Legacy of DMX
Artists and genres DMX directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
MaseartistMason Durell Betha, known professionally as Mase, is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 and quickly found mainstream recognition as Combs' hype man. He guest appeared on Combs' 1997 single "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while his first two singles as a lead artist, "Feel So Good" and "What You Want", both peaked within the chart's top ten. Released in October of that year, his debut studio album, Harlem World (1997), peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart, received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned his third top ten single as a lead artist, "Lookin' at Me". Furthermore, his guest performances on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "Mo Money Mo Problems" and Combs' "Been Around the World" peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, that same year.
The Loxartist
YGartistKeenon Dequan Ray Jackson, better known by his stage name YG, is an American rapper. He released his debut mixtape, 4Fingaz, in 2008, and its follow-up, The Real 4Fingaz, the following year. The latter spawned the hit song "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 67 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings in October 2009, which entered joint-venture with Atlanta-based rapper Jeezy's record label, CTE World, in 2013.
M.I AbagaartistJude Lemfani Abaga, known professionally as M.I Abaga or M.I, is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur. He gained recognition after releasing the 2006 single "Crowd Mentality", which appeared on his debut studio album Talk About It (2008).
LL Cool Jartist
Sum 41artist
Limp BizkitartistLimp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, and turntablist DJ Lethal. The band's musical style is marked by Durst's angry vocal delivery and Borland's sonic experimentation. The band is one of the most successful nu metal bands of all time. It has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, sold 40 million records worldwide, and won several other awards.
Godsmackartist
YoungBoy Never Broke Againartist
mgkartistColson Baker, known professionally as MGK and formerly Machine Gun Kelly, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. His original stage name "Machine Gun Kelly" was derived from the nickname of Prohibition-era gangster George Kelly Barnes.
Kanye Westartist
Dr. Dreartist
LudacrisartistChristopher Brian Bridges, known professionally as Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he first began rapping. Starting out with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed the record label Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s to release his debut studio album Incognegro (1999). After its single, "What's Your Fantasy", became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000). The latter album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned his second top 40 single, "Southern Hospitality".
VeezeartistKaron Malcolm Vantrees, known professionally as Veeze, is an American rapper and singer. He pursued a recording career in 2017 and released his debut single, "Itself," in 2019. His debut mixtape, Navy Wavy, was released in September of that year. He signed with Warner Records to release his debut studio album, Ganger (2023), which peaked at number 97 on the Billboard 200. It was supported by the single "GOMD".
Method ManartistClifford Smith Jr., known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip-hop duo Method Man & Redman. His debut solo album, Tical (1994), peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", which won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. The song also peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100; he and Blige later starred in Power Book II: Ghost, a spin-off of Power.
HO99O9artistHo99o9 is an American punk rap duo founded in 2012 in Newark, New Jersey by theOGM and Yeti Bones. They relocated to Los Angeles in 2014. They were one of Rolling Stone's "10 New Artists You Need to Know" in 2014 and The Guardian's "New Band of the Week". They have performed at the Afropunk Festival in 2014, the SXSW Music Festival in 2015 and Primavera Sound Festival in 2016. To date, they have released multiple EPs, accompanied by grindhouse-style music videos, and three full-length albums, United States of Horror (2017), SKIN (2022) and Tomorrow We Escape (2025).
Vic MensaartistVictor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper and activist. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip-hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
SosMulaartist
JadakissartistJason Terrance Phillips, better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper who began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records to release their debut studio album, Money, Power & Respect (1998); their second album, We Are the Streets (2000) was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records. Both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200 and yielded critical praise; their two subsequent albums, Filthy America... It's Beautiful (2016) and Living Off Xperience (2020) were both released by Jay-Z's Roc Nation and met with continued praise.
City Morgueartist
From Ashes to NewartistFrom Ashes to New is an American rock band from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. The band's lineup frequently shifted in its early years, with musician Matt Brandyberry being the founding and sole constant member of the group. The band has released five studio albums, Day One, The Future, Panic, Blackout and Reflections. They have found success with many of their singles, including "Through It All", "Crazy", and "Panic", which reached peaks of 6, 3, and 11, respectively, on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Their singles "Nightmare", "Until We Break", "Hate Me Too", and "Armageddon", from the album Blackout, have earned them success as well.
Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquireartist
Deniro Farrarartist
Dave EastartistDavid Lawrence Brewster Jr., known professionally as Dave East, is an American rapper. East began his career in 2010, and gained attention in 2014 for his eighth mixtape, Black Rose. Its release caught the attention of fellow New York rapper Nas, who signed East to a recording contract with his label Mass Appeal Records in 2014, which entered a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings two years later.