DMX

DMX embodied an aggressive and formulated raw delivery that tapped into the roots of the Golden Era. DMX came into the ether of Hip Hop as something of a throwback in terms of delivery and content. There was an understated rawness to his style that felt incredibly relevant to the everyman.

Something relatable beyond the tropes of the bling era. The future of Hip Hop seemed to be in the hands of Earl Simmons. it is amazing that DMX had three critically acclaimed albums released in a row. “It’s Dark And Hell is Hot” exposed the world to the gritty, raw, and unapologetic style of DMX.

Menacing production was the backdrop of themes of street life and personal reflection. The style that DMX ushered in was one of relatability, where themes of a hard life and struggling through that resonated with so many users. Even as the popularity of “Ruff Ryders Anthem” grew, the themes throughout the album were evident.

Not many Emcees can claim to have three well-received albums in a row. Even Emcees like Jay-Z and Nas had slight drop-offs in quality in their first three albums. DMX was on a trajectory to be a mainstay in Hip Hop as Jay-Z has been and how one of his proteges Jadakiss has been. What has resulted is a reality where DMX had a remarkable 2-year span followed by two decades of irrelevance and struggles.

The byproduct of this is something of forgotten greatness. When people have their debates over the best Emcees and who dominated an era, the two-year explosion of DMX was rarely ever mentioned.