"Ruff Ryders' Anthem" is a song by American rapper
DMX
Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...
, released on May 5, 1998, as the third single from his debut studio album ''
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' is the debut album by American rapper DMX. It was released on May 12, 1998, by Def Jam Recordings and Ruff Ryders Entertainment. It was supported by four singles—"Get at Me Dog", "Stop Being Greedy", "Ruff Ryders ...
'' (1998). In 2008, the song was ranked at number 79 on ''VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop''. In the US, upon the song's initial release it had originally peaked at number 93 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, before reaching a new peak of number 16 following DMX's death in April 2021.
Background and conception
"Ruff Ryders' Anthem" was
produced by Kasseem Dean, at the time an up-and-coming musician better known as
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
.
Swizz Beatz had been introduced to DMX by his uncles Darrin and Joaquin Dean, who are co-founders of the
Ruff Ryders. According to Swizz Beatz, DMX had initially rejected the production: "I made the 'Ruff Ryders Anthem'
beat in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
. It was me just bugging out, having my
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
influence and having my Atlanta influence. That track was the perfect blend which was awkward and different at the time because nobody had ever heard anything like that. DMX didn't want to do it. He was like, 'Man, that sounds like some
rock 'n' roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
track, I need some
hip-hop shit. I'm not doing that. It's not
hood enough."
[ Despite Swizz Beatz's best efforts, it wasn't until Darrin and Joaquin Dean convinced DMX to give the track a chance that he did so.][
The background ]vocal
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production ...
s and beat follow the rhythm of a military cadence
In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (199 ...
. This coincides with the hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
's theme of being a cohesive unit. Swizz Beatz once recalled how the 'What!' ad-lib
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The r ...
s formulated, stating "The 'What!' ad-lib and all of that came about in the middle of us hyping him up. We left it in the track to add energy. Collectively, we came up with that vibe".[
]
Music video
The official music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
was directed by J. Jesses Smith, who had previously worked with DMX on the visuals for “Get at Me Dog
"Get at Me Dog" is a major-label debut single by American rapper DMX, from his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot''. The single peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US, making it DMX's third highest peak on the chart, behin ...
”. The video features cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
s by rap group Onyx
Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The ...
as well as DMX's Ruff Ryders label-mates The LOX
The Lox (stylized The LOX or The L.O.X.) is an American hip hop group from Yonkers, New York, formed in 1994. The group is composed of East Coast rappers Sheek Louch, Styles P and Jadakiss. They had originally signed to Puff Daddy's Bad Boy ...
, Eve, and Swizz Beatz. It has over 165 million views on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
as of 2021.
Charts
"Ruff Ryders' Anthem (Remix)"
"Ruff Ryders' Anthem (Remix)" is a song featuring vocals from American rappers and Ruff Ryders cohorts DMX, Jadakiss
Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rap trio The Lox, managed by Ruff Ryders and signed with B ...
, Styles P
David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss ...
, Drag-On
Melvin Smalls, known professionally as Drag-On, is an American rapper. He is best known for his time on Ruff Ryders, through whom he released his debut album, '' Opposite of H2O'' (2000). The album was successful, debuting at number five on th ...
and Eve. The song was released in 1999 as the third and final single from DJ Clue's solo debut album, '' The Professional'' (1998).The Liberty Jam
''Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories'' is an action-adventure game developed in a collaboration between Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games. The ninth installment in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, it was i ...
. In 2020, the song was featured in the video game '' Call of Duty: Warzone''.
Charts
Certifications
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1998 songs
1999 singles
DMX (rapper) songs
Hardcore hip hop songs
Song recordings produced by Swizz Beatz
Songs written by Swizz Beatz
Def Jam Recordings singles
Roc-A-Fella Records singles
Ruff Ryders Entertainment singles
Gangsta rap songs
Songs written by DMX (rapper)
pl:How's It Goin' Down