I Witnessed DMX’s Heart and Humor Firsthand
Reflections on the late rapper’s historic career, one-of-a-kind talent, and hilarious ‘Top Five’ cameo
When I first heard “Get at Me Dog” in 1998, I thought, Def Jam is back.
The Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons-founded label, then home base to LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys, ran in the hip-hop wars. Yet it had been outpaced, first by West Coast gangsta rap, then by the luxurious lifestyle rhymes of Diddy’s Bad Boy and the rise of Southern juggernauts like No Limit. Akin to Cold Chillin’, Uptown, and Tommy Boy, Def Jam seemed ready to be another once-important New York rap music enterprise slated for irrelevance.
DMX’s aforementioned debut single sounded like a Def Jam record — loud and aggressive, both in sound and vocals. But the Yonkers emcee was both more street and, ultimately, more spiritual than any act previously signed to the label. Sponsored by the Ruff Ryders’ family label and signed by then-rising A&R guru Irv Gotti, DMX introduced himself as a force. He gave Def Jam a shot of artistic credibility that ushered in a new era of music stars (Ja Rule, Ludacris) and a second wind that redefined both the label and hip-hop.
Whether produced by Dame Grease or Swizz Beatz, DMX’s anthems were the hip-hop…
