DMX: Reckless Madman or Misunderstood Genius

It’s confession time:

I bought DMX’s debut CD when I was a kid. So…truth be told, that’s not an earth-shattering admission. But it was during my time of initial Hip-Hop exploration when I also dove into the catalogs of No Limit Records, Eminem and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony getting a sample platter across the board before I refined my palette and found the right flava for my ear.

But enough about me, you’re here today to read about Dark Man X. [The article title wasn’t clickbait after all!]

TL;DR? Bluntly put, DMX was [and still is] profane, over-the-top and definitely explicit in his words. And if you’ve ever seen his rap sheet, he’s pretty outrageous in his acts as well. So his realness is not wholly an act. But is he actually a good artist or just a mad man who growls and barks on tracks?

An early 1990’s 12” single aside, it all started with 1998’s Def Jam release “it’s dark and hell is hot”.

It wasn’t a horrorcore-soaked bloodbath, but it was sure more of a guns-blazing shootout than most thug rap affairs. But what made DMX stand out even more amongst his contemporaries: little to no emphasis on drugs and/or women.

He was only focused on death threats to no one in particular and reveling in perilous situations, no wooing here. DMX was also clearly not a big time drug peddler - as had become the vogue fictional character for many rappers – but rather, he portrayed himself as a perpetrator of violent robberies. More gangster than gangsta?

Mr. X’s depictions of raw violence seem rooted in fact and experience, but were grandiose almost beyond Tarantino.

There are at least 63 direct references to murder or severe bodily harm aggressively sewn in a runtime of just over 60 minutes (excluding the unnecessary and utterly pointless skits of random men talking about tough hardcore DMX is). Dark Man X describes his weapon of choice as a revolver and the parallels are evident – he’s as ruthless and vengeful as a gunslinger in the lawless Wild, Wild West (not Kool Moe Dee’s version, either).

He stumbles over the line between a thoughtful but tormented talent and an un-conscience, reckless maniac.

The album is a disjointed plot of DMX recounting past discretions or taking you – the listener – on a ride as he narrates live. But other times, he steps back from his regrettable crime spree and questions why he’s arm wrestling with the devil.

We’ve seen some of the greatest American art come from deeply troubled souls, but putting DMX in the category of Cobain or Hemingway seems like a stretch.

Undoubtedly, DMX is smart enough to recognize his talents as the means to escape the thrilling shootouts that painted his youth. But the demons kept dragging him back into the dogfight.

Sure, his trials and tribulations have fueled a catalog that’s been growing for 18+ years now and his stories spawned enough public interest for his first four albums to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts, but DMX really hasn’t broken any new ground since his initial release. Most of X’s continued success can be credited to his production team for providing him hauntingly beautiful and dramatic instrumentals. But his writing and creative skills peaked with “it’s dark...” and his retreads at capturing that magic again seem like sequel after sequel to a movie franchise that just won’t die.

Closing the loop, I’ll end where I started. Master P and crew never reinvented themselves, they just ran the No Limit tank into the ground (ughh!). Bone Thugs went in the same direction as well. (Plus, Bizzy went a little nuts.) But Eminem evolved and thus, remains as relevant as ever.

DMX made some headway in acting thanks to his impassioned performance style, but when the latest headlines you make involve getting caught with drugs with speeding (multiple times) and later claiming be federal agent, it's gonna be a ruff ride. No matter how talented, tormented, public or pious you are.

X as an artist was unlike any other, but couldn't outrun the notorious life he crafted for himself. So maybe he was 'the realist' all along, but that won't help you get right in the end.