We’re gonna go in a different direction for this week’s installment of the Friday Mount Rushmore column.

Last week, we did Phillies walk off hits, in honor of Jean Segura’s game-winner in the season opener.

There wasn’t a specific topic lined up for April 9th, but with hip hop legend DMX struggling in the hospital right now, on life support with limited brain function (Edit- he passed a short time ago), we got a few reader requests to throw it back to the late 90s, when every party you went to was bumping It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, or And Then There Was X. This was before auto-tune and mumble rap and all of that other computerized nonsense, which is taking the heart and soul out of music.

DMX’s hip hop career was interesting, because it wasn’t a very lengthy one, but in the short amount of time he released that early cluster of albums, he was on top of the world. You couldn’t turn on MTV or the radio without seeing his videos or hearing his singles. From 1998 to 2003 he was probably one of the top-three rappers on the planet, and presented these raw and gritty tracks that were also catchy and related the challenging upbringing he endured.

Without further ado, the Mount Rushmore of DMX songs (NSFW language so put your headphones in):

Ruff Ryders’ Anthem

“Give a dog a bone, leave a dog alone, let a dog roam and he’ll find his way home”

It would be sacrilegious to do a DMX list without including his most famous hit, track number two from the debut album.

The funny thing is that Ruff Ryders’ Anthem was actually the third single off It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, though it’s definitely the most well-known track on the entire disc. As the story goes, Swizz Beatz produced the track in Atlanta, and while DMX wasn’t too keen on it initially, was ultimately convinced to do the song, which ended up being one of the most iconic hip hop tunes of all time.

Slippin’

“See, to live is to suffer, but to survive, well, that’s to find meaning in the suffering”

People seem to forget about Slippin’ when talking about DMX’s best stuff, or they throw it in at the end of the discussion like, ‘oh yeah, put that one on the list, too.”

Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood had a lot of underrated tracks, but only produced two singles, and this was one of them. It’s introspective, authentic, and has a low-key beat that really matches the tone of the lyrics.

 

Get at me Dog

“The days are longer and seems like I’m wastin’ time, I’ve got a lot of dreams, but I’m not really chasin’ mine”

Get at Me Dog was the first single off It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, released about one month before Stop Being Greedy and three months before Ruff Ryders’ Anthem. It went on to become his second-highest charting track, ever.

I’ve always liked this one because it’s just a raw and gritty introduction to DMX, and really encapsulates what he was all about. It really holds up, more than 20 years later.

Party Up

“Your old man say you stupid, you be like, so? I love my baby mother, I never let her go”

Party Up is an interesting track in DMX’s catalogue, because it became a smash club hit and even made it into the playlist for every dance at Boyertown Area Senior High School from 2000 to 2003. They seriously played this song at the Prom, the Harvest Ball, the Sophomore dance, and whatever else we had back then. They also played that K-Ci and JoJo banger all the time.

But Party Up was also pretty dark at the same time, with some hard lyrics going on top of a commercial-sounding beat. If Ruff Ryders’ Anthem is DMX’s most well-known track, then this one isn’t far behind.

 

Honorable mentions: How’s it Goin’ Down, Fuckin Wit D’, No Love for Me, One More Road to Cross, What’s my Name?, Where the Hood At?, X Gon’ Give it to Ya, ATF, I Miss You (w/ Faith Evans), Who We Be, Fame

Not honorable mention: Stop Being Greedy (maybe an unpopular opinion, but I think it’s DMX’s most overrated single)