The Year DMX Painted The World Blood Red

The most awe-inspiring thing in music is when an artist takes over the world. At least back when there was a monoculture, it was possible for a single person to dominate collective attention, at least for awhile. And 1998 should always be remembered as the year DMX did just that. Throughout the '90s, Earl Simmons, aka DMX, had been making waves that steadily grew into real, earth-shaking tremors over the back half of the decade. Prominent guest spots on songs like Mic Geronimo's 1995 track "Time to Build," where X traded verses with fellow burgeoning acts Jay-Z and Ja Rule, the LL Cool J–led posse cut "4, 3, 2, 1" in 1997, and the Lox's single "Money, Power, Respect" in early 1998 indicated that he was on the cusp of a full breakout. While 1998 marked a definitive before and after, his ascent that year was the culmination of a long, hard struggle to break into the industry. https://youtu.be/zAZqlaDCLSI?si=iGT2MxqLWsYktPSZ

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