The LOX are some of the better rappers on the Bad Boy roster, more dexterous, clever, and hook-conscious than their mentor,
Puff Daddy. That doesn't necessarily mean that their debut,
Money, Power & Respect, is better than
Puff's record, but it does mean that it's frequently exciting and invigorating. Like most late-'90s hip-hop records, the album runs way too long and is bogged down by filler, but the very best moments equal anything that has been released by Bad Boy, and in many cases even surpasses it in terms of lyrical skills and energy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine