It's Dark and Hell Is Hot

It's Dark and Hell is Hot
Studio album by DMX
Released May 19, 1998
Recorded 1996–98
New Horizon Sounds Studio, Inc.
Capitol Heights, Maryland
Power House Studios, Soundtrack Studios, Chung King Studios, Quad Recording Studios
New York City, New York
Genre
Length 65:10
Label Ruff Ryders, Def Jam
Producer Dame Grease, Irv Gotti, P.K., Swizz Beatz
DMX chronology
Unleashed & Unreleased
(1998)
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
(1998)
Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
(1998)
Singles from It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
  1. "Get at Me Dog"
    Released: February 10, 1998
  2. "Stop Being Greedy"
    Released: March 7, 1998
  3. "Ruff Ryders' Anthem"
    Released: May 5, 1998
  4. "How's It Goin' Down"
    Released: June 9, 1998

It's Dark and Hell is Hot is the debut studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on May 12, 1998 in the U.S. and released May 19, 1998 in the U.K.,[1] by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, and Def Jam Recordings.[2] The album features four singles with music videos; "Get at Me Dog", "Stop Being Greedy", "How's It Goin' Down", and "Ruff Ryders Anthem". The album is widely considered a classic by numerous hip hop fans and critics.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Daily VaultA-[5]
Entertainment WeeklyC[6]
Q[7]
RapReviews(8/10)[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
The Source[7]
Spin(6/10)[7]

It's Dark and Hell Is Hot was met with acclaim from music critics. AllMusic commented that "Unlike so many other hardcore rappers who are more rhetorical than physical, DMX commands an aggressive aura without even speaking a word."[4] Leading Hip Hop magazine The Source described the album as "a mind-gripping opus that fully encompasses the appeal of one of rap's newest sensations."[7]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and sold 251,000 copies in its first week in the United States.[10] The album became certified quadruple platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 18, 2000.[11]

Track listing

Standard edition
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Intro"  
4:10
2. "Ruff Ryders' Anthem"  
3:34
3. "Fuckin' wit' D"  
2:18
4. "The Storm" (skit)
  • Simmons
  • Blackman
  • Fields
  • Joaquin Dean
  • Mad Man
  • Dame Grease
  • PK
  • Waah (add.)
  • Mad Man (add.)
1:01
5. "Look Thru My Eyes"  
  • Simmons
  • Fields
  • Blackman
  • PK
  • Dame Grease (co.)
3:51
6. "Get At Me Dog" (featuring Sheek Louch)
  • Dame Grease
  • PK (add.)
4:03
7. "Let Me Fly"  
4:13
8. "X-Is Coming"  
  • Simmons
  • Fields
  • PK
4:19
9. "Damien"  
  • Simmons
  • Blackman
  • Dame Grease
3:42
10. "How's It Goin' Down"  
  • Simmons
  • Fields
  • PK
4:43
11. "Mickey" (skit)
  • Simmons
  • Fields
  • J. Dean
  • Rajah Winn
  • PK
0:25
12. "Crime Story"  
  • Irv Gotti
  • Lil Rob
3:48
13. "Stop Being Greedy"  
  • PK
  • Dame Grease (add.)
3:37
14. "ATF"  
  • Simmons
  • Blackman
  • Dame Grease
1:56
15. "For My Dogs" (featuring Big Stan, Loose, Kasino and Dragon)
  • Dame Grease
4:11
16. "I Can Feel It"  
  • Dame Grease
4:13
17. "Prayer" (skit)
  • Simmons
  • Dame Grease
2:32
18. "The Convo"  
  • Simmons
  • Blackman
  • Barry Alan Gibb
  • Maurice Ernest Gibb
  • Robin Hugh Gibb
  • E. Penney
  • John Gillespie
  • Dame Grease
3:34
19. "Niggaz Done Started Something" (featuring the Lox and Mase)
  • Dame Grease
5:14
Total length:
1:05:15
Notes
Sample credits
Courtesies

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[12] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 1

See also

References

  1. "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot - DMX | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  2. "DMX | Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio". AllMusic. 1970-12-18. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  3. "50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987 - 2007)". Rap.about.com. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  4. 1 2 Jason Birchmeier (1998-05-12). "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot - DMX | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  5. "The Daily Vault Music Reviews :". Dailyvault.com. 2006-12-27. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  6. Mukherjee, Tiarra. "It's Dark and Hell is Hot | Music Review | Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Dmx - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 1998-05-19. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  8. "Feature for January 28, 2003 - DMX's "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot"". Rapreviews.com. 2003-01-28. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  9. DMX (1998-06-18). "DMX: It's Dark and Hell Is Hot : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  10. "Now! 22 Ends DMX’s Billboard Winning Streak". MTV. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  11. "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - December 18, 2015". RIAA. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  12. "DMX – Chart history" Billboard 200 for DMX. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  13. "DMX – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for DMX. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
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