MY 5 Favorite DMX Songs

On April 9th, 2021, An Absolute legend Earl “DMX” Simmons passed away five days after suffering a heart attack and rocked the world. After his passing (and in some cases before he officially passed) I witnessed all over social media, just how important and impactful he was in all of our lives. I know for me as someone who was three years old in 1998 when DMX debuted I grew up listening to DMX and he was my favorite rapper until I found 50 cent in 2003 and I still loved every X album to that point. Well anyway, since X meant so much to me I have decided to make a list of my Top 5 DMX Songs! I should have made a video to this so I can growl and bark

1. DMX - Get it on the floor

Photos courtesy of Discogs.com

First, let me say thank you Swizz Beats for not only providing the catchy and energetic chorus on this 2003 hit but also making this song’s energetic and dance-worthy beat. When released this song was played everywhere just like most of X’s hits at the time and it makes so much sense to me now. I can only wonder what it was like being outside and in the clubs when this song dropped. X was not a party rapper especially lyrically but he always seemed to know how to match a songs’ energy no one had energy like X.

2. DMX - What’s my name

Photos courtesy of Discogs.com

Again X’s energy is forever unmatched. I loved this track as a kid when the cursing was blocked out with growls and screams of “WHAT”. Once I discovered the explicit version and heard this song’s intro how can that beat drop and his delivery not get you pumped up. I still listened to this song to get ready for football games back in high school. This song’s sound is infectious and made a younger me want to break shit and scream ( in a good way).

3. DMX - Intro

Photos courtesy of Discogs.com

The greatest intro to an album and artist ever. My uncle had an explicit version of “Its Dark and Hell is hot” I grew up listening too and I used to skip intros to all albums but not this one this song has an epic intro and it builds and hit you right in the face with the vibes this song let you know clearly what type of album you were about to get into. I also have to mention Def Jam Vendetta a video game where rappers wrestled (You guys know I loved this) and when you got to X’s section of the game the instrumental to “intro” played while X beat the shit out of you repeatedly (good times). On the album, it went right into ruff ryders anthem which was a dope transition.

4. DMX - ruff ryders anthem

Photos courtesy of Discogs.com

"STOP. DROP." Shut ‘em down open up shop!’ I know every single bar of this song and I have come a long way from being 4 years old just screaming “What” every time this song came on. It is so many one-liners I love. I grew up telling people to mind their business because of X telling some random lady to mind her business in this song lol. I believe it his most successful song but when you have so many classics it’s easy to forget. I think this is the song we all play in our heads when we think of DMX.

Honorable mentions: “X gon give it to you” “Get at me dog”, “For my dogs,” “Party Up”, “What these B*tches want”, “Who we be” DMX ft Aaliyah - Back in one piece etc. ( TOO MANY CLASSICS TO LIST)

5. DMX- Slippin

Video courtesy of Youtube.com

If you want to show someone who Earl Simmons was not just DMX but deeper than the rapper this song is the one to listen to. He tells one of the most powerful stories ever told in these three verses and it was the very true story of his life. Being on his own since 7 years old I used this song and this song’s story as not only a cautionary tale about coming up in the streets on your own but I also used this song to pick myself up after my own personal downfalls. This song is one of the most powerful songs in existence and it is music like this that helps me understand how someone like X passing away affected us all the way it did.

REST EASY KING