industry.

Latest posts by Colin Mahar (see all)

• Q-Tip Bio: The Rise of a Hip Hop Pioneer - November 15, 2022
• Killer Mike Bio: The Rise of a Rapper Turned Activist - November 14, 2022
• Redman Bio: The Life and Career of a Hip Hop Icon - November 14, 2022

Jadakiss is a New York hip-hop legend who is widely regarded as one of the greatest lyricists of all time. From his work with the LOX to his successful solo career, Jadakiss has been a dominant force in hip hop since the late 90s. Twenty years into the game, he’s still dropping quality projects and has cemented himself as an icon in the industry.

I’ve been listening to Jadakiss for years after discovering the LOX as a teenager. My favorite LOX album will always be Money, Power, Respect, but in terms of solo projects, I also love Kiss of Death. Jadakiss has had a long and lucrative career and deserves his flowers for what he’s brought to the game. Here’s a look at the life and career of Jadakiss.  

Jadakiss Quick Facts

Jadakiss Birthplace

Jadakiss was born in Yonkers, New York, on May 27th, 1975. Yonkers is a city just north of NYC that is also home to hip-hop legends like DMX, Styles P, and Sheek Louch.

Jadakiss Parents

Not much is known about Jadakiss’s parents, but he came from a happy home with plenty of love, where he was well fed and protected. His parents were also close to Sheek Louch’s family, which is how they became friends.  

Jadakiss Early Life

Jadakiss had an interest in rap from an early age. At 12 years old, his parents told him he’d have to earn his own money, so he began hustling in the streets to support his passion. He would sell drugs and freestyle for tips, which is how he developed his lyrical abilities. Early on, his friends called him Big Mac, his favorite meal from McDonald’s.

Freestyling on street corners was how he developed a stronger relationship with Sheek Louch and Styles P, and they soon formed a group called the Warlock, which would later be shortened to the LOX. He eventually entered a freestyle competition, which attracted the attention of the owners of Ruff Ryders Entertainment, the record label and management team representing DMX.

They eventually linked up with Mary J. Blige, who was the best friend of Style’s P’s older cousin. She helped introduce them to Puffy and get a deal with Bad Boy Records, which is when their rap career took off.  

Jadakiss Professional Career

Early Career with the LOX

The Warlock signed a deal with Bad Boy Records in 1994 and shortened their name to the LOX, which stood for Living Off Xperience. They began doing features for other artists on the label while working on their debut project and appeared on hits such as Puffy’s It’s All About the Benjamins, Mase’s 24 Hours to Live, and Biggie Small’s Last Day. Big took a liking to the LOX, Jadakiss especially, and the two rappers formed a close bond.

When Biggie was killed in 1997, the LOX made a tribute called We’ll Always Love Big Poppa, which became the B-Side of Puffy’s hit tribute song I’ll Be Missing You. The track became the LOX breakout hit and helped build anticipation for their debut album.

Money, Power, Respect

The LOX released their debut album Money, Power Respect in January 1998. The project was a commercial success and peaked at number three on the Billboard chart. It was also well received by critics and regarded as one of the best hip-hop albums of the late 90s.

Money, Power, Respect is my favorite LOX album and a classic hip hop record, in my opinion. It has a timeless quality and a sound that’s simultaneously grimy and sleek. All three artists have amazing chemistry and uniquely complement each other’s flows. It’s one of many favorite projects in Jadakiss’s discography, and it’s the album I most frequently go back to today.

Despite the success of their debut album, the group grew dissatisfied with their deal at Bad Boy. They felt that Puffy’s glossy, highly commercialized production didn’t fit their street-centric aesthetic, so they decided to go in a different direction and signed directly with the Ruff Ryders.

We Are the Streets

The group released their second studio album, We Are the Streets, in January 2000. The album was primarily produced by Swizz Beats and featured two successful singles, Wild Out and Ryde or Die B*tch. The project also did well commercially and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200.

We Are the Streets is a solid follow-up to their excellent debut and features some of the LOX’s most iconic tracks. They had clearly established their sound and perfected it on this record. However, it isn’t quite as dynamic and influential as their first album, and some tracks begin to sound repetitive.

Solo Career and Kiss the Game GoodBye

By their second album, Jadakiss had established himself as the standout member of the group and embarked on a solo career. He released his first solo record, Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, in August 2001, which sold 204,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200. It features Styles P and Sheek Louch guest appearances, along with big names like Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, and DMX. However, it was not as well received by critics, who felt that the project was repetitive and uninspired.

Kiss the Game Goodbye is a solid debut album, in my opinion, and proved Jadakiss could stand on his own as a solo artist. While not my favorite Jadakiss project, it’s a great demonstration of his lyrical ability and featured the same dark, grimy sound he developed with the LOX.

Kiss of Death

Jadakiss acknowledged the shortcomings of his debut album and admitted that the project was a bit rushed and put out to fulfill contractual obligations to his record label. So, he spent the next three years honing his craft and working on his follow-up record.

Kiss of Death was released in June 2004 and shot to number one on the Billboard chart. The album featured contributions from legendary producers like Kanye West, the Neptunes, the Alchemist, and Scott Storch, along with features from the LOX, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Mariah Carey.

The project had a smoother, more cinematic sound than his debut album and previous work with the LOX. It also featured more variation in production and lyrical content, which was one of the main criticisms of his debut album.

Kiss of Death is my favorite Jadakiss album. He found a way to change his style without disappointing his core fanbase, and he sounds much more refined and in his element than on his debut. Lyrically, he’s as sharp as ever and proved that he could deliver a solo record that was both a critical and commercial success.

The Last Kiss

In 2007, Jadakiss signed a deal with Jay-Z’s company Roc-a-fella Records and began work on his third studio album. After many delays and missed release dates, Jadakiss released his 3rd studio album, Kiss of Death, in April 2009. 

Many musical legends appeared on the project, including Nas, Young Jeezy, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, and many more. It also did well commercially and peaked at number 3 on Billboard.

While the Last Kiss certainly has its bangers, it is a bit inconsistent and wasn’t as hard-hitting and grimy as his previous releases. By this point, Jadakiss was already 15 years into his career and seemed to be going for a more mature sound. The project feels bloated at 18 tracks and could have benefited from a few cuts. But overall, it’s still a solid project showing that Jadakiss could continue captivating fans.

Later Career

After the Last Kiss, Jadakiss would take some time off to work on his next project. He returned in 2015 with the project Top 5 Dead or Alive, featuring appearances from Future, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Puffy, the LOX, and many more. The album was well received by critics, who noted that the project had a more triumphant and glorious sound than his earlier work. It also did well commercially and peaked at number four on Billboard.

The following year, Jadakiss would reunite with the LOX for their first album in 16 years. Filthy America…its Beautiful came out in December 2016 with appearances from Mobb Deep, Fetty Wap, and Gucci Mane. While not entirely up to par with their earlier work, Filthy America is still a solid album, and it was good to see the LOX reunite after all that time.

In 2017, Jadakiss dropped a collaborative project with Fabolous called Friday on Elm Street. The project featured appearances from Future, Teyanna Taylor, Yo Gotti, and Young Jeezy and peaked at number 10 on Billboard. Fabulous and Jadakiss had great chemistry, and it was interesting to hear two generations of New York rappers go bar for bar on an entire project.

After that, 2020 would end up being a prolific year for Jadakiss. He released his 5th studio album Ignatius, which was highly acclaimed by critics and regarded as his most refined and mature project to date. He’d also reunite with the LOX for another project called Living Off Xperience which featured a similar reception.

He would also battle Fabulous as a part of Swiss beats and Timbaland’s Verzuz before teaming up with the LOX to take on Dipset. He proved victorious in both battles, which led to a significant spike in his album streams.

Jadakiss Video

Jadakiss Family

Jadakiss has mostly kept his personal life out of the spotlight. However, it’s known that he has four children. His oldest is a boy named Jae’Won Phillips, a rapper who graduated from Clark University in Atlanta with a degree in psychology. Jadakiss also has a daughter named Jaidyon, who is about to turn 18. His youngest are twin boys Jamir and Josh, who are around eight years old.

Jadakiss Dating and Relationship History

Not much is known about Jadakiss’s relationship history, although he’s never been married or engaged. He’s had a previous relationship with author Winter Ramos, who worked as a wardrobe stylist and executive assistant in the hip-hop industry. As of 2022, he’s still single and has previously said in interviews that he’d never get married.  

Jadakiss Controversies of Scandals

Jadakiss was arrested in North Carolina in 2004 after getting caught with marijuana and a gun, although he later pled guilty to a misdemeanor and was fined $900.

The same year, he caused major controversy for a line in his hit song Why, where he suggested President George W. Bush planned the September 11th Attacks. He rapped, “Why do n***** push powder? Why did Bush knock down the towers? The line was attacked by conservative media, specifically Bill O’Reilly, who called Jadakiss a “smear merchant.” But Jadakiss later clarified that he was criticizing the Bush administration for not doing enough to prevent the attacks. 

In 2006, he was arrested again for gun and drug possession after being in a car with four other men who were pulled over in Yonkers. Although he briefly spent time in jail, the charges were later dropped.

In 2009, an apartment Jadakiss was renting was raided by police who discovered two men who were found in possession of 6.5 pounds of marijuana, 5 grams of heroin, and about $42,000 in cash. The two men were arrested, but Jadakiss was not home at the time of the raid and was not criminally charged.

Jadakiss Net Worth

Jadakiss has a net worth of approximately $6 million. He has five solo albums and four albums with the LOX, most of which entered the Billboard chart. He makes money off album royalties, touring, and merch. He also owns a creative multimedia company called SoRaspy which includes an online publication, record label, YouTube channel, and apparel brand. He also stated that he’s into investing in real estate and buying property. 

In 2014, Jadakiss and Styles P also opened a Juice Bar in Yonkers called Juice for Life and have gone on to open two additional branches in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Jadakiss Famous Quotes

• “We’re all in the same game, just different levels. Dealing with the same hell, just different devils.” – Jadakiss
• “I don’t follow trends, I just do what I like and what I can” – Jadakiss
• “Never say can’t, it’s better to try” – Jadakiss

Jadakiss Discography & Full Credits

Solo albums

• 2001 – Kiss the Game Goodbye
• 2004 – Kiss of Death
• 2009 – The Last Kiss
• 2015 – Top 5 Dead or Alive
• 2020 – Ignatius

With the LOX

• 1998 – Money, Power, Respect
• 2000 – We Are the Streets
• 2016 – Filthy America…It’s Beautiful
• 2020 – Living Off Xperience

FAQs

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadakiss
• https://www.hiphopscriptures.com/jadakiss
• https://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/jadakiss/biography.html
• https://popnable.com/usa/artists/25766-jadakiss/biography-and-facts
• https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jadakiss-mn0000780734/biography
• https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jadakiss
• https://news.amomama.com/245818-jadakiss-is-a-proud-father-a-grown-daugh.html
• https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/richest-rappers/jadakiss-net-worth/
• https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3414928/what-jadakiss-net-worth/

Looking for more interesting readings? Check out:

• Raekwon Bio: Wu-Tang’s Founding Member and Master Lyricist
• Royce da 5.9 Bio
• Logic Bio: A Controversial Son of Hip Hop