DMX has become a man at the forefront of an art form known as hip-hop. His growl, his words, his voice, and his style are unstoppable. When DMX speaks, people stop to listen. The Great Depression comes in with a poem called “Sometimes” that renders you without words while putting you down into your seat. DMX finds a moment to pray on “The Prayer IV” with passion and a door into his mind.
“When I’m Nothing” is The Great Depression’s strongest. The elements are all there, hot rhymes, good chorus, and a full plate of soul. But “I Miss You”, with Faith Evans kissing DMX’s words so tenderly, holds a close second. “Who We Be” is a rhyme fest with a chorus that begs the question. “Trina Moe” digs into the skin about the bling and about tossing your money out the window.
DMX brings the growl to an almost howl on “We Right Here” as he croons the chorus, just as he does on “Shorty Was Da Bomb”. Atop a metallic riff, DMX gets live on “Bloodline Anthem”. He wants the world to know that no matter how long he’s gone, when he comes back everyone knows who the king is.
When it all comes down to it, DMX is hot. The Great Depression surprisingly sounds more positive than its title sounds. There are songs that miss, “Damien III”, but for that one song, there are thirteen that strike you down. The Great Depression concludes with “A Minute For Your Son”, summing up the album as true and real.
+ cc morris
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