1998’s Belly is a cult classic. The film focuses on “Buns” (DMX) and “Sin” (Nas), two young criminals in Queens and their growing criminal empire in Nebraska. While it holds a 27% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences loved the film. It holds an 87% audience rating and tripled its budget at the box office.
Tyrin Turner plays a small but memorable part in the film. Turner plays Big Head Rico, an Omaha-based drug dealer who attempts to take Bunds and Sin down for taking over his turf. However, in a recent interview, Turner revealed that his iconic performance was something completely different.
Big Head Rico Was Supposed to Sabotage “Belly”
Appearing on the DUB C And CJ Mac Show, Turner revealed that he had originally been offered the part of Buns in Belly. “I met Hype Williams, I did the ‘Mary Jane’ video for Scarface, and then Hype was like, ‘I got this movie called Belly, I want you to be DMX’s character.” However, a few months later, Williams recast the role with the New York-born DMX. After finding out that he had been replaced, Turner vowed to ruin the film. “I’m young, I’m mad I didn’t get the character I wanted so [I was like], ‘I’m gon’ fuck this movie up. I’ma put on some glasses, I’ma be the worst country snitching dude that I could ever be.’”
However, Big Head Rico turned out to be one of the most-loved parts of the film. Turner’s portrayal of the milk bottle glasses wearing, banana-eating drug dealer was seen as a hilarious caricature rather than taking away from the film. “I’m thinking that I’m sabotaging the movie, but I’m thinking I’m irritated. I’m thinking that I’m just gon’ fuck the movie up. It was iconic. I couldn’t even fuck up what I wanted.” Turner said. What unintentionally sold the character further was that it was seen as a departure from type for Turner. In 1998, Turner was best known for starring in the lead role in 1993’s Menace II Society. Thus, the ridiculous appearance and self-seriousness of Big Head Rico was a complete change for audiences already familiar with Turner.
The daughter of DMX recently paid a visit to her late father’s gravesite. DMX, real name, Earl Simmons, achieved superstardom as a musician in the late 90s. The Ruff Ryder’s legend first hit the scene as a features artist. However, he would quickly go on to establish himself as a solo act. The New York native’s lyricism and aggressive demeanor earned him fans the world over. Subsequently, he became one of the biggest rappers of his era. Additionally, his popularity led him to starring in movies such as Cradle 2 The Grave andRomeo Must Die. However, for 10-year-old Sonovah Hamilton, he was simply her dad.
Hamilton was only eight-years-old when her father died. However, it’s obvious X made a life-long impact on his daughter. Hamilton recently took to Instagram to share a touching tribute to her father on the two-year anniversary of his death. In the photo, Hamilton can be seen smiling in front of her X’s headstone. Additionally, she’s wearing a shirt with her father’s image on it. Hamilton captioned the photo with “Couldn’t pull up to yo city and not see you. Hey daddy!”
Meanwhile, other tributes have been coming in for X as well. The Ruff Ryders paid tribute to their fallen comrade earlier this week. The crew is a loosely affiliated group of New York rappers that X was the de-fact leader of. The group and a small number of fans gathered at X’s gravesite on Sunday. During the tribute, speakers shared stories about the impact X had on their lives and careers. Additionally, attendees could be seen reciting lyrics and pouring out liquor for their friend.
No one will ever understand the pain that DMX’s death brought his friends and family. However, X’s death had an impact on fans all around the world. Several fans have taken to social media to pay their respects to the beloved rapper. “R.I.P. DMX can’t believe it’s been 2 years already!!!” said one Twitter user. “Pour one out for the Dog!” said another. X had been open about his struggles with mental health issues and substance abuse. However, his death still shocked fans and artists across the world of hip-hop. But the story isn’t over. Fans will continue being inspired by his work because although he may no longer be here, his music will live forever.
The Ruff Ryders gathered to pay tribute to DMX on the two year anniversary of his death. DMX, real name, Earl Simmons. died in 2021 at the age of 50. Authorities say X suffered a heart attack that was brought on by a drug overdose. The “Party Up” rapper became a beloved figure in the late 90s and early 2000s. His lyricism, aggressive style and gravelly tone resonated with millions of fans. Furthermore, he is recognized by many as one of the greatest icons of New York hip-hop history.
The Hip-Hop Wolf shared an Instagram video of the Ruff Ryders and a small group of fans gathered at X’s gravesite. One speaker at the memorial noted that X’s legacy lives on. “He never died to us, because he always lived to us,” he said. He also thanked X for the memories he left behind. “We love you as we know we do, and we appreciate what you left us with,” he said. Additionally, attendees performed the “X” hand sign in front of the grave. Meanwhile, fans could also be seen pouring out liquor in front the headstone.
It speaks to the impact he made that X is revered by so many. He began his career as a feature artist. He appeared on Mase’s song “Take What’s Yours.” Additionally, he also featured on The Lox classic “Money Power and Respect.” These songs created significant buzz for the then unsigned rapper, Subsequently, the move from feature artist to headliner was seamless. Indeed, his debut effort, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, is widely regarded as one of the greatest debut albums of all time. The album debuted at number one on the Hot 200. Additionally, the project went four times platinum.
DMX was vocal throughout his career about his affiliation with the Ruff Ryders. The crew is a loosely connected group of New York rappers and producers. Moreover, X’s popularity and dynamic personality made him the de facto leader of the Ruff Ryders as time progressed. DMX’s death sent shockwaves around the world of hip-hop. The New York native had been open about his struggles with drugs and mental health issues. However, his death still caught everyone off guard. Fans and colleagues alike have been spent the past few days sharing their memories of one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Only two years ago, the world was forced to mourn the loss of one of arguably New York’s most popular, prolific, troubled hip-hop artists—Earl Simmons, aka DMX. On April 2, 2021, DMX was rushed to White Plains Hospital in an emergency that left the rapper unresponsive. He remained for seven days, though in a vegetative state, until he passed away on April 9. Upon investigation, his cause of death was revealed to be a massive heart attack brought on by a cocaine overdose that halted the flow of oxygen to his brain.
While his life was cut tragically short at 50, the legacy of music that he left behind will last lifetimes. He was a legend’s legend—a harbinger of the New York hip-hop scene in the late ’90s. Drill Rap owes more to DMX than he ever gets credit for—but that’s another story. On top of his lyrical prowess, DMX’s unique delivery and cadence were often imitated (I’m looking at you, Ja) but never duplicated. He was methodical when it came to the music he created.
Coming up on the anniversary of his passing, I’m running back through his entire catalog. The albums I had on repeat, the ones I blatantly skipped, and everything in between—ranking them from top to bottom. Since he has studio albums, mixtapes, soundtracks, and compilations, I will only look at studio albums.
8. Undisputed (2012)
This was the first album of X’s I purposely didn’t listen to when it came out. It was his first album after dissolving the relationship with Ruff Ryders. I assumed the album would suffer from it, not because of X’s talent, but because it wouldn’t feel the same. After listening to the album a few times, I feel vindicated. The split from the label and the impact it had was fairly obvious.
It’s a decent album. However, the production and features lack the signature grit and aggression you came to expect from him. It had more tracks I skipped than I listened to, and the streams online seem to back up my sentiments as one of his least-played albums.
7. Year of the Dog…Again (2006)
If Undisputed didn’t feel the same because it was the first album after his split from Ruff Ryders, Year of the Dog… Again didn’t because he was still with the Ruff Ryders. Never one to shy away from making his feelings known, X openly discussed his problems with the label. Unhappy about money, the energy came across in the music, just not in the best way. It was the first album in almost a decade of his career that didn’t land at a No. 1 spot on the charts. The album features the signature production of Swizz Beatz and one of the head hitmakers of the time, Scott Storch. It had features from Jadakiss, Styles P, and Busta Rhymes. However, it didn’t evolve as you would have thought after a decade of making music . Hip-hop was changing, and this album felt like X struggled to keep up.
6. Grand Champ (2003)
Grand Champ was the last album DMX had that went certified platinum. However, it seemed to be a struggle for it to do so. It might not have done as well were it not for the lead single, “Where the Hood At,” which felt like a nostalgic grab at the success of the blunt, staggered delivery of his breakthrough hit “Ruff Ryders Anthem.” Originally this album would have had an additional smash hit, “X Gon’ Give it to Ya.” Yet, while X was filming Cradle to the Grave, the director heard the song and claimed it for the hit soundtrack.
This album, to me, always felt like a sequel. That means it tried, but not that hard because it didn’t have to. Maybe it was the bravado of always landing at No. 1, or maybe the label forced him into a role they typecast him in. Either way, this album tried to include singles-ready tracks and only ended up with one.
5. The Great Depression (2001)
His fourth album in less than three years, The Great Depression, followed the albums that came before it. The album landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Music charts, and it was backed up by two strong singles that kept it anchored in the charts. The production from Just Blaze, Dame Grease, and DMX felt like the last time we heard the rapper represented on an album. It felt like the sound and energy we’d grown accustomed to, but it wasn’t as forced as later albums would be. It was a solid mid-grade album and was the last I remember buying from X.
4. Exodus (2021)
Exodus was released posthumously about a month and a half after DMX passed. In the wake of his death, Exodus fell under the radar in terms of what it could have been stream-wise. However, I think this is one of his best albums when it comes to the way you could feel the evolution of X. He went from this young 20-something that came out ready for war to the OG who attempted to reflect and find faith in something other than the version of himself that had the most success.
This album was introspective and cut a lot deeper than his others in terms of the struggles he had gone through. I’m unclear if any of that sentiment is influenced by the fact that he died before it was released. It could be a bit of a bias, a ‘don’t know what you got til it’s gone’ type vibe. However, I think it was because this album was far superior to some of his chart-topping projects. It brought us features from The Lox, which felt even more critical considering DMX’s death. Further, New York heavy hitters Nas and Jay-Z, among others, also make appearances. In fact, “Bath Salts” earned X his first Grammy nomination in 20 years.
3. …And Then There Was X (1999)
This was the best-selling album in X’s decades-long career and spent the most time on the charts, peaking at No. 1 right out of the gate. …And Then There Was X was an album that still featured a fresh, new-to-the-fame version of X. The version of him that somehow still held on to his hunger, despite album sales reaching into the millions. It was the X that still carried the hopes of the boroughs on his back while seamlessly combining more radio-friendly hits into the rotation without it feeling forced.
“What These Bitches Want” featuring Sisqo and “What’s My Name” were both instant hits. However, the single that came sandwiched between those two, “Party Up (Up in Here),” earned him his highest charting single. Other than Sisqo and a few choice features, the album was predominantly DMX showing off his ability to make massive hits appear out of songs that wouldn’t seem to make sense for the radio. It’s still one of his most popular albums of all time.
2. Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)
In what has to be considered one of the most iconic hip-hop album covers ever, DMX dropped Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood in 1998. Appearing shirtless on a stark white background, X is featured front and center, dripping blood down his torso and offering his hands to you as if he can’t give you any more. Released less than a year after his studio debut, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot—an unheard-of act in the days before Soundcloud rappers—the album debuted at No. 1 and featured an eclectic list of heavy-hitting features ranging from Mary J. Blige to Marilyn Manson.
This album is dark. The kind of dark you didn’t see a lot of mainstream (or at least mainstream successful) rappers touch on. I mentioned earlier that drill music probably owes a lot more to DMX than he gets credit for. Yet, the Horrorcore hip-hop genre owes this man some flowers, too. He spoke of demons in his head on a tangible level, along with murders, depression, and the struggles he inevitably succumbed to. This was peak DMX and still maintains a place on my listening station. This is weird because this one barely had singles when it came to plays. It wasn’t a radio hit, but none of that mattered. The magic of X translated without it.
1. It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot (1998)
I can’t say enough about how good this album is. It was everything the ’90s didn’t know they needed until DMX released it in 1998. It was violent and hard AF. The album featured the signature growl that continued to back the listener into a proverbial corner from fear every time the adlib dropped. This was an opus. An actual story being told in the form of a hip-hop album, it felt like it was filled with metaphors and allegories hidden under veiled truths.
The truth was that this was the album that took over hip-hop. It allowed listeners to funnel their aggression and rage through X, the music, and out into the world. It took you into the darkness of his mind in the same way, Being John Malkovich took you deep into the psyche of Malkovich’s madness. It’s Dark and Hell is Hot is a masterclass in hip hop. It’s a non-stop playthrough. More than 25 years later, I still don’t pass a single song when I go back to listen to this. While you could certainly make an argument that Flesh of My Flesh is an equally essential and powerful album, this was the one that made X who he was and who he always will be to hip-hop heads. One of the greatest. RIP X.
The stories about DMX are endless and always entertaining. Whether it’s Murda Mook detailing how X would use his dogs in rap battles or NORE’s attempt to land a verse, DMX was a character that moved to the beat of his own drum. Unfortunately for Hitmaka, this also meant that he took a backseat when it came to getting laid. The Back In My Prime producer recently sat down with Swaggy Sie on SiriusXMs where he shared a hilarious story about DMX stealing a girl from him when he was about to lose his virginity.
“[DMX] took my first piece of pussy that I ever was gonna get in my life,” he explained “That story is always a great one. I’ll never forget, we were at this pool hall because he loved to play pool. We all there and then from the pool hall we went to a club in Toronto.” From there, they went to the club where X brought all of the women into his section. “We’re like, alright, bet, it’s time to go, so I grabbed a girl,” Hitmaka continued. “I’m a virgin, I ain’t never had nothing in my life. I grabbed a girl, she got in the car with me.”
Hitmaka explained that they got to a hotel in Toronto where they apparently had a protocol for entering their rooms. X went to the penthouse suite with his crew but the rest of the artists and entourage had to wait until the rapper got to his room. “I go upstairs to the girl. I swear to God, I was putting the key into the hotel room, his door swang open. I’m like, ‘Yo, wassup dog?’ He’s like, ‘Wassup, shawty? Hey, yo ma, I think you left your purse inside my room!’ I’m like, wait, we ain’t ever even been here,” Hitmaka recalled.
Hitmaka knew what the play was, especially as the woman left with DMX. “Like, we just met these girls, how she leave her purse inside your room? She left me and went, you know, I guess the dog handled his business. I went out, and shit, I was high and dry, but it is what it is,” he said. If you’re gonna lose some good quality energy from a good woman, you might as well lose it to DMX. It is what it is.” Check out the clip above.
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It’s been two years since the world received the heartbreaking news of DMX’s passing. In April of 2021, the beloved rapper suffered a fatal heart attack and passed away surrounded by family at White Plains Hospital. The Ruff Ryders have announced an event in his honor, an “NYC Ryde Out”. A save-the-date flyer was shared on the official Ruff Ryders Instagram account with the caption “On April 9th please join the Ruff Ryders Family as we celebrate and remember our brother DMX and all our fallen Soldiers with our NYC Ryde Out!”.
A “Celebration of Life Memorial” was previously held for Earl Simmons on April 24th, 2021. Close friends and family gathered at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to send the rapper off in love. Hours before the service, X’s casket was transported in a monster truck that read “Long Live DMX” on the side. The Ruff Ryders bike crew followed behind in numbers in a sentimental yet action-packed scene. Whereas his memorial service was limited to family due to Covid-19, the crew invites the public out to celebrate their fallen soldier.
Initially, the Ruff Ryders began as management for DMX and The Lox. After signing with Def Jam, Ruff Ryders Entertainment, the label. The roster includes Swizz Beatz, Eve, Cassidy, and more. Besides the music, Ruff Ryders is a motorcycle club and a group that has stood in solidarity with The Darkman. Their impact on the culture runs deep as their love for their comrade. Today, Ruff Ryders Lifestyle is very active in the community and various social spaces.
The “Ryde Out” event is scheduled for April 9th, on the two-year anniversary of X’s death. The group invites fans and friends to bring their loved ones for a day of “food, fun games and music”. The comments are full of fans eager to celebrate a rapper who is, without a doubt, a legend in the game. For more information about the ride out check the flyer on the Ruff Ryder’s official Instagram. The Ruff Ryders will announce more details about the event in the near future.
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