DMX recorded his iconic 1998 “Ruff Ryders Anthem” after initialing rejecting the music from Swizz Beatz by thinking it was more suited for rock n roll. The song proudly repped the Ruff Ryders record label and their artists. DMX has just entered the scene and the “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” was the fourth single from his debut album, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot. The video directed by J. Jesses Smith was an exhibition of ’90s masculinity in hip-hop with bodybuilding, white t-shirts, baggy jeans and motorbikes. Eve, Onyx, Swizz Beatz and The Lox made appearances in the video. DMX told GQ in 2019 that the “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” “Was simple and repetitive” but he ultimately was happy to have written the song. It was announced in 2019 that DMX had re-signed with Def Jam Records.
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