Artist: DMX
Title: Grand Champ
Label: Def Jam Records
In the summer of 1998, DMX kicked in the door for everyone who was tired of the “happy rap” of Puffy, Mase and Missy that ruled the airwaves at the time. It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot went multi-platinum and, while lacking in lyrical polish, was an eerily grimy effort that forced the music world to take notice of Earl Simmons.
Just six months later, he dropped Flesh of My Flesh… and became the first artist to ever have two albums debut at #1 in the same calendar year. Since then, he’s released two more joints, but has thus far failed to re-capture the commercial and critical success of his freshman season.
In recent months, DMX has gone through some label drama, publicly beefed with Ja Rule and tried his hand in a series of high profile acting roles. Which is to say that he’s pretty much followed the “Rapper’s Blueprint 2K3” to a tee. He returns with what he claims is his final album, Grand Champ. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, he’s either going to become a minister, a record executive or Hollywood’s next matinee idol. So, should we be fitting him for a gold watch and a retirement party or begging him to stay a lil’ longer?
My primary gripe with DMX has always been “a little goes a long way”. While his approach and presence were unique five years ago, his smashmouth style hasn’t evolved a lick since he first hit the scene. If it sells records…great. And admittedly, the first single, Where The Hood At is one of his better party anthems, despite the unnecessary dusting of homophobia.
A few tracks later on Get It On The Floor, X uses the exact same flow and cadence. This one has darker undertones though, including haunting lyrics such as:
I know I’m goin’ to hell, cuz I choose to sin.
This had the potential to be an excellent cut, but it ultimately ends up as a train wreck of an ass-shakin’ jam, mixed with a fatalistic dirge.
It’s frustrating, because the album starts off on a very high note and sets the stage for better thangs. The “intro” track features sparse piano keys and a dialed-down DMX. It’s a full-length cut that you know X wants to explode on, but his restrained rage works much better. Immediately following this one, X slips and stumbles all over the place on My Life. A dull, repetitive and one-dimensional “I yam what I yam” concept that is probably this album’s nadir.
Grand Champ does pick up a bit, though. The subtle disses to Ja Rule on Shot Down and Rob All Night belie the heavy-handed titles of these tracks. 50 Cent shows up on the former and drops his best cameo verse to date (and I know that ain’t sayin’ much). On the latter, one of the better lines of the year is spit:
When they say who shot J.R, it won’t be Dallas
See, cuz Ja Rule has the same initials as…ah, never mind. More highlights can be found on the crazy We Go Hard, which not only has a ridiculous new school rap/old school soul hybrid of a beat, but also a decent verse from Cam’ron of all people and an always-welcome reference to Thurston Howell III. I even enjoyed the guilty pleasure of Don’t Gotta Go Home. R&B diva Monica shows up and plays the willing mistress to X…his wife don’t understand him, don’cha know? Of course, the entire song in nearly compromised when X actually fixes his mouth to say:
If lovin’ you is right, then I ain’t wrong.
The rest of this album is just all over the place. X uses a few of the tracks as extended commercials for his Bloodline label. He calls in former Ruff Ryder partners-in-crime, Jadakiss and Eve for We’re Back. The two are decent, if unspectacular, but do display excellent chemistry. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if all of ’em found their way into the studio one day for a collabo effort. The album ends with a heavily hyped Patti LaBelle turn. Thank You is one of those ideas that had to sound better on paper, made worse by X’s “Jules from Pulp Fiction” impersonation.
