Between 1998 and 2000, DMX was one of the biggest rappers on the planet. His reign was brief but spectacular and The Best of DMX chronicles that period. After toiling for years in obscurity, DMX broke through to the big time in 1998 with “Get At Me Dog,” and the song defined the formula that would make him a superstar. DMX could evoke the vicious excitement and ferocity of an underground dogfight and also make it palatable for the pop market. Because of his pulpit-pounding fervor, he could turn almost any phrase into an anthem. He was a master at hooks, and his tenacious delivery made huge hits out of “Party Up,” “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” and “Where the Hood At.” Though he became famous for his all-out aggression, The Best of DMX is a good reminder of how potent he was in the rare song that paired him with a low-key beat, as on “It’s All Good,” “Slippin’” and “How’s It Goin’ Down.” In addition to highlighting DMX’s career, this collection of hits works as a time capsule of rap in the late ‘90s, when the dominant sound was menacing yet clean, macho yet charming, and violent yet danceable.
