Grand Champ

by

DMX

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DMX returns with is quite possibly his last album. DMX is known for his raw emotion and unparalleled delivery and energy. After two lackluster albums `And Then There Was X' and `Great Depression', X gets back to what he does best; rapping about his life and releasing his anger on tracks. `Where The Hood At' is another in the long list of X's street anthems. X's growl is more forceful on this album and the production is moving, rather than being laid back and sad sounding ( although the album Great Depression reflected his life at the time). The 50 Cent & Styles P collabo is straight up gangsta. X easily drops the hottest verse, refusing to be outshined on his own track. The Dark Man sounds rejuvenated on tracks like Bring The Noize, Rob All Night, and We're Back which features Eve & Jadakiss. Everybody drops hotness on this song especially Eve; she can rap. X is also known for his excellent rap/R&B collaborations ( he has a classic one on every album ) and he doesn't disappoint on this album. Untouchable with Syleena Johnson and some Ruff Ryder members is REALLY tight. But the real gem of this album is the collaboration with Monica `Don't Gotta Go Home'. Man this song is a straight up classic ( it also appeared on Monica's album After The Storm ), it's right up there with `Slippin', How's It Goin Down and Coming From. He injects the soul into his album on Thank You which features the incredible Patti Labelle, and the heartfelt track Ayo Kato is also worthy of mention.

This album doesn't have too many flaws in it except for the pointless skits, the Swizz Beats track, and having CamRon on the album. DMX drops his best album since Flesh Of My Flesh (almost five years ago), so this album was long overdue...X goes out with a bark, and we can all hear it loud & clear. 4.5 stars

How should I start. DMX's latest effort, Grand Champ, has its strong points, but then it has its weak points. I bought this album expecting it to be as great as It's Dark And Hell Is Hot. Though it is not, it is an "o.k." album. "Dog Intro" is a great start to an album which shows off some of X's rhyme skills. Next is "My Life," which is another great song if you're a fan of great beats. Then the album continues with the first single, "Where The Hood At." The only thing I hate about the album version is that Def Jam decided to radio out one of the lines on the song. "Empty out (reload) and throw more (slugs)." "Where The Hood At" is one of DMX's best singles, up there with "Get At Me Dog," "Ruff Ryders' Anthem," and "Who We Be." Then here comes "Dogs Out." I personally do not like this song. It's skippable. "Get It On The Floor with Swizz Beats is an alright song. Nothing compared to "Party Up" though. After a useless skit, "Shot Down" is next with 50 Cent and Styles P. Surprising song, knowing that X usually features guys that he can usually outshine easily. "Bring The Noize" is next. Another skippable track. "Untouchable" is too long and features other Ruff Ryders personel that DMX can easily outshine. "... Y'all" is one of the best songs on the album and practically saves it at this point. It is distinct to his "start" and "stop" flow. After another dumb skit, "We're Back" is next. It's good to see Eve and X reunited here. A skit later, "Rob All Night (If I'm Gonna Rob)" is an alright Rockwilder track. "We 'Bout To Blow" is a strong point of the album and so is the track before it, "We Go Hard" with Cam'Ron. "The Rain" is a surprisingly great song as well. The last part of the album is strong. Another skit and it's "Don't Gotta Go Home" with Monica. Nice song. "A'Yo Kato" is another great Swizz Beats produced track. "Thank You" and "Prayer V" ends the album on a strong note. "On Top" is a skippable bonus track. Overall I'd give it a 3.5 rating.

Dog Intro - 5/5

My Life - 4.5/5

Where The Hood At - 4/5

Dogs Out - 3/5

Get It On The Floor - 4/5

Come Prepared (I don't rate skits)

Shot Down - 4/5 (DMX's verse wasn't that great)

Bring The Noize - 2/5 (I just hate this song)

Untouchable - 2.5/5

F**k Y'all - 5/5 (One of the best songs)

Ruff Radio

We're Back - 3/5

Ruff Radio 2

Rob All Night (If I'm Gonna Rob) - 3/5

We Go Hard - 5/5

We 'Bout To Blow - 4/5

The Rain - 4.5/5

Gotta Go

Don't Gotta Go Home - 3/5

A'Yo Kato - 5/5

Thank You - 3.5/5

Prayer V - 4/5

On Top - 2/5