DMX

 DMX was the hardcore rap successor to 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G. The most prominent Ruff Ryders rapper was that rare commodity: a commercial and street-credible artist with a street-cred and artistic appeal. He was almost a decade closer to becoming a superstar and this provided him with the opportunity to create his stage presence that would make him one of the most memorable personalities in rap during his peak. Everything about DMX was unremittingly intense, from his muscular, tattooed body to his smug barking voice, which was a perfect match for his signature lyrical fascination with dogs. The style had substance. Much of his work was tied to the division between the sacred and profane. The singer could shift between a spiritual struggle one moment to a narrative about the sins of the streets the next, yet keep it all part of the same complex personality similar to a hip-hop Johnny Cash. The results were so captivating that DMX became the first musician to have five of his albums (from 1998's It's Dark and Hell is Hot through 2003's Grand Champ) enter the Billboard 200 at the top. Year of the Dog...Again, his last recording for Ruff Ryders almost extended his streak to six albums in 2003. Undisputed was his final studio album. He released singles through 2021. Following his death in the same year the ninth studio album, and his first posthumous album, Exodus, was released.