The year 1998 brought much success to rappers, DMX and Jay-Z. The former had dropped two successful albums, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. And the latter was riding the success wave of Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, the biggest album of his career at the time. By 1999, both rappers were met with the age-old question: can they do it again?
DMX released …And Then There Wax X, his third album, December 21st. He’d always giving us the wicked tales of the streets. Whether it’s the life of a hitman in “The Professional” or the classic tale of the little homie deliberately disobeying the big homie in “Here We Go Again,” we could always count on X to give it to us raw and uncut.
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As per usual, X provided us with an energetic street anthem with the album’s first single, “What’s My Name.” The track reached number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Party Up (Up in Here)” and “What These Bitches Want,” the album’s second single and third single, would find its way on the Hot 100 charts as well, peaking at the number 27 and 49 position, respectively. The former would become X’s most successful single.
Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, and Irv Gotti, among others, gave a helping hand with the production.
… And Then There Was X debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was certified 6x platinum.
Jay-Z’s Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter was released a week later. Like his nemesis, he stuck to what we were used to, which was braggadocious Hov. That’s not to sound harsh. In fact, it’s complimentary because that’s the era we were in at the time. It’s reassured in “So Ghetto,” the DJ Premier-produced track. “Brandish iron,” Jay spits. “outlandish buyin’ Bentley Coupes, not braggin’ just simply the truth.”
“Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)” featuring Amil and Beanie Siegal, was the album’s lead single. The track reached number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Though personally, I thought “Anything” was a banger, it didn’t quite gained the traction as expected. The high hopes steamed from the kid friendly sample (Lionel Bart’s “I’ll Do Anything” from Oliver!), which was similar to “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem).”
However, “Big Pimpin’,” the album’s third single, did well, reaching number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and DJ Premier, among others, assisted with the production.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was certified triple platinum.
We have two albums from two legends. In the words of Deebo, “make a choice!”
DMX’s ‘…And Then There Was X’ or Jay-Z’s ‘Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter’?
Polls Are Closed!!
DMX – … And Then There Was X – 67%
Jay-Z – Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter – 33%
