DMX Album: “Year Of The Dog...Again (Explicit)”

This album is vintage DMX, if you tired of trashy, godawful hip-hop that has been ruining the american public, then this is the one for you, X Delivers one of the year's best performances in this one, Lord give me a sign is a great song and the rest of the songs are all good, Thank God for DMX, Cause he doesn't like the way rap is now and I Don't blame him, it is full of corruption, stupidity and ignorance, it's a shame to see him like this with his drug problem and other historical crimes, otherwise this is one of the best albums of 2006 and I Hope I Buy it again very soon.

A Big Thumbs Up for Me.

After claiming that he was retiring in 2003 after his last album "The Grand Champ", DMX is actually back with his new album "Year of the Dog...Again". This record was originally titled "Here We Go Again", but after months and months of being delayed and being pushed back, it got a new title and finally an official release date. To be honest, I knew his last album wasn't up to his standards but I was still very excited when I heard X was having a new album out. Despite there being a few tracks on here that's been out for quite a long time now, DMX doesn't disappoint with this one.

The first track, after the intro, is his latest single "We In Here". Produced by Swizz Beats, it sounds familiar to "Get It On The Floor" and some other X songs. It may get you out of your seat but the formula for this song is just getting repititive. "I Run S**t" is another fast-paced banger with X spitting tough rhymes. "Come Thru (Move)" with Busta Rhymes is pretty much just like "I Run S**T". The beat on this one though isn't that good in my opinion. "It's Personal" has been out for awhile but it's a good cut. All about bringing that heat. "Baby Motha" isn't a bad track but it's not one of my favorites. The chorus is just a bit annoying, even though the end is rather funny. "Dog Love" has X taking a break from all the thugged-out lyrics to deliver a joint for the females to listen to. I really like this one. I just love "Wrong or Right (I'm Tired)". It kind of has a rock beat to it, and the chorus is great. "Give Em What They Want" is a banger with Scott Storch production. This track is like a year old, but it's still fire. It could be a little longer though. "Walk These Dogs" is about the only track that I think is completely bad. It's rather old as well, and it would benefit from a lot of improvement.

"Blown Away" is one of the best tracks this release has to offer. I absolutely love the chorus. Darkman gives you a rundown of his life from childhood to present. The production and lyrics are all on point. "Goodbye" has X rapping about all the people he's lost and how you never know when it's your time to go. DMX sings an excellent chorus and the lyrics are superb. "Life Be My Song" is another highlight. DMX pretty much speaks the truth in this song. More good lyrics and another top-notch chorus. "Prayer VI" is another prayer skit where DMX talks to God. The final track, "Lord Give Me A Sign", is a good way to end the album. I heard this on my radio station the other day but I'm not sure if it's actually a single or not. Either which way, it's a nice song where X is asking God what he's got to do to make it.

The album seemed split in half. The first half had all kinds of thugged-out gangster tracks, and the second half had religious and thoughtful cuts. I prefer the second part, but there are a few tracks in the first half that are good as well. This isn't DMX's best release (It's Dark & Hell Is Hot holds that title), but it's better than his last effort, "Grand Champ" and it's much better than most junk being released nowadays. I know X has been in the news a lot recently but he still brought it on this album. I hope this album sells as well as his other albums. This won't disappoint old DMX fans and I recommend this to anyone who likes rap music.