…And Then There Was X (Def Jam, 1999) by DMX

Considering X put out his first two albums in May '98 and December '98, the wait for his third one, released in late '99, seemed like a very long time.  And the album lived up to the hype.  Sort of.  While it certainly had the aggression and intensity of his first two albums, …And Then There Was X wasn't as aggressive or intense.  The trade off, however, was that it made for a very commercial album that could be marketed to the TRL crowd just as easily as hardcore hip hop heads.  And I'll certainly admit I was a little bit of both, but more so the latter.  Therefore, I would've been more pleased had X recorded more records like "Fame" and "One More Road to Cross," instead of blatant commercial songs (i.e. "What These Bitches Want" featuring Sisqo "Party Up" [but not as much]).  Overall though, it was a good album-with solid rapping and production.  Culturally-speaking, it was Ruff Ryders' top artist while they were in their prime.  The album couldn't fail.  And it didn't.  Ryde or Die! 

It's Dark and Hell is Hot (Def Jam, 1998) by DMX

This album officially ended Puff Daddy's reign as the king of hip-pop.  X brought back the hardcore attitude that had been absent in rap since the deaths of Tupac and Biggie.  "Get at Me Dog" was a gritty video, which, if I'm not mistaken, has never aired on MTV in its entirety.  "Ruff Ryders Anthem" got the attention of the mainstream, "X is Coming" offended people, and "Stop Bein' Greedy" had me barking like a dog (So when you hear the arf arf, start runnin'/Cause when you hear the arf arf, I'm comin').  It's Dark and Hell is Hot may have come from the bottom, but it took DMX, Ruff Ryders, and Def Jam straight to the top.  There was no excuse for this album not being nominated at The Grammys for Rap Album of the Year.

Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (Def Jam, 1998) by DMX

DMX is the most intense rapper to emerge on the scene since Tupac Shakur.  And his sophomore LP is my favorite album of the six that he has released.  The raw emotions which are on display here have never been matched.  Over the course of the album, X, among other things, talks to the devil ("The Omen"), talks to God ("Ready to Meet Him"), addresses personal adversity ("Slippin"), and holds his own alongside Jay-Z and The Lox ("Blackout").  Released in December 1998, it was a fitting conclusion to the year- one of the biggest years that hip-hop has ever had.