and he always had the singles to at least remind people of what he could do when he was focused on music.
fixed.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Sunday, 11 April 2021 05:04 (three years ago) link
As a Newfoundlander
― maf you one two (maffew12), Sunday, 11 April 2021 05:27 (three years ago) link
His earliest stuff was real centered around the stuff for heads — “4, 3, 2, 1,” “Get at Me Dog,” the verses for Cam and the Lox etc. Him and Jadakiss were probably the last New York guys to find success purely off of “this guy is from New York and is very good at rapping in the traditional sense of rapping” that carried basically carried NY for 20 years. But his legacy would ultimately be his personality and his infectious pop chants and his legal record so it’s very easy to forget what a force he was in those first two or three years
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Sunday, 11 April 2021 06:42 (three years ago) link
Like it makes sense that he started rapping in the 80s.
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Sunday, 11 April 2021 06:47 (three years ago) link
“this guy is from New York and is very good at rapping in the traditional sense of rapping”
I would argue that 50 cent closed out that era.
DMX was never fashionable with hip hop heads. I remember that Funk Flex (hugely influential at the time) didn't like him. Which probably endeared X to a lot of people.
― paulhw, Sunday, 11 April 2021 13:20 (three years ago) link
i assume many people hear some dated-sounding shortcomings in his records' production value but i kinda think all of that stuff sounds even stronger in hindsight.
re: Funk Flex i couldn't help noticing he didn't air much of a DMX tribute on Friday night. i'm guessing it was pre-taped?
― billstevejim, Sunday, 11 April 2021 15:06 (three years ago) link
i had a long drive and no access to a phone/Spotify/CDs on Friday, and i wrongly assumed the FM tributes in NYC wouldn't be as fulfilling. every 15-20 minutes i was reminded of yet another hit that i had forgotten about. he must have had at least 20 or maybe even 30 hits throughout his peak, way more than i realized.
― billstevejim, Sunday, 11 April 2021 15:17 (three years ago) link
didn't he break out swizz beats who sort of paved the way for post boom-bap production tho. shooting from the hip but intuitively it seems right
― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Sunday, 11 April 2021 18:39 (three years ago) link
swizz was ruff ryders and i always thought of dmx as like the godfather of that whole crew but i don’t know the inside baseball of the whole thing
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 11 April 2021 18:45 (three years ago) link
it would be enjoyable if Eve dedicated an episode of her podcast to DMX
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 11 April 2021 18:46 (three years ago) link
Backpackers did not think he was a real lyricist or whatevr but that take has aged terribly
He was huge & is an iconic figure. He was not “an intriguing minor figure”
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Sunday, 11 April 2021 18:51 (three years ago) link
I do think Whiney is right thst he was rapping certain veins of New York traditionalism but he also had this emotional center that felt more in need when Tupac passed that’s more in that Scarface /pac zone even tho aesthetically on the surface his stuff was like an extension of nyc shout rap, I think there was something very unique about how it wedded expressiveness, stylization, and tradition
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Sunday, 11 April 2021 18:53 (three years ago) link
I was a freshman in high school when “Who We Be” came out and that song in particular made a huge impression on me at the time. I can think of few songs—much less charting singles—that go harder than that one. And at the end when he starts going da-DAHNT da-DAHNT da-DAHNT like a guitar holy shit
― J. Sam, Sunday, 11 April 2021 19:08 (three years ago) link
always assumed he was a big Onyx fan
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 11 April 2021 19:25 (three years ago) link
one option for the DMX analogue/sign of long-term influence in contemporary rap is this guyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k70UDI89tMw
― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 11 April 2021 19:59 (three years ago) link
Yeah 50 was def the closer of that era, but it’s a little fuzzier with him re: how much was pure skills (which he had in abundance) and how much was carried by Shady/Aftermath + “shot nine times”
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Sunday, 11 April 2021 20:08 (three years ago) link
The idea that dmx was about “pure skills” feels reductive to me also .. he’s an artist, there’s a interaction of difft qualities that makes his stuff sing, and it was kind of seen as offbeat (which is could be albeit in a cool way) & simplistic (🥴) to a lot of lyrically lyrical types at the time
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Sunday, 11 April 2021 20:23 (three years ago) link
Agreed, re: reductive... The take that he was representing traditional rap skills feels a bit simplistic, as he also loved to sing all the damn time. On his hooks or even just in verses, he would often break into melodic phrases. It was very very clear that he was a massive rnb fan. This thread runs through all of his work. Between that and the slightly left-of-center music choices (like those early Dame Grease and Swizz Beatz beats... the bizarre Damien series... Marilyn Manson guest appearance, etc...) he didn't feel like some traditionalist to my ears at the time.`It felt like exciting modern music and I devoured it the same way I did all the Tim productions in the late 90's. It was very refreshing!
― mr.raffles, Sunday, 11 April 2021 20:49 (three years ago) link
I’m just saying that’s how he came up wrt those first few records, obviously the other stuff was what kept him around
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Sunday, 11 April 2021 21:27 (three years ago) link
“If I was to drop dead right now, my last thought would be: I’ve lived a good life.” - DMX, February 2021 pic.twitter.com/aB3hqXbbHx— love yourself. (@MichellCClark) April 9, 2021
― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu), Monday, 12 April 2021 18:43 (three years ago) link
What was the big single off the second record that made him immediately have a #1 record after the first? When I was young I was first introduced to X through Slippin on a compilation, which is a great ducking song, but I just couldn’t imagine making America make that #1?
― a hoy hoy, Monday, 12 April 2021 20:28 (three years ago) link
It was just striking while the iron was still hot, I don't even remember a single coming out before it dropped
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 12 April 2021 20:36 (three years ago) link
flippers already flippin. i think d would have appreciated their hustle.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Monday, 12 April 2021 20:54 (three years ago) link
still can't even believe this, tbh
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Monday, 12 April 2021 20:55 (three years ago) link
My second question then is: Has anyone else, between 60s types up until people too followed on social media, had such personality that they could have a hit album with no single?
― a hoy hoy, Monday, 12 April 2021 21:56 (three years ago) link
prince, maybe?
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:12 (three years ago) link
Probably like One Direction or some K pop thing, I’m not gonna do the due diligence on it
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:13 (three years ago) link
They all follow into the second category, you would think. Basically my point is that even when X didn’t have hit singles, like he is massively known for, his personality and story made him so engaging that he did something no one else could ever really do
― a hoy hoy, Monday, 12 April 2021 22:23 (three years ago) link
Plenty of acts between the 60s and '10s had hit albums without releasing singles at all. I don't think Jimmy Page's personality comes into it.
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:28 (three years ago) link
Sure but I don’t think zeppelin and dmx are the same. He was still so new, in a genre that was incredibly singles driven, and released an album about god fearing self reflection. It’s not exactly Whole Lotta Love’s riff.
― a hoy hoy, Monday, 12 April 2021 22:39 (three years ago) link
Jay Z has had 14 Number One albums and I'm guessing not all of them came with a hit single unless you really want to ride for "Blue Magic"
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:42 (three years ago) link
I guess technically Roc Boys came out before the album, again, I'm not gonna bean count this
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:44 (three years ago) link
Chicago has had five number one albums
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:48 (three years ago) link
Well 1998 was a year where a Cappadonna album could debut at #3.
― Muswell Hillbilly Elegy (President Keyes), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:48 (three years ago) link
Yeah, like 1997-2002 was like peak music industry
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:49 (three years ago) link
Silkk the Shocker's Main Man hit No. 1 that very year with no pre-release single according to wiki
― bruce spr!ngisH3r3 (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:51 (three years ago) link
he Charged [those sales] 2 Da Game
― maf you one two (maffew12), Monday, 12 April 2021 22:55 (three years ago) link
― Muswell Hillbilly Elegy (President Keyes), Monday, April 12, 2021 5:48 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink
when the music industry is doing well rap is doing well
or maybe invert those
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Tuesday, 13 April 2021 00:02 (three years ago) link
that cappadonna album rules
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 13 April 2021 00:03 (three years ago) link
yea incredible album
i remember noz saying mf doom was listening to it a ton when recording op doomsday which makes a lot of sense ... the flow style
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Tuesday, 13 April 2021 00:04 (three years ago) link
ahhh interesting
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 13 April 2021 00:43 (three years ago) link
hoy hoy at 4:56 12 Apr 21My second question then is: Has anyone else, between 60s types up until people too followed on social media, had such personality that they could have a hit album with no single?I dunno, Korn? Wu Tang didn't have huge singles....a lot of metal bands
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 13 April 2021 00:47 (three years ago) link
Pantera had at least one #1 album and radio didn’t touch those guys.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Tuesday, 13 April 2021 01:30 (three years ago) link
A quite good dmx piece:
https://nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/that-real-shit/
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Tuesday, 13 April 2021 03:03 (three years ago) link
^^ that was excellent
the author says that dmx was the first rapper that he can recall being aware of, I’m trying to think of the first rapper i can remember being aware of...probably busta
― voodoo chili, Tuesday, 13 April 2021 04:52 (three years ago) link
or coolio
― voodoo chili, Tuesday, 13 April 2021 04:53 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Tat4ONKR8
Worth a look if you want to hear what he was like when he was rapping in a more traditional way.
Always thought dame grease got unfairly stuck in second place after swizz in terms of his producers.
― candyman, Tuesday, 13 April 2021 08:30 (three years ago) link
Andrew Unterberger at Billboard on why the US radio airplay charts didn't represent DMX as well as the album sales charts: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9555561/dmx-hot-100-chart-success-ruff-ryders-anthem
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Wednesday, 14 April 2021 04:37 (three years ago) link
A comment about sandals on another thread suddenly made me free associate to the DMX/Jay-Z sandals diss
DMX – the oft-arrested hip-hop star – says real men don’t wear sandals. And he blames Beyoncé for Jay-Z’s flip-flop fetish. “The flip-flops – he’s just not the same,” DMX complains in Vibe magazine. “It’s Beyoncé. He’s a sucker for love. Thugs don’t do flip-flops. Yo, no matter how much vacation I’m on – we been to St. Thomas, Bahamas, all the little islands – I don’t wear no flip-flops. I’m never that comfortable, not even in my own house.”
I always found that quote unintentionally revealing and sad. RIP, hope you found comfort.
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Monday, 26 April 2021 01:56 (three years ago) link
Exodus is out.
It's loaded up on big guest features, which is par for the course I guess.
BUT
DMX sounds really good! and Swizz has some cool production
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 28 May 2021 17:43 (three years ago) link