DMX (Grand Champ)

[Slim Zaddy]

Released September 16, 2003
Recorded 2003
Genre East Coast rap, gangsta rap, hardcore rap
Length 74:40
Label Def Jam Records, Ruff Ryders
Producer DMX, Darrin Dean, Joaquin Dean, Kanye West, Tuneheadz, Rockwilder, Ron Browz, Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, PK, No I.D.


Overview
Grand Champ is the fifth album by American rapper DMX, released in 2003. Grand Champ features the popular singles Where the Hood At? and Get it on the Floor. The album sold 312,000 in its first week and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, extending DMX's position as the only artist in history to have 5 albums (and his entire album catalog) debut at
When compared to the artist's previous releases, this was the greatest under-achiever, eventually achieving a rating of Platinum, although it was #1 on the Billboard 200, it's shelf life was relatively short.Open for discussion is the albums credibility, considered by many fans as 'too formulaic' (featuring all popular hip hop marketing devices, including several guest appearances, a club banger to rope in sales ("Get It On The Floor") a slow, R&B based ballad ("Don't Gotta Go Home"), as well as the constant skits and intervals which did not so regularly appear on his previous albums) and DMX's recurring subject matter, which after 4 albums, is, as fans claim, wearing thin.

The album originally contained a song entitled "Ruled Out", a hard-hitting diss track aimed towards former collaborator and friend Ja Rule, however, Def Jam Records (who coincidentally owns the distributor rights to Rule's 'Murder Inc. Records) were highly displeased by the track and urged for its removal . A previous version of "Fuck Y'all" was also considered to be the lead-off single for 'The Great Depression', but due to the obvious explicit content of the title alone, the song would have substantial problems gaining radio airplay.In the UK edition of the album, the hit single X Gon' Give It to Ya from the 2003 film Cradle 2 the Grave is included as a bonus track.
"Grand Champ" was also released in an "edited" version that replaces some violence, most drug content, and all profanity with sound effects and in some instances, blanks them out completely leaving only the music. "Grand Champ" is the most highly censored of all of DMX's albums, including "Year of the Dog... Again". The explicit version censors out the words "reloaded" and "slugs" on the track, "Where The Hood At?". Only "slugs" is censored from the edited version however.
The title "Grand Champ" is an explicit reference to American "street" dog fighting. The term "grand champion" refers to a fighting dog that has won at least five bouts with no losses. This is also a likely reference to the fact that "Grand Champ" represents the fifth studio album released by this artist that has achieved Platinum status and debuted at #1.

Track listing
1 "Dog Intro" Darold "Pop" Trotter Bashir Fadai 3:32
2 "My Life" Dart La Chinky 3:09
3 "Where the Hood At?" Tuneheadz 4:46
4 "Dogs Out" Kanye West 4:03
5 "Get It On The Floor" Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz 4:22
6 "Come Prepared" (Skit) Jay "Icepick" Jackson, Joaquin "Waah" Dean 0:35
7 "Shot Down" Salaam Wreck Styles P, 50 Cent 3:42
8 "Bring The Noize" Tuneheadz 3:30
9 "Untouchable" Tony Pizarro Syleena Johnson, Cross, Infa-Red, Sheek Louch, Drag-On 6:05
10 "Fuck Y'all" Ron Browz 3:43
11 "Ruff Radio" (Skit) Jay "Icepick" Jackson, Joaquin "Waah" Dean 0:43
12 "We're Back" Tuneheadz Eve, Jadakiss 4:25
13 "Ruff Radio 2" (Skit) Jay "Icepick" Jackson, Joaquin "Waah" Dean 0:18
14 "Rob All Night (If I'm Gonna Rob)" Rockwilder 3:27
15 "We Go Hard" No I.D. Cam'Ron 3:36
16 "We 'Bout To Blow" Dame Grease Big Stan 3:31
17 "The Rain" DJ Scratch 3:27
18 "Gotta Go" (Skit) Jay "Icepick" Jackson, Joaquin "Waah" Dean 1:07
19 "Don't Gotta Go Home" Antoine "Bam" Macon, Ryan Bowser, Mr. Devine, Victor Flowers Monica 4:17
20 "A'Yo Kato" Swizz Beatz Magic, Val 3:46
21 "Thank You" DMX, Nemo, Ron H, Reggie Flowers, Gerald Flowers, Victor Flowers Patti LaBelle 3:01
22 "Prayer V" DMX 1:47
23 "On Top" (Bonus Track) Mac G Big Stan 3:34
24 "X Gon' Give It to Ya'" (Hidden Track) Shatek 3:40

Credits:
Leroy "Tony" Austin A&R
Hector "Rick Boogie" Aviles A&R
Rich Balmer Engineer
Bam Drums, Keyboards, Producer, Vocal Producer
Black Moses Producer
Patrice "Trice Blam" Blamoville A&R
Craig Brodhead Executive Producer, A&R
Ron Browz Producer
Dragan "Chach" Cacinovic Engineer, Mixing
Steve Conover Engineer
Cross Performer
Dame Grease Producer
Otto D'Angolo Engineer
Tina Davis Executive Producer
Tyrone Davis A&R
Tony Dawsey Mastering
Darrin "Dee" Dean Executive Producer, A&R
Joaquin "Waah" Dean Executive Producer, Skit
Digital One Engineer
DJ Scratch Producer
Bashir Fadai Vocals
Gerald Flowers Producer
Reggie Flowers Producer
Victor Flowers Producer
Mally G. Producer
Tishawn Gayle Marketing
Keisha Gibbs Project Coordinator
Deidre Graham Marketing
Akisia Grigsby Art Direction, Design
Samira Hall Marketing
Andrew Huggins Recording Director
Jay "Icepick" Jackson Executive Producer, A&R, Skit
Marc Joseph Photography, Cover Photo
Adam Kagan Engineer
Rich Keller Engineer, Mixing
Jonathan Mannion Photography
Deborah Mannis-Gardner Sample Clearance
Mister Devine Producer
Monica Vocals (bckgr)
Nemo Producer
No I.D. Producer
Dart Parker Producer
Anthony Pittman A&R Assistance
Tony Pizarro Producer
R.J. Guitar
Rockwilder Producer
Earl Simmons Producer, Executive Producer
Keith Slattery Engineer
Chico Spades Engineer
Brian Stanley Engineer, Mixing
Swizz Beatz Producer
Darryl "Pop" Trotter Producer
Tuneheadz Productions Producer
Jennifer Turner A&R Assistance
Pam Viala Engineer, Mixing
Kanye West Producer
Salam Wreck Producer


Charts
Australian Albums Chart 32
Austrian Albums Chart [1] 20
Belgium Albums Chart 38
Canada Albums Chart 2
French Albums Chart [1] 16
German Albums Chart [1] 6
Netherlands Albums Chart 28
New Zealand Albums Chart [1] 7
Swedish Albums Chart [1] 42
Swiss Albums Chart [1] 10
UK Albums Chart 6
U.S. Billboard 200 1
U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 1