DMX - Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood

In the "best rapper to go crazy and not be recognized for his talent" department, DMX would win any sort of gold medal you could offer. Everyone knows about the crime and all the early legal issues. Yes, he was a real life criminal. He stabbed people, had guns, committed identity fraud - pretty much anything you can think of. Aside to that, he still found a way to be a rapper, and drop three really solid albums in two years, 1998 and 1999. After those highlights of years, that's when it all started to go south. I don't want to focus too much on recent DMX - but I saw he tried to put on a show in Vegas a couple years back, and was so intoxicated and under the influence of drugs he couldn't perform and was removed from stage. Terrible and unfortunate. Anyways, the golden years - he was one of the best in the industry. And I know that people will remark about his awful lyrics and very - VERY vivid portraits of crime that he'd paint in his raps. And sure, it's brutal and terrible and makes you sick in some spots - but DMX was speaking real. A track on this album - 'Ain't No Way', you hear him rap, "You ain’t been there or done that, fuck is y’all n***** tellin me. I’m the only n****, walkin the streets with four felonies." Exactly. If anyone is going to rap about crime, DMX should have been that guy. And because of that sick, twisted past and present - you believed him. You thought this guy could be rapping at a show, and literally stab a concert goer for looking at him funny. And nothing makes me love rap more when guys tell their real, true life story. And this album is for the most part 16 tracks of that. There are a couple stinkers, but for the most part, this album is sick beats, sick lyrics and just a well arranged album. I'll probably drop in at least 3 tracks below, and I highly recommend you listen to at least those. But any rap fan will adore this album. It's really that good.

TRACK LISTING:
1. My Niggas (Skit)
2. Bring Your Whole Crew
3. Pac Man (Skit)
4. Ain't No Way
5. We Don't Give a Fuck
6. Keep Your Shit the Hardest
7. Coming From
8. It's All Good
9. Omen, The
10. Slippin'
11. No Love 4 Me
12. Dogs for Life
13. Blackout
14. Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
15. Heat
16. Ready to Meet Him

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Ain't No Way
2. Slippin'
3. Ready To Meet Him (The prayer and the song are sick)

4. Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood
5. Bring Your Whole Crew

FINAL RATING:
4.25 out of 5 stars

DMX - It's Dark And Hell Is Hot

It is a real honor to have this album cover grace my blog with its presence. When X busted on to the scene in '98 or so, he hit the ground running. I was all of 14 when this record dropped, so I didn't know the hip hop environment at the time, or a way to hear underground stuff before it hit the commercial shelves. So when DMX popped out - it seemed like it was out of nowhere. Hearing this record for the first time was quite amazing. I mean, you had your gangsta rap with hardcore lyrics. You had your west coast style that was almost trying to tell a story. You had your east coast rappers trying to also be gangster and tell stories. Well, no one did either of those things like DMX. One of my favorite X lines of all time, "I'm the only n***a walkin the streets with four felonies.." It's true. He is one of the few artists out there that can talk about crime, jail - all that is associated with the rap game and really say that he's lived it. His storytelling abilities are truly second to none. When he comes at you with a prayer skit, you sit and listen. You can hear his struggle between finding himself with the lord and falling back into his sweetspot with crime. The conflict alone makes it worth listening to, because similar to Eminem - his life is detailed on his records. I love that. This was DMX's first studio album and I'll get to all of them. He's slated to put a gospel record and a hip hop record out on the same day sometime in 2010. Hopefully they live up to his high standard.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Intro
2. Ruff Ryders' Anthem
3. Fuckin' Wit' D
4. Storm, The (Skit)
5. Look Thru My Eyes
6. Get at Me Dog
7. Let Me Fly
8. X-Is Coming
9. Damien
10. How's It Goin' Down
11. Mickey (Skit)
12. Crime Story
13. Stop Being Greedy
14. ATF
15. For My Dogs
16. I Can Feel It
17. Prayer (Skit)
18. Convo, The
19. Niggaz Done Started Something

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Ruff Ryders' Anthem
2. Let Me Fly
3. X Is Coming

Also Check Out:
4. I Can Feel It
5. Damien

FINAL RATING:
4.25 out of 5 stars