During the most recent episode of LeBron James’ HBO series The Shop, Jay-Z discussed the late DMX’s unparalleled stage presence.
Jay-Z said at one time he had been scheduled to perform right after X finished and became increasingly aware that the Ruff Ryder would be a tough act to follow.
”X is about to go, and I’m like, I wanna see,’” Jay recalled. “And he goes [growls], and the fucking arena goes crazy. First of all, it’s deafening, and I’m like, ‘Ohhh shit.’ He has a thing, like an Alize and Hennessey mix, it looks like blood, like he’s drinking blood, and he’s running back and forth [on the stage]. Halfway through the show, and then he takes his shirt. And the whole crowd goes wild. ‘Aaaaaah!’”
He witnessed the late Yonkers rapper take the whole arena on an emotional roller coaster, from screaming and then to tears.
“He’s going nuts. And I’m like, ‘Shit.’ First the guys are going crazy, now the girls are going crazy. And then he gets to the end, and he starts a prayer. And now they’re crying, the whole arena is crying. And then [concert organizers] go, ‘OK, now you go.’”
Jay also talked about when he boycotted the Grammys when DMX was snubbed in 1999, despite his ‘Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life’ project winning Best Rap Album. He said he did it out of respect.
“He dropped two albums—had two No. 1 albums in the same year—they didn’t even nominate him. I won that year for Rap Album, so my first Grammy win, I wasn’t there. I wasn’t even in the building because I boycotted it for him. There was a competitive thing, but it was big love.”
