Some rappers make you admire their wordplay. DMX made you feel every word. His voice could turn a song into a confrontation, a confession, or a prayer—and sometimes all three.

On October 23, 2026, The Great Depression celebrates its 25th anniversary. Released on that date in 2001 through Ruff Ryders and Def Jam, DMX’s fourth studio album delivered another chapter of the intensity and vulnerability that made him such a powerful presence in hip-hop.

For Sports and Music Dad, this anniversary is a chance to revisit an album that deserves a place in the conversation about DMX’s legacy. Beyond its hardest records, The Great Depression captures an artist wrestling with grief, loyalty, temptation, and faith.

Another Number One for DMX

By the time The Great Depression arrived, DMX had already established a remarkable connection with listeners. It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, and …And Then There Was X had introduced different sides of a rapper whose intensity never felt like a costume.

His fourth album continued that commercial momentum. The Great Depression became his fourth consecutive album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned platinum certification in December 2001.

Those achievements matter, but the album’s lasting appeal goes deeper than chart positions. DMX could sound unstoppable one moment and emotionally exposed the next. That tension gives this project its personality.

“Who We Be” Still Demands Your Attention

“Who We Be” remains one of the album’s defining performances. Its blunt, accumulating images create a portrait of pressure, hardship, and survival. DMX’s delivery makes the song feel urgent, as though he needs the listener to understand everything before the beat stops.

The power comes from how much he communicates through his voice. Anger, exhaustion, pride, and frustration sit close together. Even when the structure is straightforward, his performance gives it weight.

Twenty-five years later, it remains an essential starting point for understanding what this album offers.

“We Right Here” Brings the Fight

If “Who We Be” carries the weight of everyday struggle, “We Right Here” channels that tension into defiance.

This is the kind of DMX record that belongs in a workout playlist or a pregame rotation. The delivery is forceful, the attitude is unmistakable, and the hook invites listeners to join in.

For sports fans, that energy feels familiar: standing beside your people, refusing to fold, and meeting a challenge head-on. DMX had a gift for making a record feel like a whole room coming together.

“I Miss You” Reveals the Heart Behind the Voice

One of the album’s most affecting moments is “I Miss You,” featuring Faith Evans. The song addresses the loss of DMX’s grandmother, bringing grief and remembrance into the center of the project.

Here, the force in his voice takes on a different meaning. You hear the ache of someone trying to express what a loved one meant to him.

For listeners who have lost a parent, grandparent, or another person who helped raise them, the song can hit differently as the years pass. Memories gain weight. Small moments become precious. Things you once took for granted become the things you wish you could experience again.

That emotional connection is a major reason DMX’s music continues to matter. He made room for tenderness within music that could otherwise feel fiercely guarded.

Faith and Inner Conflict Run Through the Album

The Great Depression also includes “Damien III,” “The Prayer IV,” and “A Minute for Your Son”—titles that reflect the spiritual struggle running through DMX’s catalog.

Those moments deepen the listening experience. His music often feels caught between temptation and the desire to live differently. Confidence sits beside doubt. Aggression gives way to reflection.

The prayers are especially meaningful because they make that conflict explicit. DMX lets the listener hear someone reaching for guidance, even while struggling with his own choices.

That willingness to reveal uncertainty helped make his connection with fans so personal.

An Album Worth Revisiting Beyond the Singles

The anniversary also offers a reason to return to the full project, including “School Street,” “When I’m Nothing,” and “Bloodline Anthem.”

Listening from beginning to end gives the better-known songs more context. The shifts between confrontation, reflection, and mourning reveal the album’s emotional range.

There is room to debate where The Great Depression ranks among DMX’s releases. His early catalog set an exceptionally high standard, and every fan will have a different favorite. Still, this album rewards attention on its own terms, especially when you listen beyond its most recognizable hooks.

Celebrating 25 Years of The Great Depression

At Sports and Music Dad, we celebrate music that leaves you with something: energy for a difficult day, a memory of an earlier chapter in life, or words that help you process what you are feeling.

The Great Depression offers all of those experiences. “We Right Here” brings determination. “Who We Be” demands recognition. “I Miss You” makes space for grief. The spiritual moments ask listeners to slow down and reflect.

Twenty-five years after its release, the album remains a powerful reminder of DMX’s ability to make strength and vulnerability exist in the same voice. Unfortunately, DMX passed away on April 9^th of 2021 due to complications of heart attacks.

Turn it up, revisit the deeper cuts, and give this chapter of his catalog another listen. Check out the track listing and stream link to The Great Depression album below.

What is your favorite song from The Great Depression, and where does the album rank in your DMX collection?

1. Sometimes
2. School Street
3. Who We Be
4. Trina Moe
5. We Right Here
6. Bloodline Anthem
7. Shorty Was da Bomb
8. Damien III
9. When I’m Nothing ft. Stephanie Mills
10. I Miss You ft. Faith Evans
11. Number 11
12. Pull Up (Skit)
13. I’ma Bang
14. Pull Out (Skit)
15. You Could B Blind ft. Mashonda
16. A Minute for Your Son