Batling through controversy, incarceration, and addiction, DMX fought hard and showed out like the aggression in his music; he was determined, humble, hopeful, and charismatic. DMX was never a persona, a bit, or a character – he was Earl, flaws and all.
His iconic growl and bark, the rasping machine gun spit of his lyrics, his love for people and neighborhood, his faith and perseverance, always stood out despite the demons that pinioned him (and never let him go).
The legacy DMX leaves for musical contemporaries (his first five studio albums all went #1), complete strangers, and surprisingly, alabaster middle-aged Australians, is difficult to put into words, although the outpouring of positivity, brilliant writing, and recollections in the wake of his passing says a lot about the man behind the mic.
Here are some of the great songs from the book of DMX, emphasizing the singular talent and fire of the iconoclast rapper Earl Simmons.
R.I.P.
1. X Gon’ Give It To Ya (2003)
Every block party, nightclub, strip joint, and backyard banger has played this classic since it was released as part of the soundtrack to kick-ass action film Cradle 2 the Grave, which X also starred in.
DMX was great in his brief film career (ongoing drug and legal issues meant he was unreliable) with roles in Hype Williams’ Belly (with Nas), Romeo Must Die (with Jet Li), and Exit Wounds (with Steven Seagal), while popping up as himself from time to time on TV.
X Gon’ Give It Ya was brought to a new generation of fans when it was part of Deadpool’s coming out party in 2016 and remains one of X’s most iconic tracks.
2. Slippin’ (1998)
This song, and the film clip, just hit differently now after the passing of Earl Simmons. It’s real, raw, and introspective, showing a lot more of the man behind the barking braggadocio.
It’s about a man who’s hit rock bottom and is trying to make positive changes in his life, something DMX struggled with throughout his life.
3. Get at Me Dog (ft. Sheek Louch) (1998)
I’ve been listening to this song for over 20 years and I still want to run through a brick wall every time that I hear it.
After 10 years hardening his armor in the New York underground rap scene, this was the grand unveiling of DMX on a major record label. Get at Me Dog is breathtaking in its aggression, skill, and showmanship. I often imagine the script for this film clip was written on a single piece of paper: “Let’s just get a whole bunch of people in a railway tunnel, some amps, and turn DMX loose with his crew.”
4. Party Up (Up in Here) (1999)
DMX’s most commercially successful single made it to the top 10 of Billboard’s Rap and RNB charts, and was nominated for a Grammy (Best Rap Single) but lost out to Eminem’s The Real Slim Shady.
Party Up was the second single from his brilliant …And Then There Was X album, where DMX felt the pressure to exceed the success of his first two albums.
5. Ruff Ryders Anthem (1998)
The first of many DMX tracks produced by Swizz Beats, X wrote the song in 15 minutes.
Initially, he didn’t want the track on It’s Dark and Hell is Hot – he thought it was too repetitive and the beat not hip-hop enough, but was talked into adding it by his crew.
The Ruff Ryders Anthem changed everything, helping DMX to a gold debut album, and making Swizz Beats the go-to guy for authentic New York hip-hop productions.
The remix is also worth a listen, with DMX joined by Jadakiss, Styles P, Drag-On, and Eve.
6. ATF (1998)
If you ever needed an example of DMX’s wordplay, look no further than ATF. Over a thumping Dame Grease beat, X details a street thug being chased by the ATF. At just two minutes long it’s short but packs a punch and illustrates DMX’s skills as a vivid storyteller.
7. What’s My Name? (1999)
Over Irv Gotti’s meaning piano beat, DMX spits straight fire as he urges everyone in the rap game to remember his name. X’s fifth top 100 Billboard charting single in a row, What’s My Name? straddles the line of aggressive, braggadocious rap and late 90s Diddy influenced pop-rap.
The film clip features a who’s who of New York rappers, with Jay-Z, Ja Rule, the Ruff Ryders, and producer Gotti all showing up.
8. Ain’t No Sunshine (2001)
DMX’s riff on the Bill Withers classic is a killer single taken from the soundtrack to the film Exit Wounds, which DMX also starred in. While the movie is passable, Ain’t No Sunshine is incredible.
The song is gruff thanks to X’s lyrical darts, but the sweet hook and heavy beat make it a real thumper. For UFC fans, it was the entrance music for legendary Brazilian fighter Anderson Silva.
9. Money, Power & Respect (The LOX ft. Lil’ Kim & DMX) (1998)
The title track from The LOX’s debut is a ferocious coming together of five of New York’s best MCs. The LOX (Sheek Louch, Styles P, and Jadakiss) combine together with mercurial flows while Lil’ Kim adds another level of fuckery with her sassy chorus, but it’s all about DMX.
Along with hyping his own skills, X talks about life on the street while referencing his own debut, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot. A great posse cut that still hits hard today.
10. Get it On the Floor (2003)
“And you motherfuckers wonder why I start shit/’Cause when you look in my face you see that hard shit.”
A lot of rappers tried it, but no one could go as hard on a Swizz Beats banger as DMX. You could bump this track anywhere – car, dorm, club, apartment, one of those first-generation brick-like iPods – and people would come out of the woodwork to hear it.
11. What These Bitches Want (ft Sisqo) (1999)
Touted as “The Biggest in Rap meets The Biggest in R&B,” What These Bitches Want saw DMX team up with Sisqo, who was riding high after the success of the Thong Song. The end result is a profanity-laden love song where DMX discusses his past conquests while Sisqo croons the chorus.
The official video above is the clean version, but if you want to hear DMX in all his glory, you can listen to the original here.
12. Ryde or Die (Ruff Ryders ft. The LOX, Eve & DMX) (1999)
DMX ran with a crew of talented rappers in their own right, and when they got together on a track it was usually hard, fast, and angry.
Yeah, superstar Eve (I’ve crushed hard on her for two decades) was a Ruff Ryder, rocking beats with the Lox, Styles P, Drag-On, and DMX himself. DMX, as the lead dog, finished the track, leaving a trail of smoke behind on a beat by the Headbangers.
13. Where the Hood At? (2003)
I understand that people have issues with this song. It’s blatantly and aggressively homophobic. It raised eyebrows 20 years ago, first-time listeners now would have their eyebrows leap clean off their face.
By any other metric, Where the Hood At? is a bonafide classic. X swaggers with menace and testosterone, backed by his local neighborhood, with producers the Tuneheadz taking a Big Daddy Kane beat (Young, Black, and Gifted) and giving it an epic glow up.
This clip also contains a DMX tribute to his friend Kato, who died just after the album was recorded, and replaces the third verse on the album release.
14. Rudolph (Remix) (2012)
I play this for my kids every year and will do it for as long as I am able.
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