October 07, 2003 @ 8:00 pm

DMX-GRAND CHAMP (RUFF RYDERS/DEF JAM)

by: Damien Lemon

In dogfighting lingo, the title Grand Champ applies to canines that have gone undefeated five times in a row.

In dogfighting lingo, the title Grand Champ applies to canines that have gone undefeated five times in a row. DMX enjoyed a lockedjaw grip on his position in the pit until the dismal reception of his last LP, 2001’s The Great Depression. That may be why he’s approaching his fifth album as if it were a fight for his life, enlisting luminaries like Patti LaBelle, Monica, and Jadakiss. Lyrically, X’s bark still has bite, but it’s Grand Champ’s sonic overhaul that accounts for the biggest improvement. A souped-up interpretation of Big Daddy Kane’s “Young, Gifted, and Black” turns the lead single “Where the Hood At?” into an instant roughhouse anthem. Swizz Beatz’s down South–bounce groove makes “Get It on the Floor” a surefire party starter. On “Shot Down,” X, Styles, and 50 Cent team up over a muffled kick drum to warn pseudothugs to stop fronting. But the album’s best moment is the blue-collar torch song “The Rain.” The track’s gruff refrain bleeds emotion and proves it’s passion, not posturing, that makes X top dog.

Article tags: DMX-GRAND, CHAMP, RUFF, RYDERS/DEF, JAM

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