Menacing, muscular and magnetic, DMX has always been hardcore rap's unrivaled top dog. After the deaths of icons 2Pac and Biggie, when rap was threatening to go soft, DMX's uncompromising intensity and street cred kept hardcore hard. He's the only artist to have five consecutive albums debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. That they were the first albums of his career makes his success even more astonishing. 

 

1999's And Then There Was X is DMX's third full-length effort in just two years time. Both a commercial and critical success, the album has been certified 5x platinum and earned a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 2001 Grammys. The sprawling 18-track, 2LP-set features production from Swizz Beats, P. Killer Trackz and Shok and boasts the three hit singles "What's My Name," "What These Bitches Want" and "Party Up (Up in Here)."