The Scoop

Rap superstar DMX continues to please fans with latest album 

DMX
Def Jam/Ruff Ryders
In stores now

B+

By Jesse Lauritz
Daily Cougar Staff

Most musicians eat up the spotlight, taking every ounce of fame they can get and enjoying it while they can, but rap phenomenon DMX's story is different.

With three straight albums that debuted at No. 1, DMX has shunned the spotlight, prefering to spend time with his wife Tashera and his two children. Nevertheless, his fans love him.

In 1991, he won a magazine award that led to a record deal with Ruffhouse. He left Ruffhouse in 1997 at his own request and signed with Def Jam with the help of Ruff Ryders Entertainment.

The deal led to DMX's debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot . The album went straight to No. 1 and sold nearly 250,000 copies during its first week of release. The album, which sold more than three million copies, was strengthened with the release of the single "Ruff Ryders Anthem." Its success led to guest appearances on other projects and a cameo on the motion picture Belly.

DMX then released his second album of the year, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. This album also debuted at No. 1 and featured collaborations with Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, the Lox and Marilyn Manson.

With Flesh of My Flesh, DMX became the only person in the history of music to have his first two albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts in the same year.

On his latest CD, ... And Then There Was X, "One More Road to Cross" discusses thug life: "This is life/ This is what I know/ So to me this is life." DMX also talks about how his existence will effect his future with the lines, "I'm gon' make it work, 28 and tryin' to get, baptized/ Priest cannot touch me cause he said I gave him bad vibes/ Ryde, when I Die, straight down, but I'm plottin'/ We all gots to go but who wants to be forgotten?"

"The Professional" deals with "getting rid of" backstabbers and all the methods he could use to make sure he never gets caught. "I could put a bomb in your car and watch it explode (BOOM!)/then make 'em call, tell em all they found was a piece of your clothes/and a small piece of your nose and, bone from your arm/which they really couldn't tell apart, because of the bomb."

The first single "What's My Name" is the best track on the album. The track is a response to Kurupt of the Dogg Pound. Kurupt was bashing DMX for missing tour dates and other appearances with his song "Callin' Out Names." 

"What's My Name" is one of the hottest jams out on the streets. The plain, simple lyrics spat across an easy-going beat show how creative DMX really is.

Another notable track is "D-X-L," which features appearances from The Lox and Drag-on.

The bonus track, "Good Girls, Bad Guys" is also a song that will gather some attention. The flowing between Dyme and DMX is entertaining and will give your rump some needed exercise.

After some editing, a lot of these tracks could see radio airwaves. DMX is definitely using every second that he has on this Earth to spit rhymes that keep rap fans entertained.