On the heels of his multi-platinum debut,
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
,
DMX
unleashed his dogs again on an album overflowing with raw energy and spiritual catharsis. The irascible Yonkers MC, 27 at the time of this recording, continues the
Ruff Ryder
legacy on this follow-up release.
's canine split personality flow is like none other, not only rhyming over tracks, but barking expression over explosive beats. Production here -- by
Swizz Beatz
PK
DJ Shok
Dame Grease
-- is mostly stripped-down, pure high-tech drum machine and synthesizer combinations that are sure to inspire emotional and adrenal responses in listeners. Although
is no new jack, he is a part of a no-frills new breed of MCs that hold nothing back on the microphone; emphasis is on emotion rather than on word-bending. Standout cuts include
"Blackout,"
with guest appearances from fellow
hip-hop
heavyweights
the LOX
and
Jay-Z
;
"Coming From,"
a duet with the queen of
/
R&B
Mary J. Blige
, which stuns the ears with a haunting piano loop;
"The Omen,"
a bout with the devil featuring the demonic
Marilyn Manson
on the hook; and the opening cut on side two,
"Slippin',"
an introspective look inside
's struggle to stay on top of his art while dealing with the perils of his reality. This is a very spiritual album, a testimony to one artist's struggle with the manifestations of good and evil. The final cut,
"Ready to Meet Him,"
a conversation between
and his god, punctuates this realness. ~ M.F. DiBella