DMX, Exodus | Album Review 💿

Following his tragic death, DMX delivers an enjoyable and respectable, if imperfect posthumous studio album with Exodus. 

Sadly, the world lost a musical icon in 2021.  Earl Simmons, best known as gruff-voiced, East Coast rapper 🎙 DMX, passed away at the age of 50 on April 9, 2021.   Yes, Simmons was ‘rough around the edges,’ but the sheer talent and influence he brought to the game, as well as his tremendous faith, is undeniable.  With a brand-new album in the works prior to his tragic death, the world gets to hear ‘X’ once more, shine his light with 💿 Exodus.  Exodus, notably, is named after his youngest son, who happens to appear on the album.  While Exodus isn’t a perfect album, there’s plenty to heart about this final, enjoyable and respectable album from a dearly departed legend.  It is a star-studded affair.

“That’s My Dog” 

✅ 🎵 “That’s My Dog” commences Exodus with some oomph.  🎙 The LOX and 🎙 Swizz Beatz guest on this energetic joint anchored by a rhythmic beat and set in a minor key (🎛 Swizz Beatz and 🎛 AraabMUZIK produce).  Swizz Beatz performs the repetitive, ‘hype man’ styled chorus (and post-chorus), setting up a tough, hardnosed first verse from 🎙 Jadakiss. 🎙 Sheek Louch drops the second verse, notably referencing Breonna Taylor and George Floyd on the final line (“Let’s do it for Breonna, let’s do this shit for Floyd”). 🎙 Styles P takes the third verse, completing contributions for The LOX before the late great X drops the fourth and final verse. He’s gruff and true to self, though the one rub is you wish he appeared more on the track.  Still, it’s a sweet start to Exodus.

There is no let-up on ✅ 🎵 “Bath Salts,” the second star-studded joint on Exodus.  With Swizz Beatz staying on behind the boards (with 🎛 Prime Maximus), The LOX is swapped with 🎙 Jay-Z and 🎙 Nas – East Coast rap royalty.  Amazingly, both former rivals recently reunited for the first time in years on 🎵 “Sorry Not Sorry” from the 2021 DJ Khaled album, 💿 KHALED KHALED.  Once more, both MCs work their magic with performing the first and second verses before allowing DMX to ‘do his thing.’ Overall, “Bath Salts” works well, and while each rapper gets equal opportunity, there’s still the desire that we should be hearing more from the departed rapper.

“Dogs Out”

Following in Jay-Z and Nas’ footsteps, 🎙 Lil Wayne appears on 🎵 “Dogs Out” which possesses both bark and bite.  Once more, leave it to Swizz Beatz to play hype man role on the chorus (“(Here we go, woof) Let the dogs out”).  Meanwhile, Weezy brings some toughness and outlandish, entertaining rhymes to the first verse, filled with dog references for good measure:

“Lil Tunechi baddest dog up in the doghouse (Uh)
Keep a bad bitch walk around with my bone out (Uh)
She swallow puppies, you know we got PETA on the phone now (Okay)
I make her pussy rain cats and dogs, ooh, it’s pourin’ down (Damn).”

As for DMX, he puts his stamp on the second verse, slaughtering with his disrespectful lyric, “Serious niggas spit serious shit / When I hear y’all niggas spit, all I hear is a bitch.” Day-ummm! 🎵 “Money Money Money” follows with its colorful production – again, the work of Swizz.  Lil Wayne is traded out for Memphis rapper 🎙 Moneybagg Yo, who’s had quite a successful year.  As usual, it is the featured guest who drops his bars first, with X arriving last. That said, X does perform the chorus here, in all its explicit, unapologetic-ness (“Money, money, money (Money), bitches, bitches, bitches (Bitches)”).

“Hold Me Down”

“The Devil’s working on me hard, because God loves me / As long as I’m in his gaces, it’s gon’ get ugly / But, only He can judge me.” One of the biggest triumphs from Exodus just might be ✅ 🎵 “Hold Me Down,” featuring Grammy-winning R&B artist, 🎙 Alicia Keys.  What makes this joint stand out is the contrast between the smoother, soulful Keys on the chorus and ad-libs and the grittier, rougher DMX on his rhymes. Meanwhile, the backdrop is gorgeous, led by its anchoring groove, sharp synths, and warm piano.  Sadly, this was the only collaboration between these two artists – truly a ‘once in a lifetime’ happening.

The next collaboration definitely caught me by surprise.  🎙 Bono – yes that Bono – sings on follow up 🎵 “Skyscrapers”.  Notably, prior to his tragic passing, DMX had announced this song and collaboration.  While this is definitely an unexpected union, it actually works.  Bono sounds great on the catchy, memorable chorus, sounding much younger than his 61 years.  As for X, he also sounds much more youthful than his 50 years.  Add to the experience sleek production work, featuring the talents of 🎛 Musicman Ty, 🎛 Jerry Duplessis, 🎛 Arden Altino, and once more, Swizz.

🎵 “Hood Blues”

Following the ‘gives no fucks’ interlude 🎵 “Stick Up Skit” (featuring 🎙 Icepick, 🎙 Cross, and 🎙 Infrared), the dearly departed rapper is on fire on ✅ 🎵 “Hood Blues” – NO CAP! Again, the production is marvelous, a product of 🎛 Avenue Beatz and Swizz.  Creating the jazzy backdrop is a sample of “Shady Blues”.   Of course, beyond the picturesque production, the highlight are the performers.  🎙 Westside Gunn shines on the first verse, asserting, “Pray five times a day, get on the wave, nigga.” 🎙 Benny The Butcher follows on the second verse, with a number of clever lines including the memorable, “This flip phone that I got don’t connect to the WiFi.” 🎙 Conway The Machine gets to work on the third verse, quoting Nas: “‘Cause Nas said a G at night wasn’t good enough, and he was right.” Finally, the ‘man of the hour’ arrives to close things out on the fourth verse, asserting, “I done punk’d more niggas than Ashton Kutcher (C’mon, c’mon).” Woo!  He also memorably states on the outro, “I’m not fifty years old for nothing.” 

🎵 “Take Control” featuring 🎙 Snoop Dogg, gives off an entirely different vibe.  Of course, when 🎙 Marvin Gaye is sampled – specifically 🎵 “Sexual Healing” – of course the vibe is going to be different.  Even though DMX proclaims, “It’s some sexy shit right here baby, you know?”, well, the “sexy shit” is still, um, ‘hood’ you might say.  For example, Snoop isn’t the least bit shy about what’s going down on the second verse asserting, “I put my dick on your back, see, ain’t no sleeping on me,” as well as, “I lift your shirt up, skirt up, and make your ass drop.” As for X, there’s nothing vanilla with a lyric like “Gorilla-fuck that ass, leave the pussy sloppy” or “Just slide in the bed and wake her up with the dick.”

“Walking in the Rain” 

“Let the dirt you go through change you (What?) / Don’t forget, evеn Satan was an angel.” Another ‘lovely’ record follows “Take Control” with 🎵 ✅ “Walking in the Rain.”  The production is smooth, soulful, and jazzy – quite classy and refined. Nas makes his second appearance on Exodus, joined by 🎙 Exodus Simmons and 🎙 Denaun.  Exodus performs on the intro (a prayer) and the outro (“Walkin’ in the rain”) with his dad.  Denaun sings alongside DMX on the chorus, one of the nice touches of this particular record.  Denaun also sings fabulously on the bridge (“I know we all got our share of trials and tribulations, yeah / But I done rode for some of y’all”).  Nas is true to self on the second verse, fitting perfectly over the ear catching backdrop.  Of course, it is X who is the main attraction, superbly reflecting on life and faith.  

Following 🎵 “Exodus Skit,” the final, full-length song on Exodus is the emotional ✅ 🎵 “Letter to My Son (Call Your Father).”  Addressed to his eldest son, DMX reflects on his mistakes, apologizes for them, and desires a relationship.  He enlists 🎙 Usher and violinist 🎙 Brian King for the assist, with both doing a superb job.  This is the song on Exodus that truly makes you want to shed tears considering the state of the relationship between X and Xavier.  Exodus concludes with 🎵 “Prayer,” a fitting coda given the rapper’s immense faith.  

Final Thoughts 💭

So, ultimately, how does this posthumous DMX album stack up? Initially, listening to Exodus, I had my reservations.  However, after multiple listens and digging deeper, as a cap on an illustrious career, Exodus is enjoyable and overall respectable.  Early on, the LP could use more Earl Simmons, but even the amount of Simmons we get, he remains true to self being unapologetic, yet also, touting faith and spirituality.  The classics of his discography remain firmly intact as the best of the best, but ultimately, Exodus is a welcome if imperfect addition.  RIP DMX.

✅ Gems 💎: “That’s My Dog,” “Bath Salts,” “Hold Me Down,” “Hood Blues” & “Walking in the Rain”

🎙 DMX • 💿 Exodus • 🏷 Def Jam • 🗓 5.28.21

[📷: Def Jam]