One of the first albums with explicit lyrics that I heard as a youth was DMX’s ‘It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot.’ My dad bought the cassette back when the album first came out. I also remember buying a DMX cd single that had “Party Up” and “Slippin’” on it.
What I always liked about DMX was how he always expressed his feelings on God, the devil, his faith and his demons. And he always had prayers on his albums.
Here are a few personal favorites: