One of the breakout stars of 1998, DMX wasted little time in following up his No. 1 album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot with Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. If the quick turnaround seems surprising, maybe it's because DMX's second LP doesn't fall far from the original tree. Key to his formula, DMX has mastered the art of thug-life anthems, following in the dubious footsteps of 2Pac and Noreaga. While his gruff voice and simple delivery help make his songs infectious, they're rarely creative, especially with anemic beats, redundant subject matter, and his trademark barks. Basically, Flesh of My Flesh is a perfect buy for those who couldn't wait a whole year for another DMX LP, but it won't convert many new listeners. --Oliver Wang Amazon.com
DMX, you're an animal Abuser, a criminal, a murderer, and a taker! You never had any love or respect to give, police should have kept you in jail. Rappers like you stain this world, and make me sick!! I hope you go to hell where you belong!! I HATE you!!!!
June 22, 2008 |  | People need to stop hating |  |
Normally I don't write reviews for any album, but I'm tired of hearing about how everyone thinks DMX is a 2 Pac clone that doesn't compare. First of all, he isn't 2 Pac! Hello! Is this sinking in? He doesn't want to be 2 Pac and he never will be, so stop comparing them. 2 Pac was good, I don't think he was the best, but obviously a lot of people do. In either case, DMX and 2 Pac are nothing alike (other than being buff and bald.) So they both claim to be thug, who gives a rat's *ss? So do a lot of other rappers that look like you could pull 'em out of a cereal box (Fabolous comes to mind.) DMX got his following for being the most vicious rapper to grab the mic since Brotha Lynch Hung, PERIOD! He speaks violence, he sounds violent, and he basically is violent. So if you want rap that is feel-good and friendly, don't buy the damn album! How hard is that? If you like clean-cut raps and sophisticated metaphors about poverty or government corruption, listen to underground like everyone else does. This isn't rocket science people, even a toddler should be able to figure this out. DMX grew up in some of the worst living conditions I've ever seen, he's been broker than a room full of homeless guys at least 5 or 6 times, and he's still here. So what if he's grimey? That's the idea. DMX is supposed to make you want to strangle random people in your local bar, that's his purpose, and let's face it, someone has to be that guy. I love the fact that he doesn't rap about wrist watches and 20 inch rims every other line. That style played itself out in about 2 years. Violence needed to be brought back to rap in a real format, this isn't the 80s and it's never going to be again. There are too many rappers trying to make a damn political statement with their rhymes when they should've just stuck with what got them to the top to begin with (Eminem, I'm talking about you buddy.) DMX has never failed in that department, his first album was grimey as hell and he's stuck with it, finally a rapper that didn't sell out and clean up his lyrics because people thought he was innapropriate. Personally, I like my rap to be raw, in your face, and vicious, so DMX is one of my favorites. I understand a lot of people think he has no lyrical talent and they hate Swizz Beats production (so it sounds industrial and different, cry about it), and they think he repeats the same topics...again I say...SO WHAT!? All of rap is repetitive, there's only a few topics that really get touched on by mainstream rap and most of them have to do with "ooh look at me and how much money I can waste on useless crap like a shiny watch." DMX will rap about robbing you, slapping your brother, smoking dope with your mother, and stabbing your father, and that's about it, but don't knock him for it. If you hate DMX then you just aren't a fan of violent rap, the same way I detest family friendly rap, it's okay, nobody likes it all. Rap is damn near in the toilet again, thanks to southern rappers singing crap like "I just bought a cadillac, throw some d's on that b*tch." or whatever that crap is that is popular today, DMX is keeping rap alive for those of us that just want to hear something to get us pumped up and ready to fight. And to hell with being politically correct, violence is a part of this culture and it should be recognized the way greed seems to be. And please, don't go saying that you wish they'd bring back the Fat Boys and Vanilla Ice...you must be smoking crack or something. A lot of rappers from that era had no talent at all, so what if they were nice, their cd's were old the minute you unwrapped them and I'm glad they're washed up and damn near forgotten. I happen to enjoy DMX more than 2 Pac even though I'll admit he's not as talented from a lyrical aspect. His voice is remarkable, his sound is one of a kind, and his anger will never be matched. So quit hating on DMX cause you think he wants to be 2 Pac, if you'd stop riding 2 Pac's jock for 5 minutes you'd see how stupid that statement really is. DMX is the closest thing there is to an rabid animal that can rhyme and there will never be another, so hate if you want, but quit comparing him to 2 Pac. Pac was never the best anyway, B.I.G. was miles ahead of him, so get off his jock and get it straight. I despise stupid critics. Oh...and learn how to spell, you look even dumber than the stuff you write on here, didn't anyone go to school?
January 7, 2008THESE TRACKS ARE OFF THE HESSHOUSE iT IS WORTH THE CHEDDAR WHEN DMX IS SPITTIN OUT HIS LETTERS. WHAT A MASTERMIND TO BAKE A CAKE AND CHEW A HOLE THROUGH IT AND PRETEND ITS A WHOLE CREW. AFTER LISTENING TO THIS CEZ DEZ, I HAD BLOOD ON D*CK CAUSE IN FACT i F*CKED A CORPES. "COME ON." NUST HAVE. UHH COME ON ARFF ARFF.
December 26, 2007| | | Just 'cause I love my n*****, I shed blood 4 my n***** | |
I was introduced to DMX, of all places, on Mase's 1st CD on a track entitled "24 Hours To Live". The track featured Black Rob, The LOX and DMX with an energetic Puff Daddy on the chorus. Soon after that track, I heard him on the LOX's "Money, Power, & Respect" which also featured Lil Kim. I was shopping for music one day and I found a CD Maxisingle to "Get At Me Dog", which also had the track "Stop Being Greedy" on it. Based on the reputation of his verses on "24 Hours To Live" and "Money, Power & Respect", I decided to purchase the CD Maxisingle eventhough I hadn't heard it. "Get At Me Dog" was produced by Dame Grease and was full of energy. It used the same sample that EPMD had used for "Get The Bozack". DMX had some choice words for a particular rapper, who I later found out was K-Solo, and he definitely had me anticipating his solo debut. "Stop Being Greedy" ended up being his 2nd single and was also a tight track. DMX's "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot" dropped in 1998 and is easily my favorite CD from DMX. My favorite tracks ended up being "Ruff Ryders' Anthem", "F*****' Wit' D", "Get At Me Dog", "Damien", "Crime Story", "ATF" and "N***** Done Started Something" w/The LOX and Mase.
One of my boys told me that DMX was droppin' another CD before the end of the year and of course, I didn't believe him. It was hard for me to believe that DMX would drop 2 CDs in the same calendar year. However, in December of 1998, DMX's 2nd CD, "Flesh Of My Flesh Blood Of My Blood" was released. Usually, before I listen to a CD I will check the liner notes for production credits, guest appearances, etc. I was immediately stunned to see DMX covered in blood and in a devilish mind state. However, I was still able to enjoy the music once I put the CD in my stereo. The CD starts off with one of DMX's famous quotes on Jay Z's "Money, Cash, Hoes" from his "Volume 2...Hard Knock Life" Disc. From there DMX does his best attempt to make you not want to listen to the CD in "Bring Your Whole Crew". The beat is tight and DMX even has decent lyrics on the track at times. However, you have to draw the line at some point when it comes to the lyrics. I am sure people that have followed DMX know what I am talking about, I guess he wanted his lyrics to reflect the way that he looked on the CD cover on this track. DMX gets his slow flow on with "Ain't No Way". Swizz Beatz was able to produce more tracks this time around because of the success of DMX's "Ruff Ryders' Anthem". The remix was featured on DJ Clue's "The Professional" CD. "We Don't Give A F***" features Styles P from the LOX and Jadakiss on the hook. DMX sounds as if he is calling someone out just as he did on "Get At Me Dog" and things workout because of the tight production by Irv Gotti and Rebel and because of quality contributions from 2/3 of The Lox. The queen of hip hop/r&b, Mary J. Blige joins DMX as he tries to explain where he is "Coming From". PK, who produced "Bring Your Whole Crew" gives DMX a nice track and DMX is able to spit retrospective rhymes just like he did on the 1st single "Slippin'". "The Omen" is the sequel to "Damien" from "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot" and things still end up working on Part 2. I admit that I was surprised to hear Marilyn Manson on the hook put things still end up working. Swizz Beatz gives DMX and Drag-On a nice uptempo track to allow them to get some things started in the club on "No Love 4 Me". The production is definitely tight and I am sure that you listened to this track as much as I did back in the day.
The track that hands down is my favorite song has to be "Blackout". You get a track with no hook or chorus that gives you A+ verses from Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P. from the LOX, Jay-Z, who clearly put DMX to shame on this track and DMX finishing things off at the end. This is clearly an example of the guests getting the best of the rapper whose CD it is. However, the collaboration is still top notch and is one of my favorite rap collaborations of all time. "Heat" continues where "Blackout" left off, however, DMX shines as he gets his own platform to show you that the heat is always on in the streets. Swizz Beatz is on the hook and this is definitely one of my favorites on this CD.
After, all the tales of violence and what happens to unsuspecting people out of the blue, it was nice to see DMX take a break just as he did on "Slippin'" and "Coming From" to tell you that he is "Ready To Meet Him". DMX thanks the Lord just as he did on "Prayer" from his debut. The track starts off with another thoughtful prayer and DMX ends the CD off on a nice note as he raps his open letter to the man above.
Overall, this was a nice sequel to "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot". DMX gave you the same fiery lyrics and Swizz Beatz had his coming out party with the production. You can listen to the whole CD but you should definitely be able to tell the better songs from the others. With Def Jam, releasing "DMX's Greatest Hits: Pick Of The Litter" on 6/12/07, I figured I would dig back into the collection to give you a review of one of my favorite rap CDs of the past.
One Love Boomer!!
James' Top 5
1) Blackout w/Jay-Z & The LOX
2) Slippin'
3) We Don't Give A F*** w/Jadakiss & Styles P.
4) Coming From w/Mary J. Blige
5) Heat w/Swizz Beatz
Honorable Mention
Ready To Meet Him
No Love For Me w/Drag-On & Swizz Beatz
Ain't No Way
The Omen
Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood
Ranking DMX's Discography (Excluding "Year Of The Dog...Again")
1) It's Dark And Hell Is Hot
2) Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood
3) ...And Then There Was X
4) The Great Depression
5) Grand Champ
June 12, 2007After the following of the very well received debut of "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot"....I personally think DMX might have pushed his sophomore effort out there a little too quickly thinking that his newly developed fans would quickly forget about him and dismiss him as a one album wonder. Whatever the case may be, DMX(Earl Simmons in his late 30's at the time might I add) pumped out this gem. No, it's not a sequel to his outstanding debut but it receives my respect all the same. My favorite cut would have to be "Slippin'"....and despite the overused quoted chorus of "I'm slippin' I've fallen and I can't get up", X tells an eloquent ghetto poem. However, with only releasing this only 7 months after the release of his debut, X proves that he has staying power.
January 27, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
