In March 2022, we at American Songwriter compiled our list of the 10 best DMX songs ever. Atop that list was “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” his 1998 hit single off his debut album It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot. “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” would peak at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has since been certified 2x platinum by RIAA.
Videos by American Songwriter
However, the song’s producer and frequent collaborator of the late DMX, Swizz Beatz, explained recently that the song only came out because of a bet DMX lost.
Throughout his career, DMX worked closely with producer Darrien “Dee” Dean, who happened to be the uncle of Swizz Beatz. While Swizz was still a teenager in high school, Dee and DMX made a bet to where if Dee won, DMX would have to make a song on one of Swizz’s instrumentals. That song turned out to be “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.”
“I only had ‘Ruff Ryders’ Anthem’ on that first album,” Swizz said in an interview with SiriusXM. “X lost a bet or I wouldn’t even been on that album. But he didn’t lose the bet, because that song ended up changing all of our lives. So, he technically won the bet from my Uncle Dee and you know that just changed all of our lives. So it was just enough to do what it needed to do.”
In a prior interview with Complex in 2011, Swizz explained that DMX did not like the beat for “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem and did not want to record over it. “DMX didn’t want to do it,” Swizz recalled. “He was like, ‘Man, that sounds like some rock ‘n’ roll track, I need some hip-hop shit. I’m not doing that. It’s not hood enough.’”
After some convincing, though, DMX put out “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” which became a career-defining moment for him. Additionally, it led to more collaborations with Swizz Beatz like “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” and “What These Bitches Want.”
Photo by Streeter Lecka/BIG3/Getty Images
