DMX - No Love For Me (1998) Vinyl

DMX was the hardcore rap heir to 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. The foremost Ruff Ryders MC was that rare commodity: a commercial powerhouse with artistic and street credibility to spare. His rapid ascent to stardom was actually almost a decade in the making, which gave him a chance to develop the theatrical image that made him one of rap's most distinctive personalities during his heyday.

Everything about DMX was unremittingly intense, from his muscular, tattooed physique to his gruff, barking delivery, which was a perfect match for his trademark lyrical obsession with dogs. There was also substance behind the style; much of his work was tied together by a fascination with the split between the sacred and the profane.

He could move from spiritual anguish one minute to a narrative about the sins of the streets the next, yet keep it all part of the same complex character, sort of like a hip-hop Johnny Cash. The results were compelling enough to make DMX the first artist to have his first five albums, from 1998's "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot" through 2003's "Grand Champ", enter the Billboard 200 at number one.

"Year Of The Dog Again", his last recording for Ruff Ryders, nearly extended the streak to six in 2003. Although he released his final proper studio album, "Undisputed", in 2012, he continued to issue singles into 2021. Shortly after his tragic death that year, his ninth studio album and first posthumous material, "Exodus", was released.