22nd December - DMX's Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood

Artist – Album: DMX – Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood

Released: 22^nd December 1998

Sounds Like: Live life ¼ mile at a time

Just 5 days before the great Nelson Mandela sadly passed on, another hero was taken by our lord. Paul Walker, aka Brian O’Conner in The Fast and the Furious, died doing what he loved to do most – driving a very nice car very, very fast. Now I may not seem like the type to be a fan of the petrol-head centred, hip hop orientated franchise The Fast and the Furious but, for some reason, I just love it. It might be Vin Diesel’s smouldering performance, it might the adrenaline-filled climax, it might even be all the lovely scantily clad ladies in the film (surely not); whatever the reason, F&F is my guilty pleasure.

The soundtrack too is a hoot, filled with early Noughties hip hop that is both boisterous and barking. DMX only makes a brief appearance on the soundtrack (guesting on Limp Bizkit’s ‘Rollin’’) but it is he and his Ruff Ryders posse that are the fathers of that scene. Songs like ‘Ruff Ryders’ Anthem’ and ‘Party Up (Up in Here)’ spawned a million imitators (including F&F favourites Ja Rule and Ludacris) and were excellent party tracks. Unfortunately, they are also conspicuous by their absence on Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. DMX has still got his rough and ready aggressive shtick down pat but on this, his second album, he doesn’t back it up with choruses of the calibre of his best.

Flesh of My Flesh… followed It’s Dark and Hell is Hot by only a matter of months and so maybe it was a bit of a rush job, pushed through quickly to make the most of the debut’s unmitigated success. Whatever the reason – and I realise my stock may have fallen since I professed my love for the Fast and the Furious – it’s not as good as the albums either side of it.

Albumaday... rating: 5/10

1.       My Niggas – 1:27

2.       Bring Your Whole Crew – 3:40

3.       Pac Man – 0:56

4.       Ain’t No Way – 4:49

5.       We Don’t Give a Fuck – 4:07

6.       Keep Your Shit the Hardest – 4:48

7.       Coming From – 5:13

8.       It’s All Good – 4:17

9.       The Omen (Damien II) – 4:56

10.   Slippin’ – 5:05

11.   No Love 4 Me – 4:00

12.   Dogs for Life – 5:31

13.   Blackout – 5:00

14.   Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood – 4:32

15.   Heat – 4:07

16.   Prayer II/Ready to Meet Him – 7:24

Listen to ‘It’s All Good’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ijoh4lh3wc