Exodus review: Rapper DMX’s posthumous record is earnest, showcasing every side to him-Entertainment News , Firstpost
What Exodus had in its favour right from its inception was a renewed, urgent sense of conviction from DMX and a whole lot of star power by way of collaborations.
It’s impossible to talk about any posthumous album without digging into the intent, chronology and (hopefully tasteful and sensible) execution of it in the light of an artist’s death. That’s pretty much how it goes with late American rap artist DMX’s newly released album Exodus, which released on 28 May, just over a month after his demise on 9 April.
Helmed by the hip-hop heavyweight as well as his trusted producer Swizz Beatz, Exodus had been hinted at in January 2019 and properly in the works from last year, even as the pandemic raged on and caused restrictive movement in the US. DMX had to call off his tour and then head into a studio in Los Angeles with Swizz Beatz, aiming to create a knockout punch that was likely to be hailed as the rapper’s big resurgence, if things hadn’t changed drastically.
Part of the much-hyped reprisal was DMX’s ability to always put up a fight and bring his fiercest when he was handed the mic. Several news outlets and hip-hop fans point to his appearance on web series Verzuz in July last year, where he sat across from Snoop Dogg, trading the strongest verses in their respective armouries. In the Verzuz episode, DMX is seen weathered and kind of misshapen with a few early missteps when it comes to freestyling, but he quickly latches on to the format and rains down his signature gruff flow, with Snoop Dogg totally cheering him on.
What became clear to millions who watched this was DMX can still be his most cutthroat and unsparing self. It perhaps provided fuel for the vehicle that was his comeback project Exodus, which was already set to release on Def Jam Recordings ever since the rapper joined hands with the label in September 2019. The album was named after DMX’s youngest son (whose voice clips feature on two tracks, ‘Walking In the Rain’ and ‘Exodus Skit’) as well as the Bible verse, which comes across as heartwarming and spirited on the rapper’s part.
Exodus arrives about eight years after his 2012 album Undisputed, which had received mixed reviews upon release. What Exodus had in its favour right from its inception was a renewed, urgent sense of conviction from DMX and a whole lot of star power by way of collaborations. DMX’s long-standing collaborators The LOX’s Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch lead on ‘That’s My Dog’ to set the tone for the album, and the verses show that the intent on Exodus is serious. Perhaps owing to the Def Jam Recordings linkup, more of DMX’s material that was hidden away for long seems to have seen the light of day across 13 tracks.
One of them, without a doubt, is ‘Bath Salts’ featuring Nas and Jay-Z, which was reported originally made for Nas’ 2012 album Life Is Good. Swizz Beatz said in an interview about the track, “I knew that track was special. I didn’t want to get hyped up because people wanted it [if I] didn’t have the right outlet or the reason to put it out. An X album is a better reason to put it out. I have many songs like that.” Armed with a blaring hook as DMX barks his ad-lib over Nas and Jay-Z’s verses and then follows up his own, it seems like a study in contrast how each rapper can get braggy. Jay-Z is all about status and wealth, while Nas is on about proving he’s above clout culture. DMX, though, is as violent and explicit as we know him to be, playing hitman on the track.
There’s more fun on show with Lil Wayne on ‘Dogs Out’ while the glitzily poised ‘Money Money Money’ cuts quick and fast in its takedown of fame and fortune tropes. The three more mainstream, perhaps chart-friendly attempts from Exodus are seen with ‘Hold Me Down’ featuring Alicia Keys (in which DMX spits with total honesty: “I pulled in opposite directions, my life’s in conflict/That’s why I spit words that depict the convict”) and a rare hip-hop turn for U2 frontman Bono on ‘Skyscrapers.’ DMX runs amok even on one of the most uplifting, pop-leaning tracks on Exodus, juxtaposed against Bono’s sublime, aspirational vocals. There’s also ‘Letter To My Son (Call Your Father)’ with Usher, which is perhaps DMX being as vulnerable as possible as he grapples with his family, faith and his identity as a rapper.
The rest of Exodus has plenty of high points – including the raunchy ‘Take Control’ with Snoop Dogg (which adapts Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing’) and real-as-ever ‘Hood Blues’ with Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine from Atlanta-based label Griselda. ‘Walking In The Rain’ is deeply inward looking over a smooth jazz-type beat, with Nas returning as a guest alongside Denaun.
Appropriately, the closing song on Exodus is ‘Prayer’ which is taken from a Sunday service hosted by Kanye West. DMX is deeply connected to his beliefs and doesn’t shy away from his pain, but also wants to be his sincerest self. In a world without DMX carrying forward his very distinct form of hip-hop, at least he’s left behind an earnest record showcasing every side to him.
Listen to Exodus here.
