On Tuesday, Ruff Ryders announced they would honor DMX’s legacy with a special “Ryde Out” event celebrating the second anniversary of his death. Slated for April 9 in New York City, the label will gather friends, family and fans “for a day full of food, fun, games and music.”
DMX was the go-to star for the revered East Coast label after a seismic debut in 1998. It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and 1999’s Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood helped X earn hip-hop supremacy as he notched two Billboard 200 No. 1 albums within a one-year period. Later on in his decorated career, X netted three more chart-topping albums. After he died in 2021 from a heart attack at age 50, he earned a top 10 release with this posthumous effort EXODUS. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and its standout collaboration “Bath Salts,” featuring Jay-Z and Nas, secured a Grammy nomination the following year for best rap song.
“He made music with raw passion,” recalled X’s Ruff Ryders cohort Swizz Beatz during the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. “He spoke to the streets, he spoke to the world, [and] he prayed for others before he could pray for himself. He loved others before he would love himself. His music is iconic magic to the world. Following Tupac, he is the second rapper to have two No. 1 albums in one year. His legacy will forever be remembered.”
Last month, Swizz Beatz connected with Lil Wayne for “Kan’t Nobody,” posthumously featuring DMX. See the Ruff Ryders’ post for their “Ryde Out” event below.
