He raps about his conflicted soul, laments his relationship with his oldest son, and reminds you he’s still liable to stick you up. DMX had no such issues, because his superpower was his honesty. Too many rappers are caught up attempting to be everything to everyone or projecting a specific image that may limit their creativity. It’s why “Money, Money, Money,” with its highly complex hook of “money, money, money, bitches, bitches, bitches,” can coexist with a heart-wrencher like “Letter To My Son (Call Your Father).”Įditor's Pick DMX’s New Posthumous Album Exodus Released: Stream Few artists understood that inner conflict better than DMX. We go to church on Sunday to ask forgiveness for the things we do Monday-Saturday. We’re capable of good works, but also evil ass deeds. While some clutched their pearls at the audacity of the same guy who wrote “Damien” including prayers on his albums, fans understood the contradiction. X loved challenges and showing every facet of what it means to be human. Hooking up with Wayne, Moneybagg Yo, and Alicia Keys require the Dark Man to switch gears, if only a tad. He knows how the story ends before either of them write the first sentence, so it’s easy to get comfortable. Doing songs with the same people he recorded with for over 20 years is old hat. Maybe that’s why X sounds rejuvenated rapping with Lil’ Wayne on “Dogs Out,” or shows Snoop Dogg his versatility with “Take Control.” Not to say guys like JAY-Z, Nas, Styles, Jada, and Sheek don’t bring out DMX’s best, but we know what to expect from those superhero team-ups. The guests on the album aren’t just here for commercial reasons they were DMX fans first and foremost. He convinced his close friend to expand his circle outside the usual suspects. Swizz is the reason for the project’s “family affair” vibe. Swizz assures you DMX signed off on Exodus before he passed away in April. For those wondering whether this album is guilty of the same crimes other posthumous albums commit, like shoehorned guests or stitched together vocals, fear not. So it’s no surprise the legendary beatmaker produces or co-produces 10 of Exodus’ 13 songs. Swizz understood Earl as a man, which helped him tame DMX, the artist. Which is a pretty remarkable thing for a cat who always considered himself a loner. That passion is evident from the jump when The Lox and DMX dust off their old chemistry for “That’s My Dog.” If there’s a running theme for the album, it’s celebrating those who always held us down. The warm reception moved X and inspired him to get back on his grind. According to Swizz Beatz, said bounce was due to DMX’s Verzuz appearance last year. However, there is considerably more bounce in X’s step than shown on his recent projects. Hard to believe anyone is expecting ’98-2003 DMX to show up here because, well, that would be unlikely. The album also reinforces a sentiment DMX shared during his lone appearance on the Drink Champs podcast a couple months before his passing: he was happy, if not content. Exodus fills in the blanks and provides the anguish he felt through all the bad times. DMX dealt with drugs, depression, the price of fame, stalled comebacks, being in and out of jail cells, and everything in between.īut we didn’t see it all - we rarely heard from the man himself on his mental state or how he affected those around him. X fought many demons, some of which he mentions on this last album, and his very public battle became most of what we saw in the final years of his life. Almost 25 years after his debut, DMX still channels his pain better than anyone not named Tupac. That trend continues with Exodus, the first body of work to arrive following his death on April 9th. In an era when “keeping it real” was more than just a slogan, X was the realest. The Dog’s depiction of his dark world was so vivid, one could practically smell the blood-soaked New York City pavement when he rapped. We felt his joy, his pain, his triumphs, and his tribulations. DMX laid his spirit to bear in every rhyme he wrote and every bark he bellowed. He snatched the minds, hearts, and souls of anyone on this planet who considered themselves even a casual hip-hop fan. X’s first album dropped in 1998, and in one calendar year, Earl Simmons became the biggest rapper in the world by more than a few country miles. Now, calling DMX beloved is the understatement of the last two decades, so Exodus is more than just an album. Posthumous albums are tough to judge they’re effectively the last will and testament of a usually beloved artist.