Photo of DMX
Photo: Mika-photography · CC BY-SA 3.0

Solo Artist

DMX

Active1992-2021
DiedApril 9, 2021
OriginYonkers, New York, USA
Albums8
Tracks139

Most frequent collaborator: Swizz Beatz  ·  38 tracks

Hip-HopRapHardcore Hip-HopEast Coast Hip-HopGangsta Rap
96%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 133 of 139 tracks

Did DMX write his own raps?

Yes. DMX is credited on about 99% of his catalogue and wrote all his own lyrics, starting while he was young and even incarcerated. He shares credit only with the producers who built his beats, above all Swizz Beatz. Songs like 'Party Up (Up in Here)' and 'Ruff Ryders' Anthem' are his own words.

By the Numbers

8
Studio Albums
139
Tracks Credited
96%
Self-Written
over 75 million
Records Sold
29
Years Active
219
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 133 / 139 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 139 tracks: how many DMX wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

DMX has a writing credit96%
8%
88%
4%
Sole author11tracks8%
Co-written122tracks88%
Outside writers6tracks4%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
DMX's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 139 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)96%
Composer (music)9%
Producer9%
Performer97%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

DMX's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 96%
100%
100%
100%
88%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1998It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
1998Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
1999...And Then There Was X
2001The Great Depression
2003Grand Champ
2006Year of the Dog... Again
2012Undisputed
2021Exodus
Early · 100% written
Mid · 96% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1990s
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood +1 more
96%
2000s
The Great Depression, Grand Champ +1 more
100%
2010s
Undisputed
100%
2020s
Exodus

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where DMX sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

DMX
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Metro Boomin0%
EXO8%
Backstreet Boys25%
Billy Ray Cyrus47%
TLC59%
Destiny's Child69%
Snoop Dogg88%
96%DMX
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Party Up (Up in Here)
...And Then There Was X
Written by DMX, Kasseem Dean
Co-wrote
What These Bitches Want
...And Then There Was X
Written by DMX, Sisqó, Tamir Ruffin
Co-wrote
What's My Name?
...And Then There Was X
Written by DMX, Irving Lorenzo, Edward Hinson
Co-wrote
Who We Be
The Great Depression
Written by DMX, Mickey Davis
Co-wrote
I Miss You
The Great Depression
Written by DMX, Faith Evans, Brian Collins
Co-wrote
Where the Hood At?
Grand Champ
Written by DMX, Franklin Crum, Eriberio Serrano
Co-wrote

Discography 8 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

DMX139 tracks
SB38 KD35 DB29 DG29 AF17 P16

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. SB Swizz Beatz · KD Kasseem Dean · DB Damon Blackman · DG Dame Grease · AF Anthony Fields · P PK

The Writers & Producers Behind DMX 6 key collaborators

SB
Swizz Beatz
Producer
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot / Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood / ...And Then There Was X / The Great Depression38 tracks
KD
Kasseem Dean
Songwriter
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot / Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood / ...And Then There Was X / The Great Depression35 tracks
DB
Damon Blackman
Songwriter
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot / Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood / ...And Then There Was X / The Great Depression29 tracks
DG
Dame Grease
Producer
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot / Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood / ...And Then There Was X / The Great Depression29 tracks
AF
Anthony Fields
Songwriter
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot / Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood / ...And Then There Was X / The Great Depression17 tracks
P
PK
Producer
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot / Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood / ...And Then There Was X / The Great Depression16 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

DMX wrote every lyric on every studio album. His legal name Earl Simmons appears as a songwriter credit on all substantive tracks across all eight albums. He outsources all production while maintaining complete lyric ownership; his longest collaborations are with Dame Grease (Damon Blackman, Albums 1 through 4 and 6 through 7) and Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean, Albums 1 through 3 and 5 through 8). The prayer interludes that close nearly every album are among his most personally written pieces despite being unaccompanied spoken word. His authorship pattern is among the purest in the hip-hop tradition: 100% lyricist, 0% composer, with every note coming from outside producers and every word coming from Simmons himself.

Quick Facts

  • Chart recordThe first artist to have his first five albums all debut at number one on the Billboard 200
  • SalesSold over 75 million records worldwide by the time of his death
  • Main producerSwizz Beatz produced many of his biggest records, including 'Ruff Ryders' Anthem'
  • It's Dark and Hell Is HotHis 1998 debut sold over six million copies
  • Grammy nodsNominated for six Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album

Creative Fingerprint

A rapper who wrote every word: DMX is credited on about 99% of his catalogue, writing all his own lyrics, always sharing credit with the producers, above all Swizz Beatz, who built his beats.

The Story

Earl Simmons (born December 18, 1970, died April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was a rapper from Yonkers, New York whose arrival in 1998 reshaped the sound and image of mainstream hip-hop. He became the first artist in history to have his first two studio albums both debut at number one on the Billboard 200, releasing both It's Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood in 1998 alone. His voice, one of the most distinctive in hip-hop history, combined an aggressive barking delivery with a raw confessional vulnerability that surfaced most clearly in the prayer interludes he placed at the end of nearly every album. ...And Then There Was X (1999) produced "Party Up (Up in Here)" and "What These Bitches Want," two of his biggest commercial crossover records. DMX wrote every lyric across his entire career, working most consistently with producers Dame Grease and Swizz Beatz, who shaped his sound from his debut through his posthumous final album Exodus (2021), executive produced by Swizz Beatz and released seven weeks after DMX's death at age 50.

Awards & Recognition

First artist to have his first five albums consecutively debut at number one on the Billboard 200
Sold over 75 million records worldwide
Nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album for ...And Then There Was X
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998) sold over six million copies

Frequently Asked Questions DMX

Did DMX write his own raps?
Yes. DMX is credited on about 99% of his catalogue and wrote all his own lyrics, starting while he was young and even incarcerated. He shares credit only with the producers who built his beats, above all Swizz Beatz. Songs like 'Party Up (Up in Here)' and 'Ruff Ryders' Anthem' are his own words.
Who produced DMX's music?
His main producer was Swizz Beatz, credited as Kasseem Dean, who crafted the aggressive beats behind hits like 'Ruff Ryders' Anthem' and 'Party Up (Up in Here).' DMX wrote the raps while Swizz and others made the music.
What was DMX's chart record?
DMX became the first artist in history to have his first five studio albums all debut at number one on the Billboard 200, an unmatched run of commercial dominance from 1998 into the 2000s.
Who wrote 'Party Up (Up in Here)'?
'Party Up (Up in Here),' from ...And Then There Was X (1999), was written by DMX and produced by Swizz Beatz. Its call-and-response hook made it one of his most recognisable songs and earned a Grammy nomination.
How many albums did DMX release?
This catalogue covers eight studio albums, from It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998) through Exodus (2021), released shortly after his death.
When did DMX die?
DMX died on April 9, 2021, at age 50, following a heart attack. The Yonkers rapper was mourned across hip-hop as one of the defining and most passionate voices of his era.
How many records did DMX sell?
DMX sold over 75 million records worldwide, driven by his run of number-one albums and hits like 'Party Up' and 'X Gon' Give It to Ya.'
What genre is DMX?
DMX made hardcore hip-hop, East Coast hip-hop, and gangsta rap, known for his raw, barking delivery and raw, spiritual lyrics on songs like 'Slippin'' and 'Ruff Ryders' Anthem.'

Sources

Wikipedia: DMX