It's Dark and Hell is Hot Transcript

https://bit.ly/DMX_Ruff_Ryders

Music Rewind welcomes Dom Brown to discuss: It’s Dark and Hell is Hot by DMX.

A fascinating conversation on how this album came out of nowhere to change the entire hip-hop landscape and become extremely influential in one young man’s life.

Dom Brown is also a co-host of The Real Black Fathers of Atlanta podcast where eight fathers with eight different opinions gather to talk about the topics of the day.

@polothedom on IG.

Album: It’s Dark and Hell is Hot Artist: DMX Year: 1998

Transcript as follows: Participant #1:

Hello and welcome to Music Rewind, a podcast where we look to tell the stories behind our favorite albums. I'm your host Steve Epley, and in each episode I will invite a guest to tell us about their favorite favorite music album, how they discovered it and what makes it special to them. Joining me today is a friend and neighbor, Dom Brown. Dom is a relationship manager in the auto industry, a former collegiate athlete, current sports fanatic and admirer of a wide range of eclectic music. We were quite lucky when the Brown family chose to move into our neighborhood a few months ago and our sons quickly developed a friendship. Welcome, Dom, and thank you for being on the show. Hi, Steve. Thank you so much for giving the opportunity to come on here and speak. I mean, I'm so excited. We're looking forward to the discussion and good conversation and hopefully probably a couple of laughs in it too. Oh, yeah, no doubt. So we'll jump right into this. What is your favorite album and how did you discover it? And I tell you when you pose this question to me. I thought about it like at least 20 times. I went back and forth a couple of times, actually don't have a favorite all time out, but I have a collection of them. I do have one. I say it's my go to like one. I always kind of come back. I enjoy a little bit of everything. Lincoln, parts of Marvin SAF, to JayZ, the Maroon Five. It's a little bit of everything. But that one album for me that I find myself kind of revisiting is by DMA. His first album is Dark and Hell's Hot.

Participant #1:

This was definitely an album that brought me out of my comfort zone for this particular project. Some of the other albums I have lined up or pulled the CD off the shelf, I've got that one. This one I had to discover for the first time. And I'm glad you picked it because I just, through life, never really looked at this one, but I have a newfound appreciation for this album. It was quite good. Yeah. You think about DMX and the type of man he was. Obviously he lived a very rough life from his days and crime and drug abuse and legal problems and everything the guy really lived he lived a full life, obviously. Recipes, if you think about that, things he raps about. The content is very graphic, but I think once you build back the layers of the violence and everything, he really talks about himself and really tells you who he is and what he's faced in life and the challenges and things he's trying to overcome and the demons and battles that he struggles with on a day to day basis. And that's what grabbed me about this album. And what I was not expecting was the fact that this is a concept album and he's telling a story, a very specific story, as far as I'm sure, portions are very autobiographical, but it's at least the story of someone who was raised in the streets and had to do things to survive. But then he starts to have that regret, and he starts questioning what was right, what was wrong, what was God's plan. And that back half of the album extremely deep, a lot more deep than I was expecting. Yeah, because I guess the first ten tracks or so, most of the commercial hits and everything, they kind of fall aligned in those first ten tracks or so. And then I think one of the commercial songs, track 13, but even that song is pretty compelling when you listen to the story of it. Actually one of my favorite songs with the album, too. But, yes, I said that back half an album, that's where a lot of people true, I guess the non fans will just kind of just turn it off, or just like they're different. But the true fans and people who really want to understand the deeper meaning of what he's talking about, that's where they all jump in and kind of listen and dive in there. I actually have a note that tracks three through seven kind of blend together for me. They're all very similar. They do have each have individual messages, sure. But it's after track seven where it starts to start tell that story. Well, now I take that back. It's telling the story from the beginning. You just don't realize it. Yeah, that's true. Like you said, the poppy, if you even call them poppy, or those mainstream songs, there's still a lot of grit in those songs as well, too. So a personal story of that, as far as the radio hits, is that this album came out when I was in basic training in 98. And so that year and a half, I was a bit out of the loop. Same previous episode, we talked Lauren Hill and Same Time Frame. I just kind of didn't know it was there. But then when I got to my permanent station, this album had already been out in ether for a while, and platoons get to pick their own mottos. There was one platoon that had stop, drop all of that in their platoon motto. They would sound off with that when you call them to attention. I had no idea where it came from. Now I do. I get it. There you go. It all makes it running. Cadence. And there would be some of the senior NCOs were calling this as Cadence. I just thought it was something always there. You're like, Oh, it's catchy. I love it. So how did you find this album? Was it just on release, or did someone kind of turn you on to this album? Actually, my big brother did. My big brother three and a half, almost four years apart. He was a senior in high school 98 and I was a freshman, or incoming freshman drop, if not mistaken, like May, right after we were out of school. I remember we were starting to train for a football season for next year. So happy. Like, May 19, we picked it up on Super Tuesday. That's when all the CDs were released. Back in the day. Matter of fact, my brother took me to DX and got it, got the CD. We both got a copy in his car and the other copy kept in the house. And of course, we had to go and base to get it tax free at a little bit. Take advantage. That's good. Absolutely. Tim and really all like hip hop. My brother really was the first to kind of just open my eyes to a lot of it. He's the one that showed me the first Outcast album and the naked woman on the cover and Jump, which they kept that theme going for the first three or four albums. But, yeah, it was always him. And he had a 92 Plymouth Sunday. We jumped in after we bought it. I had to carefully open the seat. So we used to do this thing where you took it off the hedge. You can keep the plastic seal together, so that way if the album sucks, you can take it back

Participant #1:

to your house. If the album sucks, I want my $10 back. I can go buy something else. I did that, opted in and about eight months straight. That outdated in that TV player. He never took it out. Going to football practice, going to football games, leaving school, it became a part of my life for, like, better, really. I say eight months, but probably for a better half of the year. I could totally see this album as a pump up for a football game. Football practice. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, when you look at the album, especially Blair Frighter's Anthem, that's all there once it hit the airwaves. Play football stadiums, it's still play football stadiums. You have that piece of it, and you have the piece of it where the commercial hits and stuff like that. To me, the album is really just one album that just kind of tests the time. And it's going to be around for a long time. Yeah, it has a great intro. It starts off slow with these tubular bells.

Participant #1:

I must have a great buildup. You don't really know what's coming, but it's going to be something epic. Anytime you hear those types of bells, whether it's Metallica or DMX, if something's coming, the intro track itself is great. But then it does flow very well into Rough Rider's hand. Yeah. And it's crazy because a lot of people skip the intro. It's like, Oh, it's just when talking intro, then all of a sudden, 30, 40 seconds in, it's like, Oh, it's a song. Yeah. And it's only called intro. It doesn't really have a formal title that's true. I'll tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It's just something like You Move On, beyond which Friday Dancer, too. I guess one of the reasons why that song was so major was it was actually one of the first production songs that was the record producer TV, his first song. He's working with JayZ and Lady Gaga and a couple of other pop artists as well. But he's definitely one of the producers in the industry. And that was his first song. We'll have to get him on the show. I know the actual first single release in this album was Get at Me Dog.

Participant #1:

I remember that song kind of dropped and everyone was like, It dropped, I think in February or so, a few months before the album came out. He created a buzz and everything. And then it released one more single and the next album is out, actually three singles. And then the album came out. And at that point in time, everyone was just like, we want more. The guy really just came in and set the industry on fire. Which is part of the reasons why I just love this album so much. And I love him as artists as well. Yeah, I did a little bit of reading as far as the production of it in his early years. I didn't know that he did street battles with JayZ. Yeah. Imagine being in that crowd, right? I'm telling you, there's actually an old VHS video you can find on YouTube, probably of a JayZ and DMX battle. Oh, no kidding. Yeah. You can see them, but you can hear them. And they went at it. And it was a really good rap battle. The crazy part, too, is Daisy, DMX and Jaw originally were a rap supergroup and they were called Murder Inc. Of course. Oh, they were Murder Inc. Exactly. I didn't know that. Yeah, so the original running and then the story was JayZ and DMX kind of fell out over some rap, I think that rap battle. And then later on, DMX and Jar Rule started having a rap beef. And Horace Jar Rule just took the whole murdering thing for himself. And obviously he had a very successful career with it, too. Well, this stuff came out and I could be completely wrong here, but to me it changed the landscape at the time because right before this, for lack of better phrase, kind of glam wrap, you had Puff Daddy doing his thing. And then there's the came out with several albums. They had crazy album covers. I can't think of it now. I can't think of the name. Like tanks on the cover and it's green and there's no limit. Yeah. Masterpiece. Masterpiece. That's it. That was the rap when I was in the hip hop kind of culture when I was ending high school, the 98. So then this came out say, well, I was gone. And everything kind of was different when I came out into the music landscape. Yeah, absolutely. So that's a great reference point because you're right, the No Limit, the South, New Orleans and the Little Wanes of the World, he was just emerging with the hot voice and everything now that wages started happening there. And the DMX kind of was that artist from the north, from New York, which obviously is where hip hop was created. He brought that back because, like you said, there was a glam rap and really rap was in a tough situation anyway because there was recovering from 96, 97 the deaths of big in Tupac. So it was really a big struggle. And the thing about DMX that I kind of liked too, there wasn't this whole notion of East Coast versus West Coast and it was just had his own story he wanted to tell and that was it. Yeah. And I could definitely see some influences or comparisons to Tupac on a lot of these tracks. Yeah. I think really with it, especially with the whole religious piece of it,

Participant #1:

he's ordained minister, or he was he was either a minister or a deacon, one of the other. But, yeah, he was really into the church and even like the track is the latter half the album and he has obviously one of my favorite songs on the album, his Prayers Get. He does that actually on, I think, his first four or five albums or maybe every album. He includes that prayer skit. I come to you hungry and tired you give me food let me sleep I come to you weak, you give me strength and that's deep. But the track, I think, is Combo and that's strictly you go back and look at the lyrics, there's no cursing in it's all. And he's talking about this conversation with God and decisions and things that he's trying to sort through and it's a really profound track, too. And now you mean to tell me that after all this time, it was you that kept the dog from going out of his mind? It was you that freed my lungs when I was born?

Participant #1:

Yeah, that was a beautiful track. Personally, I wish it would have ended on that. Me Too track 19, the last one, was kind of a let down after that great story. And the last track is kind of just let all my friends come in on and get some time on the album. Yeah, exactly. I agree. It's funny because I was my same sent to me. Obviously, I gave the album, gave it another list and I was like, Yeah, really? After 18. I'll tell you, another song I enjoyed, Darling Too is I Can Feel It, the Phil Collins sample

Participant #1:

that blew me away because I had no idea that was there. Yeah. I'm telling you, that's a good track. As a classic rock fan, it was well placed and that was definitely a good song. That's one of those songs though, that I don't care what generation you're from and what culture you're from. You hear that song, I feel college. You just get you going, especially football, too. A sports guy in sports, period. And what better way to build up the energy, the motion and tension. And then all of a sudden you just drop percussion in and eat in and everything and it's just awesome.

Participant #1:

Love it. It's always great at a football game when you've got the entire crowd doing the air drums on that one section. I'll say synchronized, but not really. But it's still fun to watch. We can go into the concept album of the whole thing because that's on the backside. But Damien probably my favorite track on the album and that's the turning point of the whole album. Agreed. I can probably say I remember there was a time where I listen to that song 50 times so I can get the lyrics down and remember it the concept of the song, he's talking to the devil or his guilty conscience, either. Or he's going back and forth on the decisions and everything and he's doing all these things to get in favor. But then once the devil asks him to do something that is just completely against what he wants to do and he's not predicament, what is he to do with this situation? Who is it this time?

Participant #1:

The beautiful thing about this song, too, is it continued on the second album. There's a second song called The Omen, I believe it's featuring Maryland. Oh, really? Oh, wow. Yeah, it's very dark. I'll find that track. Yeah. And it continues off like, really the Demian song. Because I think DMX sings both sides of that, Damien. Does he? Yeah, he does both sides on that, which is I don't know if you know Bob, but in just in hiphop, whenever that happens, when you have the artists or really just songs where there's almost like two rappers having conversation, it works so well. Like JFE and one of his other artists on his label used to do this early albums, two or three tracks, impeccable and some of the arts have done in the past. It just always makes for a great song when people do that. I agree with that. You mentioned guilty conscience. I mean, there's obviously parallels there with M and M's. Guilty conscience. Absolutely. If not directly influenced. It's just they're very similar. Yeah, I agree. But, yeah, I did like Damien with it. You just Fausti and deal with the devil. And then right there at the very end of the track, he's like, I just need you to take out this one guy for me. But I can't. That's my dog. But hey, what did I do for you? Yeah, I'm your greatest fan. I gave you fame and fortune and you're just going to leave me out. It starts that feeling of the central character is trapped. Yes. I think there's a line earlier in the album, I sold my soul to the devil and the price was cheap. That's harsh on anyone claiming your soul is cheap. There's definitely a bit of poetry in this and a lot of self reflection. Absolutely. I agree. 200%.

Participant #1:

I think they even picked out the right beat with the kid just to go that song over the top. It's not too facey, it's nice and it just flows so low for me, too. I guess the one thing I thoroughly enjoy about Damien is that it then leads into this kind of change of pace, almost essentially like a love story and how it goes down. You could call that a love story. Yeah,

Participant #1:

it's an interesting intro. Yeah, the intro. I don't know nobody in yonkers, I just heard some shit about you. Some foul shit. Fuck is the Dev. Fuck my fucking dick, you bitch ass neck. No, you explain it to me, bitch. You know what I'm talking about.

Participant #1:

It's Faith Evans

Participant #1:

video version, but I think on the album version, it actually was another person that on the original and then Faith came in and once they did a video, she then stepped up, which to me, I like that they haven't version better. I just know the one album that I downloaded. I assume it's Fates Evans. I'm not sure. Yeah, but it's funny. It's interesting, though, because you say it's a love story, because it's a story of DMX having an affair with a taken woman who has someone already and a kid, but he eventually walks away. Exactly. Which really showed you, like, how this guy really is a good dude. I mean, somewhat. Let me say that

Participant #1:

no matter how much of a thug he is, how hard he is, there's even a point in time in the software. The baby father ran up on this guy he thought was me, started flexing. He said he's not with it, he's going to leave him sleep and then he's going to kill him. But then he's like, you know what? I'm not going to do it because that's your kid's daddy. But you better tell him, take care. He needs to relax and fall back around. I have to take care of business because we've mentioned it. But the first half of the album is just life on the streets. Got to do what you can to survive. Obviously, life of Crime in there. But then after Damien, the endings of those stories all have different endings per song. As far as we get into Crime Story, a wild story about a criminal who's on the run, but then he turns himself in at the end of the song. So it's like two songs in a row where the right decision is made at the end. Yeah, agreed. Crime Story. That's a good one, too, because like you said, back half of the album, where he really is storytelling almost on every single track, and you're getting a different story. And like you said, with different results and results. Considering the crux of the song and what's going on, you're like, there's no way this guy will turn himself in and then does that.

Participant #1:

I play like a bitch. It's just me here and I'm not dressed. And that guy, that's kind of dangerous. I hope you're making the rest. Because on the flip side, there's also ATF, which is a similar song of a man on the Run. This more enjoyable song compared the two to me, but then with a much darker ending, did not turn himself in. Right? Yeah, not at all. It was like Tony Montana. Exactly.

Participant #1:

For me, the lyrics on this one, given the storytelling ability that you may have as much as he got later on to his career, he started seeing fewer songs on his albums as he progressed through great albums of great music. But he just got a lot less of the stories as he progressed through his career. We talked about the Phil Collins cover. I could feel it. And then that leads into Prayer, which is exactly what the title says. It's a solemn prayer to God trying to explain himself. But he also questions God's plan. He's a confused individual. Why are you allowing these things to happen? And it's very moving and it leads very well into the conversation where God answers him back. Absolutely does.

Participant #1:

Yeah. And I like the realization that he has through the conversation. It was you that kept the dog from going out of his mind. It was you that gave me a good wife and a beautiful son. He has those realizations that he may not have made all the right decisions, but he still made some good ones. Yeah, I think it's really light, period. You look at it from your own personal life, it's the same thing. You know, there's been opportunities where you probably could have made a better decision and you didn't. And, you know, that's what life is, just a collection of decisions, both good, bad and different. And hopefully, at the end of the day, you had more good decisions in that. And I think the other piece of it is prayer. Violence is murder. There's drugs, all these different things infidelity premarital sex, and it's always different sins and everything. But he brings you all back to pray to God for asking forgiveness and really just for grace. So it's really compelling. I'm glad he got the chance to tell that story. I mean, he obviously had a rough early life, but he had those opportunities to capitalize on his talent and say the music world is lucky for it. Yeah, absolutely. Music. I gave us five straight number one albums from the Billboard 100 or Hot 200. I know. We put out three in a two year period of 98, 99. Yeah. I think it's either five or four. His first four albums are first five albums already at the time was a record. I'm sure it's probably been with that level of output. I mean, he must have had just all kinds of stuff in his head that wanted to get on paper. Yeah, I agree. And I think also the struggles and the legal challenges and all those different things. I know as we run his career, those nuggets once all, we kind of skip over, which is my favorite song of the album, Stop Eating Green,

Participant #1:

which is interesting. Again, almost like he's talking. It's two different sides of the song. He had the light side where that character is kind of cool with just being himself. But then you have that darker side that if you push him too far, that light side too far, that darker side is going to get things done by any means necessary. I mean, that storytelling. And then with that beat, I think a sample actually a Diana Ross solve it. Oh, really? Yeah, but to me it really plays into my childhood nostalgia. It sounds like the theme music from Castlevania Nintendo. You got Dracula and everything, so it really dark sound. And you'll be eating long enough now stop being greedy keep a real partner into the needy a ribs of touching rims are touching so don't make me wait around I'm going to invite you to snatch the plate he's like, you need to give me some money if not because I'm hungry. Obviously. My ribs touching if you don't give me this money, give me what you got I'm going to take it and I'm going to hurt you. So when I heard that, that's how the song starts with that chords and he goes into the flow, I'm like, yeah. My note on that song is a good track on the duality of life and his life in particular. And it sits in between those two crime stories. Yeah, it does. The one where he gives himself up and the one that has the darker ending. So it's well placed.

Participant #1:

Yeah. I think that track 19 is the only song on this whole album. It's out of late. I can agree with that. Yes, it would have fit well in the first half. They could have put it in anywhere. Yeah, I think so. My only note for track nine was group track. Not much to say,

Participant #1:

but it is featuring Mace, who apparently had a big hand in getting this album made, I read. Yes, he did actually shout out to Maids for doing that. Another hiphop artist with Preacher Route, too. Yeah, he did actually. He was here in Atlanta. He was here in Atlanta. Asked for church in Glenn County. Your old stuffing ground. Oh, yeah. I didn't know that. He's passing up until early 20, I think. And then he decided he needed to transition from the netlife and he actually went back into the studio and recorded the album. He had a song, I remember it was Welcome Back and wasn't that great? I remember that song. I remember him being on stage at an awards ceremony or something and he was just standing in the background yelling welcome back. Welcome back. And it was very awkward. Yeah, I remember that. That would be him. And I think too emerge kind of had to put the locks on this album. And of course, the locks end up being actually ended up signing to his record label, Rough Rider's record. And one of the artists from the locks, she blew she's featured on Gapney Dog. And the very first song, I believe DMX. The most popular song DMX was featured on before the album came out was a song by the Lock. It was called Money, Power, Respect. It was the locks featuring little Kim and DMX. People especially huge fan of the rap though, like, the locks has probably one of the best lyricists of all time, which is Jadekis. There was a Vs battle early this year and Jada Kiss kind of reminded it really showed like the generation doesn't really know his music. Like, how talented he is. Extremely good. But they also say you're talking about a Jane Kiss on the track of Lil Kim. And DMX was a guy that left you like, when that track hit you like, who is this guy? And it just really shows you how good he was as a lyricist and as an Mt. Now, the Rough Riders, I don't know if it was like, his personal friends or if it was actually musicians. Yeah, so it's musicians, but also it's a biker club. Okay. Yeah. The Run Prior and the video find on YouTube, you'll see the runner logo. You'll see it today if you go in certain cities. Yeah, they're a biker club. Like, typically Japanese style, those type of style bikes and yeah, it's a bike club that just became very popular. They had the Rough Riders clothing line. It turned into a whole deal. So it's dark and hell is hot. Major top spot of your very closely knit fight for the top spot. What other albums? Major shortlist. All right, so again, it's very tough. But Outcast. So it will be their third album. And it features the title track actually included is quite possibly one of the best lyrical rap songs ever. I mean, just everyone that are huge fans of rap. They're always big fans of wine to 3000 guys. He's gifted. Extremely gifted. He is essentially like what Lord Hill was the first album and how incredible that was. He's that to rap, but he just doesn't give you enough. And what he did deliver of that song and him and Big Boy, it just feels magical. That would be my question because I'm not familiar with the song. Is it more of an Andre song or more of a Big Boy song? Because the Outcast that I've listened to is more later outcast. Now, I don't really know much of the early stuff where the later album it was either going to be a one song or the other kind of thing. Now this was them together. They tagged team back and forth. I think there's four verses on five verses on the album. But the last verse, when Andre just comes in, he just like, actually, the last two verses, the last verse from each artist. It's just incredible. I would highly recommend Webinar outcast. Listen to that. Listen to that. You can just have one track, but really, the whole album is well put together. Another one. Park. This is an incredible album. I know. You being an Illinois guy, Chicago guy. This one probably comes with your heart a little bit. Indeed. Indeed. This neighbor's just so great. My bars and keyboarding. Brad and Rob and Dave on the profession, the strings and Johann on the ones and twos. It was something we had never heard before. We never heard anything like this. Real deep dive into the rap rock genre. There is a great track on that album called Cure for the Itch. Yeah. I mean, it's still in my top playlist. It's just always there. It's instrumental other than at the beginning. It doesn't allow me to introduce Mr. Han. And then it's all just scratching and instrumental. Or the band. I love that track.

Participant #1:

That one in points of authority for me, are my two. Yeah. Do you think of The Collision Course where they did with JayZ? Yeah, that's a great I wanted more of that. Yeah. JayZ gave us a couple of great albums like that. I know one of them wasn't authorized. It was the Gray Album. I think it was. It was the Beatles, White House and Jay Z, The Black Album. And it was probably one of the most amazingly composed albums ever. I even include that on here. But that probably could have made the short list, too. But I really went back and forth on Lincoln Park in hybrid. There DMX quite a bit. I almost sent you an email. Hey, let's push it to Lincoln Bar. I would have fallen for you. Howard Theory is a great album. And that's one I can just reach onto the shelf and grab the CD. Absolutely. But that came out also when I was in the army. And that was real big in the barracks, that entire album that was played everywhere. I love the diversity of the group, too.

Participant #1:

A little bit of everyone and everything in there. And it just came together and made some great music. And I'm excited to hear that. They're supposed to be doing some stuff here this year.

Participant #1:

Yeah, I heard when I heard about Chester, that was a big loss. DMX lost a lot of young artists. I say young, not twenties. But definitely well before their time. Exactly. I agree. Over the time, especially, to how they should come. I think it's the worst part.

Participant #1:

Yes. You never know what people are dealing with DMX, Chester, Chris Cornell, there's plenty of others. It's a shame. Yeah. Some rough years and then I had one last one and this was a more recent album, I say more recently. It came out seven years ago by Jacob Ford's Drive. And this was his, I believe, third out. I am not familiar at all. The thing about this one, it's so masterful and amazing. 13 tracks don't skip a single track and there's no features. This is just big hole beats. And he produced almost everything. Most of the songs of the album he produced, I think ten out of 13 songs he producing himself. And, I mean, this album was so great. He did a tour and sold out every city that he did on this album. And he was filling up a Mass Square Garage, Guardian and places like that. And again, this is the album with no features, just him and very compelling. People talk about who the best rappers around right now. You hear the names Kendrick Lamar, you hear Drake. I think Drake is a great artist. I don't necessarily think he's a great rap, that he can make successful songs, ability to rap and all those different components of it. I don't think he's as talented as others. Then you have J Cole and Kim's remarks. We are that Mount Rushmore right now in the rap industry. Of course.

Participant #1:

Yeah. The music nowadays is one of the reasons I even started this. It's going to help me discover some old stuff that I missed. I'm not going to say that I don't like music today. Much of it doesn't feel the same for me. The rock level, you've got Poof fighters and then, I don't know, find someone at their level. And then on the hip hop rap side, I can name the people you said, but I can't tell you their songs. I don't really listen to the Top 40 anymore. I'm more leaning back towards the into. Others love it. But already in this particular project, I have discovered several albums that I have not listened to all the way through until now or not at all. I mean, the DMX I hadn't listened to at all. So it's been a wonderful experience of just my playlist has completely changed of what I'm listening to now and it's serving its purpose from a selfish point of view. Hopefully listeners out there are getting something good from it also, but it's definitely serving the purpose that I created it for. Yeah, absolutely. When you propose, as I did, and I was like, this is going to be amazing. And like you said, to be able to kind of just diversify what you listen to just really gives you a different experience. And also, too, you get to see these different things. Like the Phil calls track. You're like, wow, who would have thought that that would have been something that would have come to fruition and it's pretty darn good, too, in that matter. It's amazing how a soft rock track from 80s or 90s I'm not sure when that track came out, has found its way into so many different genres. Whereas I've seen Garthbrooks cover it and it's pretty much a cover. So that one song is amazing how far reach it's got. Yeah, absolutely.

Participant #1:

I'm sure there's probably a rapper there's probably some rapper right now that's trying to find it, uses a sample to put it in it's all right now. Or someone in the industry. Yeah, I agree to you. I think they say the music industry right now is very dangerous spot. When you look at the different across the different genres, it seems like pop is really just what's important to music. Let's just make pop and it all sounds the same. I think that's also a result of the track by track basis that songs are available now. It's make one good song, get it out there on SoundCloud or wherever, or on YouTube, and then you get known, you get that one good song, and then you don't really have to have other ones. Whereas DMX put out a full album of amazing content. Yeah, I agree. Like we said earlier, he put out three albums in a two year time span of all, went to number one, plus more after that. That was all in his head, rather than just trying to get one good song out of a session. Yeah. Too many other artists to make a good song. You don't see it where they can just do this track by themselves and make it a good song. They have to have someone else on there to help hear the song. I think you see a lot of that that happens. Yeah, I agree. I'm hopeful, though, because good art comes out of tough times and over the past two years have been tough times nationwide. And I'm hopeful that there's going to be some shifts overall in the entire music industry as far as almost equivalent to the early 90s, because that saw a gigantic change in hip hop, a gigantic change in rock, got into Grunge. The early 90s were a wonderful time to be a kid discovering new music, and I think that the latter half of the 2020 is going to be a great time for music. I'm hopeful.

Participant #1:

Is there anything you want to tell our listeners about what you're working on or where they can find you or anything you want to pitch? Yeah, absolutely. @polthedom

Participant #1:

Buddies of Mine, we also do a podcast called The Real Black Father of Atlanta. Obviously we're all fathers and obviously we're all black. We just talk about parenting from our perspective, current events and everything. It's been a while since we shot, but season two is coming. We will be doing some things here for the year end, so stay tuned. And we also have Instagram handles on Facebook Group at the real blackfold. We will put those in the show notes and send some tags out. Perfect. Again, Steve, thanks so much for having me, man. I'll tell you, it's certainly been an honor and a pleasure to have this conversation with you and dive into this. Thank you. This was definitely a pleasure. Pleasure to sit down with you and talk about DMX's. It's dark and hell is hot. Recommend for anyone out there to grab that album. Give it a full listen. Give it your full attention. Definitely worth it.

Participant #1:

All right. Thanks, Dom. We'll bring you back on again. You can talk that outcast album. Hey, I'd love to. Season two. Bye. Thank you for listening to Music rewind podcast from the Sidereal Media Group. Until next time,

Participant #1:

A podcast from the Sidereal Media Group. Back to you Anchors.

https://musicrewind.podbean.com/e/dmx-it-s-dark-and-hell-is-hot-with-dom-brown/