1998 Rewind: Remembering DMX’s It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot

I’ve been very vocal about my love for the year 1998 – I believe it’s one of the last great years in R&B and hip-hop history. Since 2023 marks 25 years since those magical 12 months, 1998 Rewind will look back at some of the best (and most underrated) albums of that time.

Today I’m happy to be joined by my guy Brandon O’Sullivan – we call him THEO in the Soul in Stereo Cypher – to chat about one of my all-time favorite albums, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot. DMX’s debut shook the entire music world in 1998. Let’s see how it holds up.

Tell us about your memories of the early days of DMX.

Brandon: To kick things off, I was not born when this album came out. The first DMX song I heard was either “Party Up (Up in Here)” or “Who We Be.” I can tell you that Def Jam Vendetta (real ones know) has a dope soundtrack, and the first instrumental you hear while D-Mob speaks is the “Intro” beat, which I will delve into as we go along. I have listened to “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” and “How It’s Goin’ Down” as time progresses, thanks to BET’s Top 25 Countdown every Saturday. It wasn’t until years later in school that my close friend was playing this album after school with his earphones, and I ended up listening with him. I was not dissecting lyrics then but I was hooked on the soundscape and X’s honesty with his songs.

Edd: Well, as the designated old head, I was very much alive and watched the emergence of DMX. I first heard him on “Born Loser” years before he broke out, thanks to our local radio station playing underground cuts late at night. Then X popped up again circa 1997, absolutely demolishing posse cuts like Mase’s “24 Hrs to Live” and LL Cool J’s “4,3,2,1.” His intensity poured the speakers and he stole the show every time. By the time we got “Get At Me Dog” in early 1998 – with this grown man BARKING all over the track – the streets were READY for something new. Hip-hop radio had lost its edge and DMX was poised as the savior. I was there at the Off the Wall music store to cop his debut on release day and I was not disappointed. DMX gave us more than we bargained for, going deeper than thug posturing and giving us a glimpse into his deeply religious, but conflicted soul. It was a far cry  from the cash n’ cars bars that infested rap at the time and quickly became one of my favorite albums of all time, across all genres.

Let’s chat about your pick for the albums’ best song.

Brandon: “Damien”

The crux of X’s debut is encapsulated within the enigmatic “Damien,” a serpentine exchange between X and his Chthonic accomplice. Progressing through the album, it culminates in this critical juncture, wherein X finds himself seduced by his most fervent devotee. This was the climax of the LP.

Edd: “Get At Me Dog”

Depending on the time of day, any of my top three could be No. 1. Theo’s right about “Damien” – X’s duality plays out in cinematic fashion; it’s the most gripping story of the album. In an era where posse cuts were at their peak, “N****s Done Started Something” is one of the most unsung of them all. But, at least today, I give the top spot to “Get At Me Dog,” the most DMX of all DMX songs. It’s gritty, no-frills, unfiltered aggression, the antithesis of radio hip-hop at the time. When I think of X’s early days, this is the song that jumps to mind. (But I can’t front, if Faith Evans’ remix of “How’s It Goin’ Down” made the album, that might be my pick)

Which track produced the best video?

Brandon: “Get At Me Dog”

No doubt, “Get at Me Dog.” That music video was a turning point in what was yet to come. This is how you come out the gate as a debut single, shot in black and white at New York’s Tunnel nightclub.

Edd: “Get At Me Dog”

As I said above, “Get At Me Dog” is the most DMX song here, and therefore “Get At Me Dog” is the most DMX video. The blinding black and white visuals is almost enough to give you a seizure – and DMX ranging like a manic in the Tunnel add so much to the chaotic experience. The man was intensity personified, and this was the perfect introduction to his brand of mayhem.

It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot is filled with great concepts. Which song has the best concept of them all?

Brandon: “Damien”

Again, I must roll with “Damien,” although “The Convo” is not far behind. Engulfed by his insatiable avarice and torment, DMX acquiesces to malevolence, deeming it an equitable trade-off for deliverance from poverty. As the tale unfolds, the track evolves into an allegory cautioning against succumbing to one’s cravings, as Damien manipulates X into perpetrating misdeeds against his will. Emblematic of It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, the vigorous “Damien” epitomizes the album’s oscillation between relentless momentum and the exposition of perpetual dialogues—introspective, interpersonal, or transcendent.

Edd: “Damien”

Brandon beat me to it. The overarching theme of It’s Dark and Hell is Hot is that of a man trying to outrun his demons. “Damien” allows us to actually meet that demon and witness just how manipulative he is. It would be too easy to portray Damien simply as this evil force looking to destroy. Nah, he instead comes off as a friend, allowing X to indulge in his vices while he sinks his claws in deeper. The hook has the most prophetic warning of all – “how you gonna see him if you living in a fog?” The orchestrator of your destruction is right before your eyes.  

Which song has the best production?

Brandon: “Intro”

Whew, the “Intro” comes to mind. It’s one of the hardest intros you’ll ever hear in Hip-Hop. This song always gets me hyped up, thanks to Def Jam Vendetta again. Sonically, it is imbued with an eerie, ominous composition, an apt canvas for DMX’s ferocious execution and potent lyricism. The beat melds a sinister piano motif with thunderous percussion, conjuring a vivid, theatrical ambiance thanks to Lil Rob and Irv Gotti. Augmented by a stirring choral excerpt, the track’s mounting tension and exigency are palpable. Wha, what! Where my dogs at?

Edd: “Stop Being Greedy”

PK and Dame Grease must have hit up the Phantom of the Opera for a studio session because the haunted organ of “Stop Being Greedy” is perfection. DMX plays the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde role a couple of times throughout the album but the spooky keys add so much to the inner turmoil he faces on the track. You can feel X’s sanity floating away while the keys get more manic. It’s the perfect beat for this look inside DMX’s divided mind.

So many quotables on this album! What’s your favorite?

Brandon: “If you love somethin’, let it go / If it comes back to you, it’s yours/If it doesn’t, it never was” – “Let Me Fly”

This line refers to not holding onto something too tightly and allowing it to run its course. It will come back to you naturally if it is meant to be. If it does not, then it was not yours to begin with. This can apply to various aspects of life, such as relationships, friendships, or even careers. The notion of letting go does not mean giving up or losing hope. It means that sometimes we must accept that some things are out of our control, and we cannot force specific outcomes. Ultimately, what is meant to be will happen, and what is not meant to be will not.

Edd: “I merely say what’s in my heart and you call it a style/Don’t put it in a cage, don’t mistreat it/You say you hunger for knowledge? Here it is, eat it!/Another song completed is another thought captured/Let me do my thing, I got it locked with this rap s***” – “Let Me Fly”

Aight, so I’m cheating here, as the main line I want to discuss is “Another song completed is another thought captured” but you need the context around that line to appreciate it. What made DMX so much more than the usual “gangsta” rapper is the deep level of insight and heart that beats beneath each bar. For X, these are more than just random words rattled off to fulfill a contract – these are his joys and pains, his sins and redemption showcased for the world. These are more than songs, this is his soul laid bare.

Name the album’s best feature.

Brandon: Murda Ma$e on “N****z Done Started Something”

Let’s discuss “N****z Done Started Something” because I know that’s the obvious choice for the song, especially when the guest features set it off, and the main artist closes it off with a great verse. I do miss that in Hip-Hop collaborations today. While the LOX snapped per usual by Sheek setting one of the best opening lines in a posse cut (“Ayo, let’s get papers and pop Mo’ with hoes up in skyscrapers”), Styles with his metaphors, and Jada with his rhyme skills, Murda Ma$e (not Pretty Boy Ma$e) put this beat to the clinic. His laid-back flow offers a compelling counterpoint that complements the song’s overall vibe and accentuates his distinctive approach with intricate wordplay, vivid imagery, and biting wit regarding his gun talk. His rhyme schemes at the end of his verse while rapping about the repercussions of crossing him showcase his gritty style if he wants to go that route. If you ask me who had the best verse on that song, it’s DMX, but that’s a different conversation.

Edd: Ma$e on “N****z Done Started Something”

Although we gotta give props to Big Stan for his ultra-catchy flow on “For My Dogs,” this convo begin and ends with “N****z Done Started Something.” Yes, DMX steals the show on this track – as he does on every posse cut. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the best verses of his career. But the best guest verse goes, to all people, Pastor Mason Betha. You think I complain about rappers today? You should have heard 1997 Edd going in on Mase. I. Was. Not. A. Fan. But we didn’t get Shiny Suit Mase on this track, we got Murda Mase instead and he sounds like a completely different artist. His ability to change cadence throughout his 16 bars, the witty wordplay (“often I bug, then bust off on a thug”) and he’s speaking CLEARLY, not mumbling into the mic – Mase was sure to bring his A-game when in a cypher this competitive.  

What’s the most underrated track here?

Brandon: “ATF”

“Boom, boom, boom! Open the door! ATF!” The beat is minimalistic yet hard-hitting, allowing X’s vivid storytelling to take center stage, making the narrative the track’s focus.

Edd: “Let Me Fly”

There are a lot of tracks that get a lot of attention on this record – “Get At Me Dog,” “Damien,” “Stop Being Greedy,” “N****z Done Started Something,” “How’s It Goin Down,” even the “Intro” is celebrated. But I don’t hear much about “Let Me Fly.” It’s one of the first times we here Introspective X, a man burdened by guilt who wants to free his cares but knows he won’t find true freedom until death. There’s a lot of pain in these bars, but a lot of wisdom too.

And what’s the most overrated?

Brandon: “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”

Welp, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I know this song is a staple to X, Ruff Ryders, and the coming out party for Swizz Beatz, but “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” is my choice. DMX has way better songs than this one, although I sing the hook occasionally.

Edd: “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”

Gotta agree with Theo. Listen, I love “Ruff Ryders Anthem” (although, again in 90s fashion, the remix is way better) but it’s objectively the weakest single here. A defining song for sure, X just outdid it several times over on this album.

Is this DMX’s best album?

Brandon: His best work? Yes. Raw, unfiltered, intense. DMX’s delivery? Breathtaking, brutally honest. Storytelling? DMX’s forte. Street life, redemption, spirituality – themes resonated deeply. Diverse listeners? Entranced. Dame Grease, P.K., Swizz Beatz – production wizards – crafted hard-hitting beats; DMX’s gruff vocals? Perfectly complemented. Result? An immersive, gritty atmosphere.

Edd: And it’s not even close. DMX is one of my favorite artists ever, but the Unbiased Music Reviewer must admit that his discography is quite inconsistent. Later albums have their highs (and lord knows they have their lows) but none can match the energy, the introspection, and the outright hunger of his debut. It took nearly 30 years of hard living for DMX to capture the moments that define this album. It’s an impossible feat to match.

Is It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot a hip-hop classic?

Brandon: Absolutely, and no, it’s not because social media told me that, as they love to use that word loosely or say these next two words I’m about to say. This LP was a true CULTURAL RESET. It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot is a refreshing juxtaposition to the bling, the glitz of mainstream rap back then, dismantling the Shiny Suit era. At a time when the rap landscape was dominated by the glossy, radio-friendly sound of Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records, DMX’s unapologetically raw and gritty style served as a stark contrast, ushering in a new era for the genre, even if it lasted a short period. Again, this album propelled the start of Ruff Ryders and helped further the LOX’s career, which we later had the ‘Let the LOX go’ campaign because they realized their hardcore sound did not align with Puffy’s label and the commercialism behind it. The album’s potent blend of aggressive lyricism, visceral storytelling, and haunting production immediately resonated with fans, solidifying DMX’s position as a Hip-Hop phenom. He starred in Hype Williams’ Belly with Nas and dropped another album later in the year, which may not be up to par as his debut, but it sold like hotcakes. Also, JAY-Z boycotted the Grammys because X’s debut wasn’t nominated. Its legacy inspired a cadre of rappers (i.e., 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, etc.). Emulating DMX, they adopted unflinching honesty, embraced vulnerability—artistry, redefined. It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot—hip-hop classic, unquestioned. God bless the soul of X.

Edd: There’s not much I can add to the wisdom Theo already hit us with. It was a seismic shift in hip-hop’s sound. It was a launching point not just for DMX, but the entire Ruff Ryders movement, which would reinvigorate the careers of The LOX and introduce us to Swizz Beatz and Eve. And it became the defining album for rap’s brightest star of that era. It’s hard to capture just how earth-shattering DMX’s arrival was in 1998 if you weren’t there to witness it. But in a time where Twitter loves to manufacture groundbreaking moments in modern music, DMX truly shook hip-hop to its core. It’s a classic through and through.

Where my dogs at? Share your thoughts on this classic below.