|
Review: DMX tortured soul bit a bit stale
08/02/2006 11:14 AM, AP
Brett Johnson
Since his emergence in the late '90s, DMX has been one of rap's most pitiable figures. His well-reported backstory involves stints in foster homes and jails, with X ultimately finding solace in the rugged warmth of pitbulls.
These days, his popular BET reality show "Soul of a Man" and periodic run-ins with the law — which included impersonating an FBI agent — only bolster his image as a tortured soul, albeit with goo-gobs of talent. But on his sixth disc, "Year of the Dog ... Again," there are signs that his conflicted persona may be wearing thin.
The Yonkers-bred MC is still capable of recording legitimate club crashers such as the riot-starting anthem "We In Here" and the whistle-blaring "Come Thru (Move)" featuring Busta Rhymes. But the chest-beating sounds phoned-in, such as on the Styles P and Jadakiss collaboration "It's Personal," when X says: "We all got guns/ We all got dogs/ We all gon' take that trip to the morgue." And he definitely loses credibility with the ladies when he follows a disdainful rant ("Baby Mama") with the R&B-flavored "Dog Love," on which he equates not having first-date sex with sincere feelings for a new boo.
When DMX relaxes the thug pose on the disc's rousing, guitar-fueled closer, "Lord Give Me a Sign," he hints at his post-rap career intentions to become a preacher. The song's earnest clunkers ("Soakin up trouble like rain in the dirt") notwithstanding, it grounds the disc in more than just idle boasts.
DMX, "Year of the Dog ... Again" (Columbia)
|
