DMX – Year Of The Dog Again / 2006 Columbia / 15 Tracks / http://www.dmx-official.com / http://www.columbiarecords.com / Reviewed 17 September 2006

I still remember being in high school, screaming out DMX lyrics and scaring old people that were sitting in their lawn. Well, that was 2001 and its now 2006, and DMX has came out with “Year of the Dog, Again”. With the state of trap being much different than it was in 1998 or 2000, one has to wonder whether DMX will have the same sort of energy that was present in previous efforts. Well, “We In Here” shows that DMX has much of the same vocal delivery that graced eir previous albums. The use of horns in this track is a nice addition to DMX’s repertoire as well as adding a certain timelessness to DMX’s compositions that may not have been present in previous albums.

The one thing that I do not get is having something that resembles a skit at the beginning of a straight track, but I suppose DMX can get away with it if the vast majority (maybe the entirety of “Year of the Dog Again”) does have little have to do with skits. “I Run Shit” is a track that has a catchy hook to it, but does not show DMX at full bore. I know that there is a track that even goes further and shows DMX in eir element, but this track shows DMX at about 85% of full potential. Something that DMX does during this album is come up with a thread that runs throughout this disc; “Come Thru (Move)” continues with the repetition that drives the beat and backing style of the tracks into listeners’ heads.

Where there is a problem with acts going forth and recreating previous hits, there is enough in the way of new material in “Year Of The Dog Again” to keep individuals still digging DMX without thinking that they could just listen to an older album of eir. It may just be that “It’s Personal” is the biggest hit that DMX stumbles upon on the album. The backing beat screams 1995 more than anything, while the flow that DMX works with on the track is as fresh as hell. It may have been a few years, but DMX is firmly back in the driver’s seat for serious rap. While a number of rap artists are doing the party / jam thing in the current thing, DMX is deadpan serious during most of the songs on the disc and hits hard with whatever beat ey is given.

Top Tracks: It’s Personal, Baby Motha

Rating: 7.5/10

[JMcQ]