DMX is an example of the negative effects that drugs can have on a person, and he’s pretty much walked the path that many successful musicians who get into heavy drug use have trodden down. He was a multi-platinum selling megastar in his heyday and released some of the most incredible rap albums. Eventually the drug use and many other complications caught up to him and he had an ugly and public downfall.
The quality of his music dwindled and many thought that his rap career was over. His last official album, Undisputed, was released in 2012 but didn’t perform nearly as well as his previous efforts. Then in 2015 his label released Redemption of the Beast which was put out without following the legal route and without authorization from X so that project came with controversy and is not counted as part of his official discography.
Despite the challenges the dog refuses to stay down. He released a new song titled Blood Red in June 2016. He has also recently (January 6, 2017) posted a photo of what seems to be album art for what will supposedly be his eight official studio album and simply captioned it “Takeover #2017” on his Instagram. A quick analysis hints that DMX is planning on releasing a new album this year. Long time collaborator Swizz Beatz added to this speculation by posting the image on his Instagram too.
The album is supposed to be a collaborative effort between DMX, Swizz Beatz and Dame Grease so it’s no surprise that Swizzy decided to post it too. In May last year while discussing the next DMX project stated that it will feature iconic hit-makers Dr. Dre and Kanye West. That’s something to get excited about, especially the Dr. Dre part as he’s notorious for being very selective about who he collaborates with and what he puts out for the public to hear.
DMX has had a tough couple of years; he’s the father of 15 children and has faced disputes over child support payments, jail time and many personal demons. He was on The Breakfast Club to talk to Charlemagne and the rest of the team and in all honesty he did not sound like he was fully in his sense. With all this drama that seems to follow the rapper around it’s great to finally hear positive news and good vibes emanating from the rapper concerning his music, which is what his fans love him for. He’s often overlooked on many “greatest rapper” lists and I suspect it might be partly due to his personal issues which have long overshadowed his talent. Let’s hope this reunion with Swizz and Dame will bring us great music that will help us erase some of the more recent negative images we have seen from X. 2017 is lining up to be a great year for hip hop.
