Watching DMX--baldheaded and shirtless, tattooed and musclebound--as he simultaneously goes platinum and gets arrested on rape charges (both of which occurred within weeks of this album's release), one can easily see the Yonkers, New York, rapper as a Tupac in training. And he's certainly no stranger to dumb thuggery on his much-anticipated debut. But unlike Tupac, who tempered hard-core beatdowns with party pick-me-ups, DMX is strictly business, part of a street reaction against the Puff Daddy-fueled, late-1990s slew of lightweight pop-rap crossovers. With a name too true for its own good, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot could occasionally use a cool breeze of levity. That said, the record is not without merit; despite the album's largely standard-issue beats and rhymes, both DMX's forceful voice and solid production have moments of greatness. At times DMX even manages to squeeze memorable hooks out of this otherwise claustrophobic release. --Roni Sarig

uuid:	64A05580-905D-4332-96C6-F5C589416748
upc:	0731455822724
tracklisting:	Intro Ruff Ryders' Anthem Fuckin' Wit' D Storm (Skit) Look Thru My Eyes Get at Me Dog Let Me Fly X-Is Coming Damien How's It Goin' Down Mickey (Skit) Crime Story Stop Being Greedy ATF For My Dogs I Can Feel It Prayer (Skit) Convo Niggaz Done Started Something
title:	It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
rating:	1
purchase date:	09-05-2005
published:	19-05-1998
price:	$13.98
net Rating:	4.5
last lookup time:	137386912
genre:	East Coast Gangsta & Hardcore
fullTitle:	It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
currentValue:	$2.99
created:	137386896
country:	us
aspect:	Audio CD Explicit Lyrics
asin:	B000006O62
artist:	DMX