DMX was a larger-than-life presence, but he contained multitudes as well. The legendary rapper, who died on April 9 at the age of 50 after suffering a heart attack one week prior, became the biggest thing in hip-hop during the late 1990s because of his singular, sweeping appeal. He was intense, unfiltered, and charming in his own unique way—which made him a supernova almost instantly upon his breakthrough in 1998. DMX’s willingness to unleash his range of emotions made him as phenomenal as he was antithetical. In just over an hour, his debut It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot showcased the full spectrum of who he was. He’s best known for the kinetic aggression of “Get At Me Dog” and “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” the harrowing duality of “Stop Being Greedy,” and even the ominous spirituality of “Let Me Fly,” but the gem which encapsulates his versatility is “How’s It Goin’ Down.”
The song, produced by PK, chronicles an illicit affair between DMX and a woman who he loves deeply despite acknowledging that they have no future together. It’s an impossible situation and both parties know they’re wrong, but their chemistry and the comfort they feel in each other’s presence allows them to escape reality. It’s the white-hot rush of desire, a temporary bliss. Through the years, “How’s It Goin’ Down” has become one of DMX’s signature songs as well as one of hip-hop’s greatest love songs because it’s beautiful, pensive, and painfully realistic. This is no fairy tale romance; there’s no happily-ever-after and the reverberating message is that love, alone, simply isn’t enough.
“How’s It Goin’ Down” is unlike anything else on It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, and the version that was released as the album’s final single swaps a skit featuring an abrasive phone conversation driven by accusations of infidelity for a stripped-down intro that bleeds into the chorus. This version, which is superior, gives singer Faith Evans’s vocals room to breathe as DMX asks, in his very direct way, what the deal is: “What type of games are being played? How’s it goin’ down?/If it’s on ‘til it’s gone, then I gots to know now/Is you with me or what?”
As much as DMX was thought of as a live wire who rapped at different volumes, in different cadences, and from different perspectives, “How’s It Goin’ Down” is conversational and showcased his aptitude as a storyteller. It’s a three-act tale in which DMX recalls the beginning, middle, and end of the relationship. Throughout, he alternates between addressing the listener and the woman who’s caught his heart. “I’m politickin’ with this chicken wonderin’ if I’ma creep her/Little hoodrat bitch from 25th named Tenika/Comin’ through like I do, you know, gettin’ my bark on/Knew she was a thug ‘cause when I met her she had a scarf on'' sets the scene with rich details. “Talkin’ to shorty made me wanna do somethin’ nice/Lookin’ at that ass made me wanna do somethin’ tonight” adds color and levity through dashes of DMX’s personality, which is accentuated by his staccato delivery. As they settle into the situation, DMX attempts to show his virtue (“I’m gettin’ at shorty like, ‘What you need? What you want?”) not long before threatening her boyfriend’s life after learning that he attacked someone who he mistook for DMX following his discovery of her infidelity. And therein lies the unsustainability that prevents the relationship from being more than a dalliance existing on borrowed time.