Vol. 3...Life And Times Of S. Carter / ...And Then There Was X
DMX presents himself as a hard-core rapper, but essentially he makes music designed to entertain suburban children. His rage-filled persona is too over-the-top to take seriously (he starts this album growling and barking) and his lyrics, ("Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Nigga!") lack wit. On Party Up, he tries to craft a clubland anthem and fails. It's not much fun partying with a guy who's probably just gonna start a fight and ruin everything. Still, one song, What's My Name?, does have a welcome sense of urgency.
Fellow gangsta rapper Jay-Z fares better on his new CD. Unlike DMX, he keeps his music uncluttered, and his lyrical flow is smooth and relaxed. There aren't any great cuts here, but Things That U Do--with gentle guest vocals by Mariah Carey--demonstrates Jay-Z's skill at creating a good, involving dance song.
Most Popular »
- Four Ways the U.S. Could End Up at War with Iran Before the Election*
- The Art of Nazi Hunting: How Israel's Mossad Found Adolf Eichmann
- JC Penney and Ellen, Lowe's and All-American Muslim: A Tale of Two Bigotries
- Study: Zapping the Brain Boosts Memory
- College Endowments: Why Even Harvard Isn't As Rich As You Think
- Pentagon Rules 'Shift' on Women in Combat
- Bradying: The Poor Man's Tebowing
- Twimmolation Alert: Roland Martin Gets His Ascot in Hot Water at CNN
- House Pulls the Plug. Too Soon or Too Late?
- Why We Need a New Definition of 'PC'
- The Upside Of Being An Introvert (And Why Extroverts Are Overrated)
- The Brain: How The Brain Rewires Itself
- Egypt's NGO Crisis: How Will U.S. Aid Play in the Controversy?
- Friends With Benefits
- New York City: 10 Things to Do
- Seoul Searching
- Pentagon Rules 'Shift' on Women in Combat
- Haiti Papers Over the Past: The Rebranding of 'Baby Doc' Duvalier
- In Singapore, Finding Peace Among the Pain of Thaipusam
- India Upgrades Military to Match China
More News from Our Partners
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
