Grand Champ

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Grand Champ
Studio album by DMX
Released	2003
Recorded	2003
Genre	Hardcore rap
Length	60:14
Label	Def Jam Records
Producer(s)	DMX, Darrin Dean, Joaquin Dean, Kanye West, Tuneheadz, Rockwilder , Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, PK
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link HipHopDX.com link
DMX chronology
The Great Depression (2001)	Grand Champ (2003)	Year of the Dog...Again (2006)

Grand Champ is a hip hop 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 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 #1.

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, RnB 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 distributer 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.

On the 'UK Bonus track' edition of the album, the hit single lifted from the '03 film Cradle 2 the Grave, 'X Gon Give It To Ya' is track #24.

"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.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Dog Intro"
2. "My Life" (featuring Chinky)
3. "Where the Hood At" (Samples "Young, Gifted and Black" by Big Daddy Kane)
4. "Dogs Out" [Produced By Kanye West]
5. "Get It On The Floor" (featuring Swizz Beatz)[Produced By Swizz Beatz]
6. "Come Prepared" (Skit)
7. "Shot Down" (featuring Styles P & 50 Cent)
8. "Bring the Noize"
9. "Untouchable" (featuring Sheek, Drag-On, Syleena Johnson, Infa-Red and Cross)
10. "Fuck Y'all"
11. "Ruff Radio" (Skit)
12. * "We're Back" (featuring Jadakiss & Eve)
13. "Ruff Radio 2" (Skit)
14. "Rob All Night (If I'm Gonna Rob)"
15. "We Go Hard" (featuring Cam'Ron)
16. "We 'Bout to Blow" (featuring Big Stan)
17. "The Rain"
18. "Gotta Go" (Skit)
19. "Don't Gotta Go Home" (featuring Monica)
20. "A'Yo Kato" (featuring Magic and Val) [Produced By Swizz Beatz]
21. "Thank You" (featuring Patti LaBelle)
22. "The Prayer V"
23. "On Top" (featuring Big Stan)

---

v • d • e  DMX
Albums | Singles | Full discography
Filmography Belly | Romeo Must Die | Exit Wounds | Angel | Cradle 2 the Grave | Eve | Third Watch | Never Die Alone | DMX: Soul of a Man

Preceded by Heavier Things by John Mayer

Billboard 200 Number 1 Album October 4, 2003 - October 10, 2003

Succeeded by Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast