…And Then There Was X is the third album by American rapper DMX

DMX (rapper)

Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...

, released December 21, 1999 on Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings

Def Jam Recordings

Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...

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Songs

The first single of the album, the club song 'What's My Name

What's My Name? (DMX song)

"What's My Name?" is a hip hop song performed by American rapper DMX, which was released in 1999. It is the first single released from his third album ...And Then There Was X. The single peaked at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.-Charts:...

' was released, which received much airplay on urban radio and television. It reached #67 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 chart.

The second single was the party anthem "Party Up (Up in Here)", which helped increased album sales. The album also featured more meaningful, introspective tracks such as "Fame" and "Here We Go Again", two heartfelt accounts of emotional dispute with his fictional protege, 'Shorty', who he quotes as 'fucking up big time', forcing X to leave him to fend by himself in the streets.

Typical DMX tracks include the obligatory ladies track, "What These Bitches Want

What These Bitches Want

"What These Bitches Want" is a song by rapper DMX. It is one of DMX's best known songs and is from his album ...And Then There Was X, released in 2000.-Production:...

", featuring smooth vocals from R&B star Sisqó

Sisqó

Mark Durrell Andrews , known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and also for "Thong Song", a song from his first solo LP, Unleash the Dragon, that became an international hit. - Biography :Sisqó was born Mark...

. The song was released as a third single in its edited form as "What You Want", to moderate radio airplay and a high-budget video from director Hype Williams

Hype Williams

Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....

. Also, the standard X aggressive joints include "Don't You Ever", "Coming For Ya" and "The Professional", wherein DMX documents a criminal's activities throughout the city.

Critical Reception

Although not credited as his best work, …And Then There Was X was well received by fans and critics alike, however, to some criticisms, the production style geared towards a more commercial and radio-friendly sound; a stark contrast to his previous work, which involved strong gothic and religious undertones (mainly connections between hell and his bad-deeds), boasting bloody and gruesome images over his album covers e.g. Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood

Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood

Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood is the second album released in 1998 by rapper DMX. It entered the charts at number one with an impressive 670,000 units shipped in the first week. The album eventually went 3x Multi-Platinum in the US. DMX released his debut album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot in...

cover.

Success

The album sold very well selling roughly 698,000 units in its first week and went on to be certified 5x Platinum making it DMX's best-selling album to date. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart , firmly ranking DMX within hip hop's only artist to have their first three albums enter the Billboard Top 200 Chart at the #1 spot.

Versions

…And Then There Was X was also released as a "clean" version that replaces explicit drug content and profanity with sound effects. Strangely, no violence was edited out except for gunshot sound effects in the background of some tracks and some content on the track "The Professional". Skits were also completely removed from the censored version, including the intro track. However, the track "Party Up (Up in Here)" appearing on this album is less censored then the radio/video edit.

In Popular Culture

The songs "Angel", "D-X-L (Hard White)" and the bonus track "Good Girls, Bad Guys" featured in the 2001

2001 in film

The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...

 film Exit Wounds

Exit Wounds

Exit Wounds is a 2001 action film based on the book of the same name by John Westermann. The book takes place on Long Island, while the film is set in Detroit. The film was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, and stars Steven Seagal as an urban detective notorious for pushing the limits of the law in...

.

"Prayer III" was used in John Cena

John Cena

John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....

's entrance vignette at WrestleMania XXVII

WrestleMania XXVII

WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...

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Track listing

#	Title	Producer(s)	Featured Guest(s)	Time	Sample(s)
1	"The Kennel" (skit)			0:36
2	"One More Road to Cross"	Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...		4:20
3	"The Professional"	P. Killer Trackz		3:35
4	"Fame"	Dame Grease Dame Grease Damon Blackmon, or Dame Grease, is a Harlem, New York based video and music producer.Before becoming a staple on every mixtape, The LOX relied on the sounds of Grease in order to acquire the street buzz that landed them their deal on Bad Boy Records in 1996...		3:37
5	"A Lot to Learn" (skit)			0:39
6	"Here We Go Again"	DJ Shok		3:52
7	"Party Up"	Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...		4:28
8	"Make a Move"	P. Killer Trackz		3:33
9	"What These Bitches Want What These Bitches Want "What These Bitches Want" is a song by rapper DMX. It is one of DMX's best known songs and is from his album ...And Then There Was X, released in 2000.-Production:... "	Nokio	Sisqó Sisqó Mark Durrell Andrews , known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and also for "Thong Song", a song from his first solo LP, Unleash the Dragon, that became an international hit. - Biography :Sisqó was born Mark...	4:13
10	"What's My Name?" What's My Name? (DMX song) "What's My Name?" is a hip hop song performed by American rapper DMX, which was released in 1999. It is the first single released from his third album ...And Then There Was X. The single peaked at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.-Charts:...	Self Service & Irv Gotti		3:52
11	"More 2 a Song"	P. Killer Trackz		3:42
12	"Don't You Ever"	Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...		3:48
13	"The Shakedown" (skit)			0:35
14	"D-X-L (Hard White)"	Dame Grease Dame Grease Damon Blackmon, or Dame Grease, is a Harlem, New York based video and music producer.Before becoming a staple on every mixtape, The LOX relied on the sounds of Grease in order to acquire the street buzz that landed them their deal on Bad Boy Records in 1996...	The L.O.X. & Drag-On Drag-On Mel Jason Smalls , better known as Drag-On, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City.Drag-On was originally signed to Interscope Records under the Ruff Ryders Entertainment imprint, where he released his successful debut album, Opposite of H2O, which debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200...	4:21
15	"Comin' for Ya"	Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...		4:02
16	"Prayer III"			1:59
17	"Angel"	Irv Gotti	Regina Belle Regina Belle Regina Belle is a singer-songwriter who first surfaced in the late 1980s. She is notable for her Grammy award winning duet with Peabo Bryson, "A Whole New World".-Biography:Regina Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey...	5:07
18	"Good Girls, Bad Guys" (Bonus Track)	P. Killer Trackz & Charly (Shuga Bear) Charles	Dyme	3:55	• Contains an interpolation of "Call Me Call Me (Skyy song) "Call Me" is a 1981 single by Brooklyn-based funk group Skyy. A popular R&B and dance hit, the single achieved mainstream success by peaking at number twenty-six on the Billboard Hot 100. It was one of only two singles Skyy placed on that chart.... " (R. Mutler)

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Canadian Albums Chart	6
German Albums Chart	46
Netherlands Albums Chart	64
U.S. Billboard 200	1
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1