The best-selling release of DMX’s career is getting a fresh vinyl repress this fall. …And Then There Was X, the chart-topping 1999 album featuring hits like “Party Up,” “What’s My Name?,” and “What These B—–s Want,” will be available Nov. 15 in a 2LP edition on Black Ice vinyl.
…And Then There Was X arrived at the peak of DMX’s reign over hip-hop. The third in a streak of five straight No. 1 albums in just over five years, it boasted 698,000 in first-week sales in the U.S., where it’s now certified 5x Platinum. …And Then There Was X yielded the biggest chart hit of DMX’s lifetime in “Party Up (Up in Here),” which climbed to No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 by setting his fiery vocals against a bright, buoyant backdrop from producer Swizz Beatz. The album was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2001 Grammys.
Speaking on …And Then There Was X to Spin in 2000, DMX declared, “This album is about…me.” When asked to elaborate, he added, “I’m not going to tell people everything is peaches and cream, because it’s not; I’m not going to tell them, ‘Go to school and do the right thing’ because that’s not for everybody. I want to give them the fundamentals of life, and they can grow from there.” Those kinds of sentiments were a constant throughout the Yonkers rapper’s career, and they manifested all throughout …And Then There Was X.
Born Earl Simmons in 1970, DMX was a game-changing force in rap, bringing gritty, no-holds-barred aggression and heartfelt emotionalism to a mainstream that, before his breakthrough, had been defined by the artifice of the so-called “shiny suit era.” As the face of the Ruff Ryders crew, he compelled millions of listeners worldwide with wide-eyed energy, searing conviction, and an unmistakable charisma on the mic.
In addition to his remarkable music legacy, DMX maintained a successful acting career, with roles in films like Belly (1998), Romeo Must Die (2000), and more. He also starred in the 2006 reality TV series DMX: Soul of a Man and authored the memoir E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.
