The dopest track on the album is "Get At Me Dog". It's a hip hop classic. Ill, to say the least. The call/response chorus is unlike any you've heard: "Y'all n*ggaz wanna be killaz? Get at me dog!" Sticking and robbin! This man is hungry! That's good. It makes for good hip hop.

"F'ing With D" is the second best song on the album. This song is hard and fast. Dmx rips the microphone apart with his teeth: "I don't give a f8ck about y'all n*ggaz cuz y'all ain't killin' nothing!" What? He's crazy and very angry. This song can move a crowd.

"Stop Being Greedy" is cool too. It's an original song which basically states I'm gonna bite you if you don't share.

"How's It Goin' Down" is pretty cool too for a song about a relationship. It's hardcore lyrically and the female singer in the background does not really get in the way. He claims that "Honey wanna give me the butt." over a slower beat.

"Damien" is basically a conversation he has with the devil which is played by himself (with the help of sound effects on his vocals.) It's not a brilliant song, but alright.

"Rough Ryders Anthem" has a bouncy southern-beat. The chorus is monotonous and the rhymes are very simple. You start to wonder. How smart is this guy?

"Crime Story" has a dope, slow, groovy beat with congos. There's no chorus as he raps about running from the police. Eventually, he walks in the police station withC-4 and blows up everybody! Ill! The rest of the album is bland.

"X Is Coming" rips off the Nightmare On Elm Street nursury rhyme. Dmx says that he'll rape your daughter. Charming!

"Look In My Eyes" and "Let Me Fly" are kind of boring but not as boring as "I Can Feel It" which rips off "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. This song just sucks in my opinion. It's the most boring song on the album. The whole second side, with the exception of "Stop Being Greedy" and "Crime Story" falls short. "ATF" is about how the ATF comes to get him. It's quick and has no chorus but just doesn't keep the attention.

"For My Dogs" has other Ruff Ryders but no one else can rhyme as good as Dmx. "The Convo" is him having a conversation with God. It has power and it is original but not as interesting as powerful as "Get At Me Dog" or even "Damien".

Finally, "N*ggaz Done Started Somethin'" featuring The Lox and Mase ends the album. It's an okay song. Nothing really special. Mase rhymes about guns but I can't picture him with a burner. You know he's lying. He shouldn't have been anywhere near this record. The skits are really nothing special. They are not original and do not truly serve a purpose.

The one "Prayer" skit is dramatic in a poetic way.

Overall, the album is entertaining but not as good as I hoped it to be. I'm glad I did not pay the full price for it. The beats are average with exception for "Get At Me Dog", "Crime Story" and "Stop Being Greedy" which have amazing, pumping-ass beats. Dmx is not really that creative. Some of his songs are original but as a whole, it's not too intelligent. Here's another question.. If he's so into the Lord and his soul, why is he robbing and murdering? It's a very hardcore album but the religious imagery brings that hardcore energy down because he gives the impression that he's not going to hell because of this holy side he has. The album flows good because of the dark quality while the beats and the production is average. One of the best thing about Dmx is his voice and how he can change it. Dmx does add a dark quality to hip hop like Mobb Deep and Onyx. He's got power and should use it. To tell you the truth, I don't think he used his rhyme ability to his full potential. Dmx, as a rapper, he's hot but he's somewhat lost in the darkness of hell.
Beats: 6/10,
Lyrics: 6/10,
Production: 6/10,
Flow: 8/10,
Originality/Creativity: 7.5/10,
Hardcore Rating: 8.5/10
[ Overall Rating: 7/10 ]

*There is a limited edition extra CD called "Survival of the Illest" Part I". This is a dope CD! JA kicks things off and there is a dope Onyx song which is not on their album! It's one of the best Onyx songs that I have ever heard. There are plenty of cuts from the album "Shut Em Down" by Onyx and there is "Full Cooperation" from Def Sqaud. L.L. Cool J's stupid "The Ripper Strikes Back" is on there too.
-Todd E. Jones