One of the most engaging figures in Hip-Hop history, DMX blasted onto the scene with his larger-than-life debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot.

Leading up to the release of his blockbuster debut, the charismatic MC had already captured people's attention with dynamic guest appearances, including on LL COOL J's 1997 classic, "4,3,2,1." It set him up for the splash he'd later make with his 1998 debut.

DMX's rough, staccato delivery distinguished him immediately, and his lyrical musings made him one of the most fascinating characters in Hip-Hop when he arrived on the scene. Even the album title, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, captures the torment he grappled with and dissected in his music, including on one of the album's standout storytelling tracks, "Damien" where he meets the devil in disguise.

While DMX openly tussled with the dark side, it's his sense of morality and the light he brought to his music that really made him interesting. His musings about death and life, struggle and hope, made him a compelling artist everyone rooted for. X was rough but vulnerable, and he made you root for him to find his way through the clouds.

You can hear all of those elements throughout his debut, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and went four times platinum, showcasing just how relatable he was.

His magnetism was exemplified on tracks like the radio hit, "How's It Goin Down," where he pontificates about the push and pull of love, and on the ultra-hyper songs "Get At Me Dog" featuring Sheek Louch, "Stop Bein Greedy," and the third single from the album, "Ruff Ryders Anthem," which remains one of his most recognizable hits. Ironically, producer Swizz Beatz said that DMX wasn't that into the track initially, and only got on the song because he lost a bet.

“So I was in Atlanta in school and then, um, they got the project to where it was at and then I came in last minute with ‘Stop Drop,'” Swizz told host Gray Rizzy of Sirius XM. “X lost a bet or I wouldn’t even been on that album, you know what I’m saying? But he didn’t lose the bet because that song ended up changing all of our lives. So he technically won the bet for my Uncle D and you know that just changed all of our lives. So it was just enough to do what it needed to do.”

DMX's debut set him up for a monster career, and that same year, he followed up It's Dark and Hell Is Hot with with his sophomore album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, which sold 3 million copies. Showcasing his level of stardom, he eventually became only the second-ever rapper to land five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.

Even with his untimely death in 2021, DMX's presence is still felt in Hip-Hop, in no small part because of his towering 1998 debut album.