producers: swizz beatz, p.killer trackz, grease, shok, nokio, self, irv gotti

guests: sisqo, the lox, drag on, regina bell, dyme

On several occaisions, the question "why is DMX so successful" gets asked and never answered. And this review will neither ask nor answer, but rather just report what the album "...And Then There Was X" is about.

"One More Road To Cross" is a melodic track, that has DMX spit violent tales of how he plans to get money. For the last verse he though switches things and rhyme "I'ma leave a mark, and it won't be the mark of the devil / throw dirt and may your hands burn when you touch the shovel / the level of animosity is stopping me from thriving / fuck what them niggaz is talking about, I'm surviving / alive and goin through it, but I made my bed / so now it's in these flames that I, lay my head". "Fame" does not progress beyond DMX' traditional style of beat choice, while he lyrically questions his position.

Then there's "Here We Go Again", a tale of D teaching a shorty, who then fucked up, and D is now considering what is to do, all told over an almost sad piano. What has to be followed by something upbeat, a Ruff Ryder party cut, this time even called "Party Up". If you want a prove of how much R'n'B borrowed of hip hop in the last few years, listen to the Sisqo featuring "What These Bitches Want", that could be just as likely a Sisqo solo or Dru Hill track.

On "What's My Name?", DMX is still trying to do redo the dopeness of "Money, Cash, Hoes", while this time almost living up to the excitement level of the original, him kickin "I'm not a nice person / I mean I'd smack the shit out you twice dog and that's before I start cursing".

How much "More 2 A Song" contradicts the rest of the album, shall not even touched here, but we rather advance to the testosterone Ruff Ryder posse cut "D-X-L (Hard White)" where Jadakiss kicks over a weak beat "streets help niggaz; niggaz don't help the streets / y'all use beats for help; we help the beats / who want it with me? who want it with Sheek? who want it with P? / if I say so myself, it's a wonderful three". Let's also not say anything about "The Professional", "Make A Move" and "Good Girls, Bad Guys", apart from that they are definitely weak.

Yes, DMX' flow and delivery is his biggest quality. Nevertheless, this album is very Pop. Although him screaming, and his violent content, this is not as hard and street as it want's you to believe it is. This is a like bubble gum horror movie, that can be appreciated by a teenaged girl as well as a hard knock, who can enjoy the melody of a "Commin' For Ya", as he would enjoy the possibility of some bear breasts of the main character, or some excessive use of swear words in the movie.