It's Dark and Hell Is Hot

Released

May 12, 1998

Recorded

1997-98

Studio

New Horizon Sounds Studio, Inc.
(Capitol Heights, Maryland)
Power House Studios, Soundtrack Studios, Chung King Studios, Quad Recording Studios
(New York City, New York)

Genre

Hardcore hip hop, East Coast hip hop

Length

65:10

Label

Ruff Ryders, Def Jam

Producer

Dame Grease, Irv Gotti, P.K., Swizz Beatz

DMX chronology

Unleashed & Unreleased
(1998)

It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
(1998)

Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
(1998)

Singles from It's Dark and Hell Is Hot

"Get at Me Dog"
Released: February 10, 1998
"Stop Being Greedy"
Released: March 7, 1998
"Ruff Ryders' Anthem"
Released: May 5, 1998
"How's It Goin' Down"
Released: June 9, 1998

It's Dark and Hell Is Hot is the debut studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on May 12, 1998 in North America, while it was released May 19, 1998 in the United Kingdom,^[1] by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings.^[2] It was supported by these four singles—"Get at Me Dog", "Stop Being Greedy", "How's It Goin' Down" and "Ruff Ryders Anthem"—with their accompanied music videos. The album is widely considered a classic by numerous hip hop fans and critics.^[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[4]
The Daily Vault	A-^[5]
Entertainment Weekly	C^[6]
Q	^[7]
RapReviews	(8/10)^[8]
Rolling Stone	^[9]
The Source	^[7]
Spin	(6/10)^[7]

It's Dark and Hell Is Hot was met with critical acclaim from music critics. AllMusic commented that "Unlike so many other hardcore rappers who are more rhetorical than physical, DMX commands an aggressive aura without even speaking a word."^[4] Leading Hip Hop magazine The Source described the album as "a mind-gripping opus that fully encompasses the appeal of one of rap's newest sensations."^[7]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and sold 251,000 copies in its first week in the United States.^[10] The album became certified quadruple platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 18, 2000.^[11]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Earl Simmons Irving Lorenzo James Mtume	Irv Gotti Lil Rob	4:10
2.	"Ruff Ryders' Anthem"	Simmons Kaseem Dean	Swizz Beatz	3:34
3.	"Fuckin' wit' D"	Simmons Anthony Fields Damon Blackman Larry Mizell Alphonso Mizell	PK Dame Grease (add.)	2:18
4.	"The Storm (skit)"	Simmons Blackman Fields Joaquin Dean Mad Man	Dame Grease PK Waah (add.) Mad Man (add.)	1:01
5.	"Look Thru My Eyes"	Simmons Fields Blackman	PK Dame Grease (co.)	3:51
6.	"Get At Me Dog" (featuring Sheek Louch)	Simmons Fields Blackman Sam Taylor	Dame Grease PK (add.)	4:03
7.	"Let Me Fly"	Simmons Blackman Richard Frierson Manuel Alejandro Ana Magdalena	Dame Grease Young Lord (add.)	4:13
8.	"X-Is Coming"	Simmons Fields	PK	4:19
9.	"Damien"	Simmons Blackman	Dame Grease	3:42
10.	"How's It Goin' Down"	Simmons Fields	PK	4:43
11.	"Mickey (skit)"	Simmons Fields J. Dean Rajah Winn	PK	0:25
12.	"Crime Story"	Simmons Lorenzo Freddie Perren	Irv Gotti Lil Rob	3:48
13.	"Stop Being Greedy"	Simmons Fields Michael Masser	PK Dame Grease (add.)	3:37
14.	"ATF"	Simmons Blackman	Dame Grease	1:56
15.	"For My Dogs" (featuring Big Stan, Loose, Kasino and Dragon)	Simmons Blackman Dennis Joyner Kendall Carter Kimani Davis Mel Jason Smalls	Dame Grease	4:11
16.	"I Can Feel It"	Simmons Blackman Phil Collins	Dame Grease	4:13
17.	"Prayer (skit)"	Simmons	Dame Grease	2:32
18.	"The Convo"	Simmons Blackman Barry Alan Gibb Maurice Ernest Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb E. Penney John Gillespie	Dame Grease	3:34
19.	"Niggaz Done Started Something" (featuring The Lox and Mase)	Simmons Blackman Jason Phillips Sean Jacobs David Styles Mason Betha	Dame Grease	5:14
Total length:				1:05:15

2000 reissue bonus track
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
20.	"Ruff Ryders' Anthem" (Live)	Simmons K. Dean	Swizz Beatz	2:57
Total length:				1:08:12

Notes

Track listing and credits from album booklet.
"X-Is Coming" features additional vocals by Jamie, Warren and Randy.
"I Can Feel It" features additional vocals by Nardo.

Sample credits

"Intro" contains a sample of "Beyond Forever" performed by James Mtume.
"Fuckin' wit' D" contains a sample of "Shifting Gears" performed by Johnny "Hammond" Smith.
"Get At Me Dog" contains a sample of "Everything Good to You" performed by BT Express.
"Let Me Fly" contains a sample of "Lo Dudo" performed by José José.
"Crime Story" contains a sample of "Easin' In" performed by Edwin Starr.
"Stop Being Greedy" contains a sample of "My Hero Is a Gun" performed by the Temptations.
"I Can Feel It" contains a sample of "In the Air Tonight" performed by Phil Collins.
"The Convo" contains a sample of "Nights on Broadway" performed by The Bee Gees, and an interpolation of "Somebody's Knockin'" performed by Terri Gibbs.

Courtesies

The Lox and Mase appear courtesy of Bad Boy Records.
Big Stan, Loose and Dragon appears courtesy of Ruff Ryders Entertainment.
Kasino appears courtesy of Jive Records.

Chart positions

Chart (1998)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[12]	1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[13]	1

References

↑ "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot - DMX | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
↑ "DMX | Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio". AllMusic. 1970-12-18. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ "50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987 - 2007)". Rap.about.com. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
1 2 Jason Birchmeier (1998-05-12). "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot - DMX | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ "The Daily Vault Music Reviews :". Dailyvault.com. 2006-12-27. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ Mukherjee, Tiarra. "It's Dark and Hell is Hot | Music Review | Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
1 2 3 4 "Dmx - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 1998-05-19. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ "Feature for January 28, 2003 - DMX's "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot"". Rapreviews.com. 2003-01-28. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ DMX (1998-06-18). "DMX: It's Dark and Hell Is Hot : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ "Now! 22 Ends DMX's Billboard Winning Streak". MTV. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - December 18, 2015". RIAA. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
↑ "DMX – Chart history" Billboard 200 for DMX. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
↑ "DMX – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for DMX. Retrieved October 23, 2014.

DMX

Discography Filmography

Studio albums	It's Dark and Hell Is Hot Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood ... And Then There Was X The Great Depression Grand Champ Year of the Dog... Again Undisputed

Compilations	The Definition of X: The Pick of The Litter Playlist Your Way The Best of DMX

Soundtracks	Belly Romeo Must Die Exit Wounds Cradle 2 the Grave

Singles	"Born Loser" "Get at Me Dog" "Stop Being Greedy" "How's It Goin' Down" "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" "Slippin'" "No Love 4 Me" "It's On" "What's My Name?" "What These Bitches Want" "Party Up (Up in Here) "Do You?" "No Sunshine" "We Right Here" "Who We Be" "I Miss You" "X Gon' Give It to Ya" "Where the Hood At?" "Get It on the Floor" "We in Here" "Lord Give Me a Sign" "Come Thru' (Move)" "I Don't Dance" "Head Up"

Featured singles	"4, 3, 2, 1" "Money, Power & Respect" "Shut 'Em Down" "Money, Cash, Hoes" "Come Back in One Piece" "Tear It Up" "Touch It (Remix)"

Other songs	"24 Hrs. to Live"

Related articles	Fontana Distribution Bloodline Records Ruff Ryders Entertainment

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