May 28, 2021 – New York, NY – DMX – the hip-hop icon who defined and dominated an era – lives on with the arrival of EXODUS, the legendary rapper’s posthumous studio album, available now via Ruff Ryders/Def Jam Recordings.
The historic album – executive-produced by DMX’s career-long producer Swizz Beatz – features an A-list of contemporary megastars who lent their talents to the creation of EXODUS, including Alicia Keys, Bono, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nas, Snoop Dogg, The Lox, Usher, Moneybagg Yo, Griselda, Kanye West, DMX’s son Exodus Simmons, and others.
Prior to the release of EXODUS, Swizz Beatz issued the following statement: “My brother X was one of the most purest and rare souls I’ve ever met. He lived his life dedicated to his family and music. Most of all, he was generous with his giving and loved his fans beyond measure. This album, X couldn’t wait for his fans all around the world to hear and show just how much he valued each and every single person that has supported him unconditionally.”
Themes of redemption weave through EXODUS, the first Def Jam album by DMX in 18 years, since 2003’s Grand Champ. The new album shares its name with DMX’s son Exodus Simmons. The album artwork is by original photographer Jonathan Mannion, who captured some of the most iconic images of DMX throughout his career.
As fans around the world continue to celebrate the life of DMX, he continues to hold the unique distinction of being the only artist in history to enter both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop charts with #1 debuts for his first five consecutive career albums, starting with his debut It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (May 1998, with “Ruff Ryders Anthem”), then Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (December 1998), … And Then There Was X (1999, with “Party Up (Up In Here)”), The Great Depression (2001, with “Who We Be”), and Grand Champ (2003, with his definitive anthem, “Where The Hood At?”).
As reported in Billboard, Yonkers, New York native DMX (aka Earl Simmons) sold more than 74 million records worldwide in his lifetime, and amassed in excess of 14x-platinum RIAA certifications in the U.S. alone. He was “one of the most memorable MCs of all time,” wrote journalist Smokey D. Fontaine, co-author of E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX (2003). “The only artist who has spent a career inspiring followers around the world to bark and rhyme in loud bursts of manic, ghetto energy, only then to get them to read and rap and think and cry in private moments of honest thought and introspection. No one in hip-hop has ever done it better. No one has meant more.”
EXODUS by DMX tracklist:
- That’s My Dog featuring The LOX & Swizz Beatz
- Bath Salts featuring JAY-Z & Nas
- Dogs Out featuring Lil Wayne & Swizz Beatz
- Money Money Money featuring Moneybagg Yo
- Hold Me Down featuring Alicia Keys
- Skyscrapers featuring Bono
- Stick Up Skit featuring Cross, Infrared & Icepick
- Hood Blues featuring Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher & Conway The Machine
- Take Control featuring Snoop Dogg
- Walking In The Rain featuring Nas, Exodus Simmons & Denaun
- Exodus Skit
- Letter To My Son (Call Your Father) featuring Usher & Brian King Joseph
- Prayer
Executive Producer: Swizz Beatz
Co-Executive Producer for Bloodline Records: Craig M. Brodhead
DOWNLOAD/STREAM “EXODUS” here: