I’ve decided to review this album as this was the first whole album I really enjoyed. I got this from a copy of a mate when I was noticing the favourite genre of music was Hip-hop. In 1997, DMX emerged from Yonkers painting Dark and powerful pictures with this Gem of a debut It’s Dark and Hell is hot. Lately I have been reviewing without single song ratings but I have decided to do it with this one as this one deserves it.

 

1. Intro (5/5)

This is a great way to begin the album. To begin DMX is talking to someone talking about the Ruff Ryders, then the Bell hits then the drums slowy begin which are very nice. The whole beat is very dark and quite eerie,and I don’t normally say it but Irv Gotti came up good on this one. DMX Flows real nice and DMX spits about his takeover really with Dark lyrics.

2. Ruff Ryders Anthem (4/5)

This is good. It’s not my favourite but its still quite good. I don’t like this as much as the live version on the end of my CD for some reason. The beat is pretty simple but is effective I feel. Not the greatest beat but its by Swizz Beats so I wouldn’t be execting top notch. The lyrics are really what the Ruff Ryders are like and represents them. DMX’s flow is nice with his multi flow. The lyrics are good. The hook is pretty basic but does the job.

3. *****in’ With D (4/5)

This is good. The beat is pretty good I really like the bass. Not much to say on the beat for this one except it’s pretty good and a bit simple. The lyrics are pretty much about *****ing with him is the wrong thing to do.

4. The Storm (Skit)

There these two people and they talking about X and denying his skill. Just an intro to the next song.

5.Look Thru My Eyes (5/5)

This is dope. The beat is very dope, I especially like the piano. The whole beat in all is a slower more dark track and dope in total. X’s lyrics are about judging, street stories all about seeing things through his eyes. He flows well and shouts out most but he can pull it off. The hok is very catchy In all, very dope.

6. Get at me dog Ft Sheek (4/5)

The beat is good. I can’t really explain the beat but its good. Dmx makes threats and tells stories so it’s typical X stuff. The hook is alright which is delivered by Sheek. Flows well as well.

7.Let me fly (5/5)

The beat on this is very dark made with especially dark synthesisers. X raps about violence and pain. The hook is very good almost sounds like X is depressed but it is also very catchy.

8. X is coming (5/5)

To begin with a kid starts signing Freddie’s chant with one or two of the lyrics is changed. This is the hook as well. The lyrics are very dark and I’m still laughing (an evil type of humour) yet shocked at the lines his spits especially the 2nd verse. I feel he used the freddy chant due to him being like a nightmare. The beat is very dark and makes this song very dope.

9. Damien (5/5)

This is very dope!!!!! Over a dark beat which I can’t really describe except dope and dark he spits about this “friend” he has met called Damien. Damien doesn’t exist I feel hi just the dark side of X telling him to do stuff to please him to be his “nigga”. Quite a storytelling track. This is very dope and this type of song appears on every X album. This is why X has gone to 1st with all his albums.

10.Hows it Goin’ Down (3/5)

Urgh a for the females type of song. These are the worse type of songs in history of rap music IMO and that means not a lot of people can pull this off. X does not do this IMO. The beat is pretty good especially for this type of track. To begin with it has this long skit which I use to skip because it was so long I thought this was a skit. From what I was expecting to come from DMX when females where put into his songs. I was expecting very dark mistreating women type of stuff. Meh it could be worse he could go on about what his going to be doing to satisfy them with dirty puns and metaphors like Cam’ron.

11. Mickey (skit)

I laughed at this skit does this make me evil??? Just a skit

12.Crime story (3/5)

This beat is really quite boring and doesn’t really fit the topic matter. The topic matter is very dark and hectic and the beat is really mellow made up from bongos and drums. No wonder why it’s a Irv Gotti beat, he only ever makes good beats once and a while! This is a storytelling track where x spits about him killing some cops and them hunting him down and what his pressured to doing. The bit where he says he act as a girl is hilarious. In all the lyrics are dope and the beat is very boring.

13. Stop being greedy (5/5)

DOPE!!!! DOPE!!!! AND DOPE!!!!! This might aswell be my favourite X song ever released! Over a very dark uptempo beat made up for violins and organs, DMX spits about the struggle and ho the other ones are being greedy. X spits dope stuff! He really flows well.

14. ATF (4/5)

This dope but way to short it doesn’t get the full 5. It’s like Crime story in the way he is trying to escape from the police but this time he really is pressured in this one and the beat fits this song perfectly with the furious violins almost reflecting on X’s feelings. Shame this beat is way too short.

15.This is for my dogs (4/5)

The typical rap song now days. All about loyalty and how they ride for each other. The beat is nice and all of them spit good stuff. Not much to say except good.

16. I can feel it (5/5)

I love this song. The song has a mellow feel sampling Phil Collins for the hook. X spits about his life and what has made him. The lyrics in all are pretty dope. I’m a big Phil Collins fan and this maybe whyi give this the 5.

17. Prayer

Like on most DMX releases like a Damien song there is a Prayer. X is really religious and you can see why x does this then. Deep stuff displayed on this song.

18. The Convo (4/5)

This is a song which a lot of rappers do where they talk to God. X spits about his fate and his past and how god *****ed him though it yet his still grateful. At the end the topic gets all good by thanking god for positive things. The beat is pretty slow which restricted him from getting the full 5.

19. Niggaz Done Started Something Ft LOX + Ma$e (4/5)

This is pretty good way to end the album unless you have the Germany Extra track one like me. This is with the Lox and Ma$e and they deliver some good verses. The beat isn’t the beast it could be but does the job. X I feel delivers the best verse and Ma4e takes second. The lyrics are about how if you want money you should be prepared to take on haters and how they deal with them.

20.Ruff Ryders Anthem Live (Germany Extra Track) (5/5)

This is audio of a live performance of the Anthem and I like it better than the original one due to the Liveness adds a point o it if that makes sence.

 

In All this album gets a 4.5/5

This album falls half a mark even tho more than half the album is filled with %’s there are two 3/5 tracks and I feel to get a five you need more than half the album 5/5 and the rest 4. The lyrics are dope and is X at his best! The production is dark and dope and fits X’s lyrical matter prefect. This was the first whole Cd I heard and lit the flame for Hip-hop so I felt it had to be reviewed. This album did news things with hip-hop and you can see why all of X’s came first in the billboard charts.

Recommendation: BUY THIS!!! This is X’s best CD. The rest are pretty tight as wel with Flesh of my flesh blood of my blood getting a 4 from me, And then there was X getting about a 4 (not sure haven’t really listened to that one to review it probably.) The great depression which gets a 3 from me and Grand champ which is 3.5.