We talk a lot about nostalgia, but rarely when it comes to the world of hip hop. Aside from our features on Lord Willin and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” we have been admittedly lacking in our celebration of legendary releases in hip hop. This morning, however, a headline hit me in the face with all the power the reminder of how old you are possibly can. I knew right away I needed to write something, even if it were only a few lines, because this album was something special to me (even if I was 11 when it came out). Today is the fifteenth anniversary of It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, the debut album from DMX.

Growing up in a relatively conservative midwest home located in (no joke) the seed corn capitol of the world, my exposure to hip hop at a young age was limited to whatever top 40 songs on the radio my parents felt were okay for my young ears. I knew there was more obscene music out there, but I was never one to go against my parents’ wishes. That is, until I saw a video on MTV after school that made me fall in love with hip hop in a whole new way. You can view the same video, which excites me now as much as it did in 1998, below:

To this day whenever I hear this song my heart starts to race with a sense of excitement akin to embarking on a grand adventure. The urgency and passion laced within DMX’s vocals drill straight through your chest cavity and strike a chord in your heart you never knew you had. You feel rowdy instantaneously, like anything could happen at any moment and no one knows whether or not that is good thing but you forge ahead nonetheless. You want to start a riot, or at least make a scene, and further, you want to do it with your friends. “Ruff Ryders Anthem” is everything a great debut song should be, and it was only a piece of what to this day remains a remarkable debut album.

Due to the rules of my childhood home, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot didn’t reach my ears in full until months after its release. A friend up the street told me he got a copy while we were sitting in sixth grade math one day, and starting that afternoon we were inseparable. His father kept a rather large home stereo system in their tiny living, complete with speakers a foot too tall for the amount of space their sound needed to fill, and it was in that very room that we spent hours enjoying the initial audio offerings of Earl Simmons. Tacks like “Fuckin’ Wit’ D,” “Get At Me Dog,” “X-Is Coming,” and “For My Dogs” became soundtracks for us, even though their lyrical content contained themes and ideas far beyond the grasp of our still somewhat innocent minds. Likewise, X’s signature growls and barks made their way into the vernacular of our friends, recited in bursts of momentary excitement and greeted with uproarious laughter. We were not fully aware of the messages we were receiving, or even the image we were attempted to duplicate, but even if we had I doubt we would have cared. This music was not only fun, but new and exciting, and it certainly didn’t help that our parents seemed less than thrilled about our newfound obsession.

As I grew older, my appreciation for It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot began to evolve along with my understanding of the album’s themes and the life of Earl “DMX” Simmons. X used his debut to open up about his views on love, rage, standing by your friends, and struggling with religion without once resorting to a cultural fad/trend in his music. He told his story his way and it is very unlikely such a release will ever see the light of day again. Even with his own follow-up releases X began to change, opting to focus on the present over the past, but those seeking the roots of the man can still find answers and plenty of entertainment on It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot.

I know DMX is no longer the great artist we all thought him to be, but putting on It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot this morning reminded me that without him it’s unlikely I would be as passionate about hip hop as I am today. His ferocity and sense of self changed the way I looked at an entire genre of music, and when I really think about it there are not many artists I can claim have done the same. Take some time today to revisit this release and I promise you will not have a single regret.

Written by: James Shotwell (Twitter)

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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