Rap for whatever reasons seems a difficult genre to perform live successfully. However, At times we see artists who become icons and rap legends, usually they have the ability to both perform live well and to freestyle. That in my eyes, is a true rap legend. That bolsters your respect for the rapper who actually has bars and charisma. Names that come to mind would be Tupac, Biggie, Eminem, Dre Dre, Snoop Dogg & DMX.
DMX’s fans are loyal. They have had to display loyalty as the rapper has had his struggles such as drug addiction and jail time. X game into the game when rap was at a lull. Tupac and Biggie died, leaving a gaping hole in the genre for years. The East VS West rivalry gave an edge and realism to the rap game that will probably never be replicated again. The bravado, gangster imagery and realness that DMX possessed, excited rap fans and reignited their longing for hard, gangster rap.
DMX began rapping in the early 1990s, and released his debut album It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies within its first week of release. His feared appearance and rough vocals were exactly what rap fans needed.
Recently, The BET Channel have been running their Chronicles series. In the last episode of The ‘Ruff Ryders Chronicles’ X emotionally explained how the drugs, the pressure and unexpected overflow of love made him have three different personalities, X, DMX and Earl…
X had a rough childhood, abandoned by his mother at a very young age. The love he experienced from fans was unbelievable to him. Someone who had not experienced much love in his life prior. X in the clip also explains how he was frustrated at not getting a cut in terms of ownership of Ruff Ryders.
X’s recent emergence from the ashes with his successful VERZUZ shows that potentially, he could get back up to the top musically. I eagerly await his new album release and hope that he can reach those iconic heights once more. X is one of those rappers who has earned his stripes. He can freestyle, he is rough-and-tumble and had a plethora of hits, a true living rap legend.
Flashback to some performances that will always be remembered by the dog:
And everybody knows the next performance, one where he basically performed to half the earth’s humans at Woodstock 99…
Compare the soft bullshit rap we have these days to the following freestyle…
Rap World 